The Greene County board of supervisors held a public hearing for the FY2025 proposed property tax levy Monday, April 1, at 8:30 am, postponing the regular meeting to 9 am. Technical difficulties prevented Zoom attendees from hearing the proceedings except for the last seven minutes.
Board discussion included a letter sent by the State of Iowa to taxpayers explaining county tax levies. The board agreed the letter had not been written clearly. According to supervisor Pete Bardole, the State dictates what information needs to be provided to taxpayers.
County auditor Billie Jo Hoskins said the general basic county levy will be 7.17 (cents per thousand of taxable valuation). That’s the rate paid by all property owners. The rural levy is an additional 3.06; rural property owners will pay 10.23 (cents per thousand of taxable valuation).
The regular board of supervisors meeting began at 9.
The supervisors unanimously approved the setting of a public hearing on the proposed FY2025 county budget for April 22 at 9 am.
The supervisors also unanimously approved an Open Meetings policy as revised from a previous meeting. The complete policy is available in the auditor’s office.
The supervisors unanimously approved the hiring of Katie Fisher as full-time clerk for the county recorder’s office beginning July 1. Fisher will be paid $48,500 per year. After a successful 6-month probationary period, Fisher will be named deputy recorder at a salary of $50,460.55. This figure is 65.5 percent of the recorder’s salary.
The board also unanimously approved the awarding of Iowa Department of Transportation Contract 25-CO25-126 and made Dallas County the contracting authority. This contract includes work to be done on county highway P-46 in both Greene and Dallas Counties.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported on the P-57 paving project and other projects, as well as an updated timeframe for the HVAC project in the courthouse. Use of LOSST funds was not approved by voters at the special election held in March, so projects had to be re-worked by Weiss’ department.
County attorney Thomas Laehn clarified a proposed amendment to the solar ordinance involving distances solar farms must be from each other.
Laehn said there must be 2 miles between each solar farm and farms can only be 1000 acres each.
“However,” Laehn said, “an existing solar farm of less than 1000 acres can expand at a later date, up to the maximum cap of 1000 acres.”
