Statements aimed at helping taxpayers

Adair County taxpayers should have received a blue statement in their mail last week showing them various tax levies in Adair County that are the result of recent budgeting processes by levying entities.

House File 718, passed last year by the Iowa Legislature, led to this mailing happening. The statement includes information regarding school, county and city proposed tax rates and information on scheduled public hearings regarding the proposed tax rates.

Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg said that consider multiple statements went to some taxpayers, over 3,700 envelopes went out to taxpayers Wednesday, March 20.

The mailing includes the following information:

• Date, time and location of public hearings to consider proposed property tax rates for the next fiscal year

• The phone number and website (if applicable) for each associated taxing authority

• Current, effective and proposed tax rate information

• Comparison of current, effective and proposed tax rates

• How current taxes levied by the school, county and city are distributed

• Comparison of how taxes would be distributed in the current and proposed budget years

“I believe legislators wanted us to get this out there because they wanted people to know when our public hearings are for our budget so taxpayers can have a say in what their levies are doing,” Berg said. “It’s just to provide more information to taxpayers. It has extended our budget process a bit. We used to have to have all of budget in by March 30, but now that’s backed up to April 30.”

If taxpayers have questions about the information provided on the mailing, they are encouraged to visit https://dom.iowa.gov/property-taxes for more information, call the appropriate taxing entity or call the Adair County Auditor’s Office at 641-743-2546.