MASON CITY – NIACC is seeking to raise property taxes for campus upgrades.
According to information from North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), located in Mason City, “the cost is 85 cents per month for a (property) assessed at $100,000 in property tax. For less than a cup of coffee a month, NIACC will expand job training, open new student career centers…all with the goal of training our next generation and providing local employers with the skilled workforce they need.”
The tax on all forms of property (houses, businesses, farmland), if it passes, would be for 10 years. The vote has to receive 60% approval as a cumulative number (all votes combined) from across the community college district, which covers part of 11 counties in the region.
NIACC claims the tax increase on property owners will:
- Support the creation of Regional Career Centers to support increased workforce training needs.
- Expand workforce training for in-demand, STEM-related careers, including healthcare.
- Provide needed upgrades to classroom technology.
- Renovate the North Iowa Community Auditorium, which receives over 57,000 visitors annually
- Enhance campus safety through additional lighting and security.
- Invest in sustainable energy sources that will generate long term savings by replacing expensive mechanical systems.
The election is scheduled for March 3, 2020.