County approves proposed FY 2024 max tax levy

   The Jones County Supervisors held a public hearing on Feb. 28 regarding the proposed maximum General and Rural Fund tax levies as part of the FY 2024 county budget.

   Since the proposed levies were published in the Feb. 15 Monticello Express, County Auditor Whitney Hein said the valuations changed with the passage of SF 181, which was signed into law. Due to a prior calculation error, this bill “delivers $127 million in property tax relief” concerning residential and multi-residential property.

   “We’re not held to the (levy) rates, we’re held to the dollars,” Hein told the board.

   The proposed increase of the county’s General Fund is 13.71 percent. This provides $7,926,942 total tax dollars in the GF.

   The proposed increase in the Rural Services Fund is 11.46 percent, providing $2,934,463.

   “You can’t go over those tax dollars; you can always decrease and levy for less money,” noted Hein. “Last year you reduced the Rural Services slightly, but you were also further along with the budget.”

   While she has not had time to adjust the county’s overall tax reduction stemming from SF 181, Hein advised the board to approve the levies as publicly advertised in their resolution.

   “We need to know these numbers before we set the public hearing for the budget,” she said. “But I am not advocating that you have to adopt the resolution today.”

   Due to the new tax law, cities and counties now have until April 30 to approve budgets, not March 30 as in the past.

   Also related to the county budget, the board discussed amending the taxable valuations, and the impact to the tax levy.

   Hein explained that in December, she proposed a 2 percent growth in taxable valuation for the county. With the passage of SF 181, that was amended to .1 percent. That provides the county with an extra $43,100 for the overall levies.

   “It’s virtually nothing,” Hein said.

   That also means the county’s total taxable valuations only increased by .1 percent.

   At a previous supervisor meeting, the board proposed a 3 percent increase for county library funding. With the new law, the library funding had to be adjusted because it’s based on the county's rural valuation growth. The funding for county libraries will now be a 1.5 percent increase.

   The board did not take any action on county employees’ salaries.

In other county business:

   • The board filed tax liens on delinquent sewer bills for two properties in Fairview. The liens total $660.

   The board also filed tax liens for delinquent sewer bills in Center Junction for seven properties, totaling $2,968.56.

   • The board approved an appropriation resolution, transferring $1,500 from the Conservation Department budget to the Historic Preservation/Tourism budget.

   • Hein told the board she has received a few applications for the Facilities Maintenance Director position. The job posting is open until March 30.

   • Land Use Administrator Sheralyn Schultz presented a possible nuisance located at 8478 Slide Rock Rd., Anamosa. The property has both a contract holder and a deed holder.

   Schultz said it was previously abated in April 2021 and October 2022.

   “I received another complaint about junk in the backyard and the green netted fence,” she said. “The fence is not a nuisance; it’s what’s in the fence.”

   Supervisor Jeff Swisher said the public cannot see the nuisance without entering the property.

   “You can’t say it’s a nuisance,” he said.

   “We’re splitting hairs on something that’s leaning again a fence,” added Supervisor John Schlarmann.

   The board directed Schultz to send the owner a courtesy letter to clean up the front yard.