Supervisors review tax suspensions

Union County Board of Supervisors Monday approved a suspension of taxes request Monday. The request was the third in more than the past month.

The person making the request must meet criteria as stated in Iowa Code. Supervisors are aware requests are related to the person’s income and living conditions.

According to code, “If a person is a recipient of federal supplementary security income or state supplementary assistance...or is a resident of a health care facility...which is receiving payment from the department of health and human services for the person’s care, the person shall be deemed to be unable to contribute to the public revenue. The director of health and human services shall notify a person receiving such assistance of the tax suspension provision and shall provide the person with evidence to present to the appropriate county board of supervisors which shows the person’s eligibility for tax suspension on parcels owned, possessed, or upon which the person is paying taxes as a purchaser under contract.”

The taxes not paid must be paid should the property sell. Because of the nature of the issue, supervisors did not disclose the name or address or the person behind the request. Supervisor Dennis Hopkins said he does not want the suspensions to make it more difficult for those applying to pay the taxes.

In other county news...

Secondary Roads Superintendent Al Hysell said he has seen an increase in traffic on Eagle Avenue since the closure earlier this month of Green Valley Lake Road. Green Valley Lake Road was closed because of work on a bridge. The bridge is north of the intersection with 150th.

The county expects the road to be closed for four to six months.