INSET: City Assessor Dana Naumann
MASON CITY – Newly-appointed City Assessor Dana Naumann on Tuesday was given the final go-ahead on a $1 million dollar project to re-appraise all commercial, industrial and residential property in Mason City.
A meeting of the Mason City Conference Board was held Tuesday. The Conference Board is made up of three entities: The entire City Council and Mayor; the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors; and the Mason City School Board. The Conference Board gave Naumann the green light to go ahead and get started on the project, which will take years to complete. Naumann, who was appointed last November, said that no such project has been done in Mason City in at least 20 years.
The project will be funded by new taxes for Mason City property owners under the City Assessor. Naumann said Wednesday that the cost to a $100,000 property owner will be about $11 per year for the next five years. This fall’s property tax bill will show the first increase.
“When I was hired, this was already a project they (the Conference Board) wanted to undertake,” Naumann explained. “It needs to get done, in the interest of fair taxing for property owners. Some are paying too much, some are paying too little.”
Naumann said that she looks at the “aggregate” of property sale amounts in Mason City versus the total assessed value of properties that have sold. The re-appraisal of properties would attempt to bring the sale price of a property even with its assessed value.
A software change will be the first step in the project. All commercial properties should be fully re-appraised by January 1, 2016. All residential properties should be fully re-appraised by January 1, 2018.
“It’s a long project,” Naumann said. “It’s pretty involved.”
Once the project is complete, Naumann explained, the other three taxing entities involved (Council and Mayor; Supervisors and the Mason City School Board) “should have more property value to levy against.” Therefore, they may have an opportunity during budget cycles to lower their own tax rates.
It was said at Tuesday evening’s Mason City Council budget meeting that Mason City property owners are set to see about a $37 per year tax rate increase overall (on a $100,000 property), when adding city property taxes together with the new taxes from the City Assessor to complete this project.
Well, Mr. L Clear lake has been utilizing special assessments for many years and there is a sense of fairness and equity you are proposing to violate by suggesting they be abolished. In the past, each has paid his/her fair share and that should continue. I think the issue should be more that there should be more street resurfacing projects that are done and not assessed for by the City. I do not believe that so many of the streets need to be completely rebuilt. Although I do understand the issue about aged below ground infrastructure.
Your suggestion on property tax assessments is as ill-conceived as your statement from some time ago about a petition and referendum procedure that is also not legal in Iowa. Slow down with some of these thoughts please and in time you may present yourself as a viable candidate.
well mason cityans that voted the school tax in here is an exercise for you 1: bend over and reach between your legs and pull as hard as you can until you hear a pop, now you got your head out of your ass.
I seem to remember a Tax incentive offer that the City made for property owners to fix up their properties. That carrot was waived, people did fix things up and now these same people are going to end up paying more in taxes than they were when they bought the place, this is just one big scam.
I think a big part of the thing that needs to be asked as well, it what is Dana Naumann going to do on the taxpayer dime after the 5 years is up? Are they going to dismiss her to go pillage another city or keep her in the corner in City Hall after paying her for 5 years?
Pay all this money when all you have to do is buy the software and read the info what a waste.
If $11.00 is 10% of your property tax bill its okay -otherwise about $175.00 per year is more like it then add the new school levy tax you sheep voted in – comes to about 250/300 DOLLARS more per year – have’nt done this in 20 years? (WHAT A LIE) STATE OF iOWA requires THIS DONE EVERY 3 YEARS.
Look at her face – saying – O GEEE! O GEEE! IT WAS’NT ME WHO RAISED YOUR TAXES ! Fire them all or reduce their salry 30% -FAT CATS !
Big set of jowels -small BALLS.