The City Council of Webster City will hold a public hearing Monday night to consider maximum tax dollars from certain levies for the city’s proposed fiscal year 2022-23 budget.
The council session will be held at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of city hall. The public can join the meeting by logging onto the Zoom teleconferencing platform and entering the meeting ID 884 1863 5631.
According to a memo from Finance Director Dodie Wolfgram, each city and county are required to publish a notice and hold a public hearing stating the increase in tax dollars from certain levies that the new budget will generate from the previous budget. A two-thirds majority vote by the council is required if the increase will be higher than 2 percent, the memo stated.
The fiscal year 2023 proposed budget includes an increase of $245,096 in tax dollars from the previous budget, which represents a 7.08 percent increase.
Wolfgram’s memo states that the majority of the increase in dollars will be used for the benefit funds. Debt service and aviation authority are the only two levies not included in the calculation.
The council will also set the time and date for a public hearing on the 2022-23 Capital Improvement budget and the 2022-23 and 2026-27 Capital Improvement Plan.
Also on the agenda is the appointment of a new council member to fill the vacancy left when Brian Miller resigned. The council members had tabled action on the appointment to investigate the cost of a special election.
A series of fees for animal ordinance violations and for establishing labor rates will be considered Monday night.
The council members are also expected to authorize Assistant City Manager Biridiana Bishop to submit an application to the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program for a grant which if approved would provide three fixed generators. The generators would be placed at the three lift station locations. Project costs are estimated at $100,000 and if the grant is approved, the city would need to contribute 15 percent as a cash match.
In other business, the council will consider a three-year farm lease with Brock Miller on 4 parcels of city-owned land totaling 105.77 acres.
A grant agreement between the City of Webster City and Webster City Daycare to provide a bridge grant of $10,000 to assist with operational expenses will be reviewed Monday night. The council will also consider an agreement with the daycare to provide up to $97,816 to assist the daycare with reimbursable expenses associated with the investing in Iowa Child Care Grant.
The council will go into closed session to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent. They will also meet in closed session to discuss the purchase or sale of real estate.
View the original article as it appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: March 7, 2022