MUSCATINE, Iowa – The second of two public hearings on the proposed City of Muscatine Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget will take place during the March 18 City Council meeting. The first public hearing on the maximum property tax dollars for certain levies was held during the March 4 City Council meeting.
The two public hearings are a requirement for municipalities that was passed by the state legislature in 2019.
The City Council passed the resolution approving the maximum property tax dollars for certain tax levies during the March 4 meeting, and then approved the resolution setting the second public hearing on the adoption of the budget and the certification of taxes for the FY 2021-2022 budget. That public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2021, during the virtual City Council meeting.
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.
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.
The proposed budget for 2021/2022 totals $67,162,512. This includes $41,658,812 in governmental funds expenditures and $25,503,700 in business-type/enterprise funds expenditures. Of the total proposed budget, $17,919,400 is for capital projects in both governmental and business-type funds.
The total proposed property tax levy rate will remain at $15.67209 per $1,000 of valuation, which is unchanged from the past nine years. With a 4.86 percent increase in taxable valuations, total property tax revenue for the City will increase by $677,005 which is a 4.76 percent increase in property tax dollars.
Information on the second public hearing can be found on the City of Muscatine web site. BUDGET HEARING. The amounts in the public hearing notice reflect the budget amounts approved by City Council during their budget review sessions, in the format required by the State of Iowa.
Prior to the FY 2021-2022 budget hearing, a Public Hearing on Amendment #1 to the FY 2020-2021 City Budget will be held. Amendment #1 will amend the 2020/2021 budget to the revised estimate amounts considered by City Council during their 2021/2022 budget review process including both revenues and expenditures to the currently estimated amounts. The amendment also reflected updated capital project construction schedules. AMENDMENT #1.
Why two hearings?
Senate File 634 was passed in 2019 and requires all cities to pass a resolution establishing the maximum property tax dollars for certain levies prior to the adoption and certification of the final budget. The City of Muscatine tax levies that were required to be included in the Public Hearing held Thursday (March 4) are the General, Transit, Tort Liability/Insurance, Emergency, and Employee Benefits levies. Two levies are not required to be included (Debt Service and Ag Land).
The tax dollars from those required tax levies in the proposed 2021/2022 budget total $12,597,193 compared to $11,991,593 for the 2020/2021 budget. The difference is a 5.05 percent ($605,600) increase in tax dollars when considering only those levies required to be included in the Public Hearing.
Click AGENDA to download the March 18, 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/489477325. Citizens can also listen to the meeting with their phone by dialing +1 (646) 749-3122 and use the access code 489-477-325.
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 Regular Session
Thu, Mar 18, 2021 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CDT)
Please join my meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/489477325
You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (646) 749-3122 | Access Code: 489-477-325
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