The Jefferson City Council recently approved a resolution for the proposed property tax levy rate for the 2022 fiscal year.

City Administrator Mike Palmer says the state requires all municipalities to hold a separate public hearing for the property tax levy as a way to create more transparency and let residents know if there will be an increase in their property tax payments. Palmer points out that the City will be asking for an additional 0.5-percent increase compared to the current fiscal year, which will generate an additional $1.8 million. 

Palmer states the property tax levy rate consists of the general fund and debt service levies. It is projected that the City’s general fund will have a slight increase of $0.16 to $12.55, while the debt service levy will have a decrease of $0.35 to $2.71 for a total of $14.91. The property tax levy rate shows a decrease compared to the current fiscal year of $15.10 per $1,000 of property valuation. Palmer talks about why they are only asking for a 0.5-percent increase.

“Last year we had a 3.5-percent increase from the asking from the year before. Because of that I think we didn’t have to ask for so much this year. Primarily a lot of times that additional asking happens because we’re asking for more money to cover like health insurance benefits. That’s something kind of our control most of the time. This year fortunately we didn’t quite have the large increase in our health insurance and just general benefits that we normally do.”

Contact Jefferson City Hall or go to their website for more information about the tax levy rate and the overall budget. 

City Hall number: 515-386-3111

City’s website: https://cityofjeffersoniowa.org/