The Clarion City Council will move to take the final steps and approve the 2022-2023 budget at their March 22 meeting next week.
The budget for the upcoming year (which was published previously in the Monitor in the legal notice section) sets the city tax rate at $18.95542 per $1000 of taxable property value. That is a significant increase from last year’s rate of $17.75758. The levy rate for ag land is about $3.00 per $1000, about the same as last year’s rate.
Clarion’s tax rate is again in the middle of the major cities in the county. Belmond’s proposed rate is $17.84 per $1000 (a 48-cent increase from last year). Eagle Grove’s rate increased heftily from last year, from $18.13 to $19.58.
Regarding the reason for the Clarion levy increase, City Administrator Clint Middleton noted increases in property/casualty insurance, health insurance and lower property valuation due to state rollbacks.
The city tax rate of $18.955 means that people will pay about $769.59 on the city portion of their taxes on a home valued at $75,000 (after next year’s property tax rollback). This is an increase of $18.44 from last year. On a home valued at $125,000, a person will pay $1282.52, an increase of $30.61 from last year.
Middleton said that a few upcoming projects are getting a boost by COVID-relief funds. The city will be receiving around $400,000. Those funds are already earmarked for the planned water treatment facility and the Early Learning Center says Middleton. The COVID funds of course won’t cover the entirety of those projects though.
Middleton also highlighted budgeted for items including both the water treatment facility and childcare center in addition to a new road in the White Fox area, upgrades to Lions Park, adding pickle ball courts to the Pool Park, storm sewer work, road paving and street maintenance.
Overall, the administrator feels like the city is in fine shape as they look toward the next year. He added though that there will be a lot of bigger projects coming up so they will have a lot on their financial plate.
Middleton encourages people to send comments about the budget to city hall beforehand or attend the hearing during the council meeting on March 22 at 4:30 pm.
