MASON CITY – A newly-elected Mason City councilman who has demonstrated trouble paying his taxes voted himself a massive tax break last week.
Joining the rest of the city council, Brett Schoneman voted in favor of the city’s Urban Revitalization Tax Abatement Program, a program that he is participating in with his 7-condo development located at 4th Street SW and Madison Avenue.
The City Assessor estimates that the total property tax for Schoneman’s seven-unit Willow Creek Townhomes development is $12,890 per year. The estimated tax bill for the seven units will now be $4,182, since the program was approved by Schoneman and the council. This is a difference of $8,708 per year.
“Since this is a five-year abatement, and assuming the tax rate remains steady, the value of the abatement is $43,540,” a city official confirmed to NIT Tuesday afternoon.
Councilman Travis Hickey – the council’s chief economic development specialist as a liaison to the North Iowa Corridor – questioned the abatement program and called for hearings as to whether it should continue. He called the program a “slippery slope” to too many tax breaks without enough return on investment to the city.
Schoneman, who denies he is a protege of Mayor Eric Bookmeyer as the chosen successor to Jean Marinos in the third ward, was scolded for casting a “yes” vote by his former adversary in last November’s city council election.
“You should have recused yourself,” citizen Josh Masson said to Schoneman at the public listening post portion of the meeting. “Your name is all over that” program, listed in the city council agenda. “It doesn’t look good”.
NIT previously reported that Brett Schoneman has been delinquent in paying his taxes at least 21 times over the last 5 years or so.
“This was clearly a rookie mistake,” a local political figure told NIT when asked to comment. “Apparently, Brett Schoneman was asleep in class when the mayor was schooling us all on how to be a sleazy politician and get away with it. A 5-0 vote is just as good as a 6-0 vote.”
1-10-8: PROHIBITED INTERESTS IN PUBLIC CONTRACT: linklink
In accordance with Iowa Code chapter 362.5, no City employee or City officer shall have an interest, direct or indirect, in any contract or job of work or material or the profits thereof or services to be furnished or performed for the officer’s or employee’s governmental body, board or commission. Except as provided for in subsections 1 through 12 of chapter 362.5, a contract entered into in violation of this Chapter shall be void. (Ord. 94-3, 2-15-94)
My suggestion…move to Freeport, Illinois. Ghost town Mason, and when you see why. Taxes here are way cheaper. I pay $300 a year for 2.5 story house. 3 bedrooms. My taxes are being properly used here. Mason City became a joke when people stopped caring, crooks circumventing the system for self gain. Mr. Potter has invaded Mason City, Iowa. Yall be living in shacks, paying high rise rent in a car board box.
If enough people left, they’d fire his ass.
Like his family, passive agressive, they have found ways v to further exploit the system for their own self gain. Ya all idiots voted for him, is why I left years ago. I pay all of my taxes, on time. Schoneman has been about money and power. Greed runs in this family. I have known them for years. This is nothing new. What have they ever done to give to humanity, than take from them, without ever expecting anything in return?
(Drops mic)!
President Trump like. Great job Brett!
I love NIT
This should be investigated by officials. This sounds like it could be a criminal matter.
Well there you go all in perfect order now. Dummies of Mason City.
Bottom line is no one speaks up.Or questions a damn thing until it’s too late. That is why it is IMPORTANT to have Max back! So what if you can’t handle how it is presented to you and that you cry like babies because Max said it wrong….waaaaah. At least you would have the truth then decide. Weaver’s peers should have had his back like none other but they went with the sneak patrol to get the money in their own pockets. You know who you are. They will sell you out don’t ever forget it. F-ing idiots!
Now we know why he wanted to be on the Council.
People should show up at the next Council meeting and let their outrage be heard. This Council should hear about this for the next year and then they will think twice about approving crap like this.
There was a day in City Politics when people knew the right thing to do, when there was a conflict of interest. When Linda Schaefer was on the council, she abstained from voting any time there was a Henkel deal at the table. This regime wouldn’t know the right thing to do it it bit them in the behind. They look for things to compromise to make themselves look like they are above it all…. God help us.
Matt….Time to look into the workings of the assayers office. Back when we purchased our building in MC it was on the books for more than 200,000 and we paid $67.500 for it. When it came time to find what the new figure was, I called and was told the new number was $140,000. Long story short, protested and got it reduced to $67.500. And therein is the problem in MC and most everywhere in the country…they figure few will protest and they’ll keep raising it every year as many think that number is what they can get for their property when they sell, only to find how far apart that figure is compared what a willing buyer will pay.
Good idea, Al.
SERIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST…
Heck this is nothing compared to Tax abatement (under the guise of creating jobs) in worthless count -Its known as TIF -look at your property tax statement breakdown – the small guys here are already paying for $20,000,000.00 -yea thats 20 million that the rest of us have to make up -its not a freebie -the property tax is still paid every year only it passed on to everyone else. Anyone know how the TPP county supervisor is doing on his being charged with possible fraud ? Good old corporate owned and paid for Bartz. Talk about an anti american slezeball. Hey TRUMP showed the crooks where the bear chit in the woods last nite in Vegas – GO TRUMP !- time to rout out the hide in the bush scum.
Man can the council under a drunk get any worse?? Where are all of the nay sayers when it comes time t vote? Man we must be the dumbest citizens in our once proud town to keep voting these clowns in office. I can say I DID NOT VOTE FOR the DRUNK and any of his ELECTED CLOWNS AND PROUD OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An absolute abuse of power! Time to report this behavior to the State Ombudsman and to show up at the next City Council meeting demanding answers. Matt…….. can you help lead the charge?
I’ve been to the Ombudsman several times. Inept, corrupt, complicit in this sleazy game. Even when proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Ombudsman protects the elected. Even when they act on wrongdoing, they do it over the phone so no one knows the elected did wrong. Waste of time. You have to try these fools in the court of public opinion. Shame them for stealing from the taxpayers. Unveil their deeds, so to speak. Trust me on this, if the citizens of MC attended council meetings and took to the public podium to call them out, they would shrivel and cower right quick. You can smell the fear on them a mile away. But, the people are dumbed-out, lazy, don’t care too much, not involved, distracted. So, this kinda thing continues to happen, with no end in sight.
Sincere thanks for your insight and dedication to the people of Mason City.
Ombudsman is a joke. I tried to report other areas of corruption, even with proof, they do nothing.
Just knew this stuff would start happening with him on the council..there’s a reason he ran…here it is!
This is exactly why I don’t want realtors on the council. Everytime there is we get shafted. He just stole 43K from the taxpayers of Mason City. It get worse and worse under the town drunk.
I said it before, that realtors on the city council should not be allowed! It’s a conflict of interest. And so many people jumped all over me about it. This needs to be reported to someone at the state level and investigated! Bring Bookmeyer and these clowns down once and for all!
Who can forget when Eric’s surrogate mommy Jean the 3rd Ward Queen went to the public podium and urged the council to shoot down the Legacy Manor development. I guess she was afraid it would impinge on her crumbling rental empire and she might have to skip one or two trips to Greece every year. Corrupt dolt, just like Eric… and perhaps more on that council. More going on than meets the eye. Plenty of dollars on the line in $36 million deal. People are grumbling… who stands to benefit…
I have been saying that for years and it just gets me blasted on here. Damn special interest A-Holes.
This is total BS, what a sleaze bag. I’d like my property tax to be cut by 32% also. This town just keeps going, and going, and going, down the drain.