Fort Madison, IA – Most cities, counties, and school districts in this part of the state are looking to raise property taxes to balance their budgets. Some examples include Lee County ($0.20/$0.30), City of Keokuk ($1.00), City of Burlington ($0.10), and Burlington School District ($1.66).
City Manager Byron Smith says the property tax rate actually decreases by a couple of cents in Fort Madison's spending plan for next year. He says the reduction is the result of past budget-cutting efforts by the Fort Madison City Council.
Smith says there will be one fee increase in next year's budget. He says the monthly solid waste fee will jump by 20% to $15.00.
Smith says the quality of services offered by Fort Madison will not change because no programs were cut and no employees will lose their jobs. He says a recent shift of tax dollars to the general fund was key to that effort.
Smith says the spending plan includes money for the improvements to the intersection of 48th Street and Highway 61 and for the construction of the city's new water plant. He says the city held off on a few sewer improvement projects to hold down the spending in the $23-million budget.
The Fort Madison City Council is expected to finalize next year's budget on Monday, March 15.