MASON CITY – A sizable tax increase of over 3% is being considered for Mason City property owners.
A City Hall memo posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, states that the town council will consider a property tax increase of 3.58%. The memo claims, “Increase in Regular General levy is due to increase in additional taxable valuation. Increase in Tort is due to additional property valuation which increased insurance cost. Increase in Police & Fire Retirement is due to increase in wages subject to retirement and increase in the retirement rate from MFPRSI. Increase in FICA & IPERS is due to an increase in wages subject to the payroll tax. Increase in Other Employee Benefits is due to increased health costs.”
Back in 2013, NIT was the only local media to attend and report upon a very important meeting that has impacted this possible property tax increase for the steadfast Mason City property owners. The Conference Board – comprised of officials from city hall, the school board and the board of supervisors – met in February of that year. Their apparent aim was to drum up new funds by setting loose upon the community a newly-hired assessor. This employee was to unleash her minions and go door-to-door and assess properties in the community at higher rates whenever they deemed they could do so.
At this meeting, Mason City Assessor Dana Naumann (now known as Dana Shipley and remains on the job to this day), advocated for spending $1 million on a project that would assess all properties in Mason City. The Conference Board approved the idea after a vote on the matter. The $1 million dollars was paid for by taxpayers; as NIT reported, “Naumann explained that the project is needed because many properties in Mason City are under-valued and over-valued and in the interest of fairness, the project should be done. The project will cost the average Mason City taxpayer $55 over the course of 5 years.”
In 2016, the project was undertaken when the assessor’s office announced door-to-door inspections of all residential properties in Mason City and Cerro Gordo County would begin on approximately June 1 of that year. Once the project was complete, Naumann explained to NIT, the other three taxing entities involved (Council and Mayor; Supervisors and the Mason City School Board) “should have more property value to levy against.”
If you have concerns about this tax increase, the town council will hold a public hearing on March 2, 2021, via ZOOM, at which you may voice your opinion.
The new apartment complex downtown gets ten years free no property tax
Legalize marijuana. It’s a great tax dollar generator. I’m tired of hearing how bad it is. Alcohol is the number 1 gateway drug. If you don’t want to smoke it, don’t.
why does clear lake spend hundreds of thousands or even millions and just anounced no new taxes 4th year in a row, answer flory
just what I said. the ice rink , by there words, “wont cost the taxpayers anything”. they just transfer funds from one to the other then say “have to raise taxes to pay the oeiginal funds. ya, haha, wont cost taxpayers. what a joke
I agree, mason city is a joke!
can’t decide if l am laughing with you or at you
I would conclude there is serious mismanagement of Mason City’s tax dollars.
Zero Leadership!
why does the board set their pay so high? not just hers but all of them? heard about a vacation they took with their husband’s to Canada and the taxpayer paid. Chris watt tring to kill health agency but oks paying Canada vacation.
Curious any facts to back it up?
Our city taxes are just the beginning. Just think what will happen in the next few years at the federal level. Take a look at recent gas prices, by summer if we abandon our previous energy strategy(which biden is doing)gas will probably be back to 3 bucks or more.(oil is around 60 and climbing)
Its going to be spend spend spend and then tax tax tax.. And fellow business owners hang on to your hats.
In regard to downtown, I guess what is done is done and we have to live with it. Eventually it will have to be taxed to cover the costs. The winner the shady mall owner.
And of course it has nothing to do with all of the wasted and scurrilous spending on the Downtown Renaissance project.. Or should I say,
Non-existent Downtown Renaissance project.
This has been FUBAR from the start..
Robin and Eric’s Hotel, LLC, will offset the many, many millions of taxpayer expense by renting many, many rooms and then the loads of state tax generated by those sales will pour in to the City coffers, thereby paying back the taxpayers those many, many millions of dollars. Has to be true.
Sounds very democratic
I have said for years this would happen and no one would listen. The downtown is dead and will stay dead.
Too bad the same isn’t true for you
then..who will pay the taxes?
Tell your a good liberal.