The issue of whether the State Legislature will continue the replacement claims to cities, counties, and schools, commonly referred to as the backfill, remains a topic of concern for many around Iowa.

Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson is one of those concerned about the fate of the backfill, as it would mean around $81,000 less on Perry’s budget. He says it would result in several cuts for the City, though he believes Perry would be better off than many other cities around the state. The backfill originated in 2013, after the State Legislature decided to decrease commercial property taxes. Peterson says when they passed the rollback, they vehemently promised cities, counties, and schools that the backfill would be sustainable. However, with the Legislature trying to find areas to cut from their own budget, the backfill has been identified as a possible cost-saving area.

Peterson feels that would be unfair to those who were promised the backfill, and says the issue would be compounded by the timing of a bill to phase it out. “We just certified our budget for the next fiscal year, and they’re talking about making changes to our revenues for that budget. You know, it’s really something that’s just not right, and it’s very, very disappointing that the legislature would do that to us. And you know, I talk about ‘us’ as the City, but this is a larger conversation. This isn’t just the City, this is the County, and this is the school district.”

Peterson adds, he would encourage any concerned citizens to reach out to their state representatives and voice those concerns. To hear more from Peterson, listen to Wednesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.