JC Supervisors commit to lowering levy in light of higher property values

FAIRFIELD — Iowa residents saw their property values increase sharply this spring, and that will mean paying more in property taxes next year.

Jefferson County Supervisor Lee Dimmitt said the Board of Supervisors will try to soften the blow of this property value increase by lowering the county’s tax levy next year, though he said it’s too soon to say by how much. Dimmitt said the equalization order from the state caused property values to rise by different amounts in different parts of the state, but the figure he heard from locals was that their residential property values would rise 20-30 percent, and commercial property values would rise 40 percent.

Dimmitt said that even if the county is able to reduce its levy next year, it will still represent a small part of a resident’s overall tax bill. A person’s tax bill indicates where their tax money goes. For instance, Dimmitt said the county receives about 20 percent of the property taxes a resident of Fairfield pays, with the rest going to the city, school district, and other services such as EMS and the health center. Rural residents pay a higher share of their property taxes to the county, about 25 percent, since although they don’t have to pay city taxes, they still have to pay township taxes for fire protection and school taxes.

The new property values will not come into effect until next year, so they are not affecting budgets for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Dimmitt said the county will have new expenses next year since it is taking on the ambulance service, plus the cost of building roads and bridges is always increasing. Nevertheless, he said county will still be able to lower its levy.

“We have committed to rolling back levies, and I’d ask residents to lobby their cities, school and hospital to do the same thing,” he said. “Between us doing that and the state rolling back the taxable valuation even more, it will help us offset this [property value increase].”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com