The Brownton City Council will be taking a look at revising its assessment policy after learning that some assessments for its proposed $8.37 million street and utility improvement project will push $20,000 per parcel.
John Rodeberg of Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc., (SEH), said that the city’s assessment policy is pretty much 50-50 across all categories, with the city paying 50 percent and the other 50 percent being assessed to benefitting properties.
“We think that’s a little conservative,” said Rodeberg. “We’re coming up with some pretty high assessments when we apply your policy.”
Rodeberg also noted that, by law, at least 20 percent of the project’s costs need to be assessed to the benefitting properties. However, under Brownton’s policy, assessments will pay for 43 percent of the cost. Just over 32 percent will be paid by general tax levy and utility fees, and the rest will be through grant funding. Most cities, Rodeberg said, like to keep the assessment rate near the 20 percent requirement of the state.
Read the full article in the June 14 edition of The McLeod County Chronicle.
Links:
[1] http://www.glencoenews.com/category/section/news/browntonstewart
[2] http://www.glencoenews.com/category/byline/lori-copler