A presentation and discussion on City of Storm Lake property taxes was held Thursday night at King’s Pointe Resort.
Mayor Mike Porsch pointed out that only 51 percent of the community is taxable…
Porsch said the city council is diligent about how taxpayer’s money is spent…
City Treasurer Tyler Gibbins said 75 percent of local taxes go toward public safety and recreation. Gibbins said several cuts have been made to maintain a stable and sustainable budget…
The City has gone from having two community service officers down to one.
Gibbins explained why taxes go up even though the city receives more money this year…
Gibbins said over 300 homes have been constructed over the last couple of years, and said there’s more housing needed now. He doesn’t believe property taxes are the reason that people don’t want to buy homes in Storm Lake.
Affordability concerns were still brought up over rising taxes and utility costs, and City Manager Keri Navratil made a challenge to residents…
Buena Vista University president Brian Lenzmeier said we’re getting to a critical point…
Residents are urged to contact the city to sign up for a Storm Lake Proud volunteer project from May 4th through the 10th. City council member Maggie Martinez encouraged citizens to attend council meetings on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month to provide input and learn how city government works.
Navratil said Storm Lake has 132 million dollars of insured property, not counting the new water tower and a new water treatment plant, which combined to account for over 100 million dollars. Navratil said there is a misconception that local property taxes support King’s Pointe. She said King’s Pointe pays their property taxes, which amount to over 287 thousand dollars. She said the city is keeping a close eye on the state’s proposed property tax reform.
The City of Storm Lake’s proposed new tax levy is 15.17, up from 13.16. The proposed levy is in the middle of the pack for cities of similar size.
