MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine City Council will conduct two public hearings during its Thursday (March 4, 2021) regular session including the first of two that concern the Fiscal Year 2021/2022 City of Muscatine budget.
The Muscatine City Council will meet virtually for their regular session starting at 7 p.m. Thursday. Information on joining the session and how to make a comment during the meeting is listed below. The session will also be broadcast live on the City of Muscatine YouTube channel and on Muscatine Power & Water Cable Channel 2.
This is the second year that two public hearings are required to approve and certify budgets for all cities and counties in Iowa in accordance with Senate File 634 that was passed in 2019. The State of Iowa now requires a public hearing be held on the maximum property tax dollars for certain tax levies before an entity can schedule the public hearing on the adoption and certification of the budget.
Senate File 634, also known as the Property Tax Transparency Bill, requires all cities to pass a resolution establishing their maximum property tax dollars for certain levies prior to adoption and certification of the final budget. For the city of Muscatine the tax levies include the General, Transit, Tort Liability/Insurance, Emergency, and Employee Benefits levies.
The tax dollars in the FY2021/2022 budget from those levies total $12,597,193 compared to $11,991,593 in the FY2020/2021 budget, which is a $605,600 (5.05 percent) increase.
The increase is primarily due to two reasons according to Finance Director Nancy Lueck. The tax dollar increase includes rises in personal services costs and operating budget costs that allow the City to provide the same level of services to residents. The second is that the increase is needed due to the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on several other City revenue sources.
A resolution to accept the maximum property tax dollars for certain levies will be voted on following the public hearing as will a resolution setting March 18 for the public hearing on the adoption and certification of the Fiscal Year 2021/2022 budget.
Council members completed their budget review sessions with City staff in February. All budget review sessions are available on the City of Muscatine YouTube channel with the proposed budgets available for view on the Finance page of the City of Muscatine website.
The first public hearing of the night concerns the amended development agreement between the City of Muscatine and bush Development, LLC, and Hershey Property, LLC, for the Hershey Building project.
A long list of action items await the City Council Thursday including the awarding of contracts for three road maintenance projects (Hot Mix Asphalt Alley Overlay Project, Hot Mix Asphalt Street Overlay Project, and the Full-Depth Patching Project). These projects are part of the 2020/2021 road maintenance project that was partially delayed by revenue questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Road maintenance projects for 2021/2022 will be sent out for bids after July 1, 2021.
Click AGENDA to download the March 4, 2021, City Council agenda and/or attachments.
The best way for the public to participate is to dial in to the GoToMeeting session, mute your device, watch the session on YouTube or Cable Channel 2, and, at the appropriate time, unmute your device to ask a question or make a comment. The public can also use the “chat” feature on the GoToMeeting virtual meeting to pose a question to the Mayor, Council, or staff member.
How to attend, speak at virtual meeting –
Meetings of the Muscatine City Council have been held virtually since Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds proclaimed a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency on March 19, 2020.
To join the conference call by computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone click on the following link
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/139304725. Citizens can also listen to the meeting with their phone by dialing +1 (571) 317-3122 and use the access code 139-304-725.
Please mute your computer or phone while listening to the proceedings (press *6 when using phone or mute button on computer). A chat window is available when you use your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Those wishing to speak or to ask a question are asked to use the chat box to post a message that will be seen by the Mayor who will address the questions or call on the speaker in turn. Those using their phones must wait until the Mayor asks for additional comments. The Mayor will recognize you prior to you addressing the Council.
Muscatine City Council
Thu, Mar 4, 2021 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CST)
Please join my meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/139304725
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (571) 317-3122 | Access Code: 139-304-725
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