Levy rates are decreasing slightly
The Jefferson city council at its April 28 meeting held a public hearing on the 2026-27 city budget and, after hearing no public comment, approved the budget.
City finance officer Henry Pohlmeyer presented the budget, his first presentation since assuming the role of finance officer in October. He has been assistant park & recreation director prior to moving to city hall.
General fund revenues total $4,527,575, with $1,535,452 (34 percent) of that coming from property tax and $1,4112,700 (31 percent) coming from transfers from funds such as the debt service capital improvements funds.
General fund expenses total $4,490,703. The greatest single expense is law enforcement, with $1,212,319, (27 percent) going to the police department. Administration and recreation receive the next larger portions, at $530,534 and $528,230 respectively.
Salaries account for 17 percent of total expenses, or 28 percent of general fund expenses. Adding FICA, the city’s contribution to employees’ IPERS, and group insurance, the total is 44 percent of general fund expenses.
The consolidated general fund levy is decreasing slightly, from $8,12621 (per $1,000 in taxable valuation) in the current year to $7.96688 in FY27. The total property tax levy is decreased from $14.88578 to $14.88447. The levy on ag land in the city is decreasing from $3.00375 to $3.00370.
In other business, the council approved increasing membership fees for the Greene County Community Center by 3 percent, rounded up to the nearest $5 annually. Effective July 1, annual membership fees will be: family – $380 annual or $33 monthly; adult couple – $320 annual or $28 monthly; adult single, $275 annual or $24 monthly; senior couple, $275 annual or $25 monthly; senior single $215 annual or $20 monthly; youth (age 8-18) $145 annual or $14 monthly; and young adult single (ages 19-22) $225 annual or $20 monthly. Monthly payments are by auto debit only. A three-month walking pass is $60.
Shorter-term monthly memberships will be family, $48; adult couple, $40; adult single, $34; senior couple $35; senior single, $27; youth, $19; and young adult, $29.
The council accepted the low bid of $186,376 from Fort Dodge Asphalt to mill and overlay 2 inches of asphalt the entire length of McKinley St. The bid is less than the $250,000 budgeted for the project. Other projects will be added
The council approved a change in the annual salary of city administrator Scott Peterson from $125,000 to $130,000, effective July 1.
Mayor Craig Berry commended Jim and Karen North for their years of leadership at the Webb House. The Norths are retiring.
Peterson noted that city employees Mike Wallace and Kent Curtis are retiring.
During the open forum at the beginning of the meeting Larry Joy asked again about the status of a potential drainage project in the northeast quadrant of the city. Joy has asked at meetings over the past year about drainage issues that have plagued his neighborhood and his property. At the April 28 meeting he asked which projects Bolten & Menk were prioritizing – ‘want’ projects or ‘necessity’ projects. City engineer Jim Leiding answered that he would have a report on the issue at the May 26 meeting. He clarified that the report will outline the next steps, not a fix for the problem. “Hopefully it will be a direction to the fix,” Leiding said.
