County officials give information at meeting

A group of people gathered Sunday afternoon to sing modern worship songs, hymns, and to pray for all things revolving around the process of recovery in Greenfield and Adair County after the May 21 tornado.

Held in South Side Park along the path of the tornado, the vigil was held on the two-month anniversary of the disaster. The event was led by Phil Cannon of Greenfield Gospel Chapel, as well as others, and sponsored by the Nodaway Valley Ministerial Alliance.

A few hours later, contractors met with residents at the high school at a contractor fair. Many residents have begun the process of rebuilding and are looking for options and answers in helping with that process.

During a community meeting that followed a meal and the contractor fair, Adair County officials gave updates closely connected to the rebuilding process.

Auditor’s Office

Nathan Reed, speaking on behalf of the auditor’s office, stated that in regards to elections, residents are asked to use their permanent address, even if that is somewhere they are living temporarily. Residents may contact the auditor’s office at 641-743-2546 and they will update a resident’s address so that voting mail is sent to the correct location.

Treasurer’s Office

Adair County Treasurer Brenda Wallace said that though Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamation that allowed duplicate titles for 30 days has ended, FEMA is still asking for a lot of information from residents. Wallace said that if a vehicle has been totaled, paperwork can take slightly longer, but her office is willing to take the time to help residents. She said that staff may ask a lot of questions, but that is in the spirit of making sure people leave their office with the correct paperwork that they’re needing.

Wallace said it is believed that the county lost almost 700 units, whether that be cars, motorcycles, campers, or other registered vehicles.

The Treasurer said dealer-issued license plates on newly-purchased vehicles are good for 45 days.

People visiting the Treasurer’s Office for a replacement driver’s license need to have their current address available.

Taxes will be certified to Wallace in the next two weeks, so the Treasurer’s Office needs current mailing addresses so they are able to send tax statements. If residents don’t have tax statements by the middle of August, contact their office at 641-743-2312 and they will help.

Assessor’s Office

Greenfield Disaster Recovery Team Member Scott Tonderum read a statement from the state of Iowa in regards to assessor-related information.

Anybody is able to request a re-assessment of property at any time. Each county sets up their own procedures, but has to follow state laws. An informal review on assessments can be requested through April 25 and an appeal process can be requested anytime before May 1. The disaster proclamation extended the deadline for board of review appeals from May 1 to June 1.

Values are based on what was on the property Jan. 1, 2023. If a fire, tornado or flood were to damage the property after Jan. 1, value adjustments are for the following year. Changes affect the value for Jan. 1, 2025, which is the value used to calculate taxes due in Sept. 2026 and March 2027. That means that property owners are paying taxes in September of this year on property that existed Jan. 1, 2023.

Assessors make every effort to update properties each year, but it is ultimately the property owner’s responsibility to report changes. This is why the assessor will always mail property owners notices of changes to valuations with steps to appeal made available.