News & Updates 
from Linn County Government

February 2016

Linn County proposes fiscal year 2017 budget with no increase in tax levy

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has proposed Linn County’s fiscal year 2017 budget of $107.6 million with no change in the countywide tax rate and a $0.06 decrease in the rural tax rate. The Board will officially adopt the budget following a public hearing on March 8.

The countywide levy rate for FY17 will be $6.14 per $1,000 of taxable value, the same as last year. The rural services levy, which is in addition to the countywide levy rate for residents who live in unincorporated Linn County, will be reduced by $0.06 due to Local Option Sales Tax revenue increases.

Homeowners in cities will see no change in the county portion of their property tax bills. Rural residents will see a small decrease in their tax bills of $4 on a $100,000 home due to the increase in Local Option Sales Tax revenue. 

Linn County Board of Supervisors award $80,000 in Witwer Trust grants

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has awarded $80,000 in grants from the Linn County Board of Supervisors Witwer Trust Fund to 45 non-profit organizations whose work benefits Linn County residents. The recipients were selected through an annual competitive grant process. The Board of Supervisors received more than $180,000 in grant requests.

The Witwer Trust was established by Weaver Witwer, a prominent Cedar Rapids grocer and landowner who died in 1979. Mr. Witwer owned and operated a food processing plant, a number of local farms, and what became known as the Me Too grocery stores.

Second installment of property taxes due March 31

Linn County property owners are reminded the second installment of property and mobile home taxes is due and must be paid no later than March 31, 2016. This is the last day to pay the second half without penalty. A penalty of one and one half percent will attach to each late payment beginning April 1, 2016. Property taxes can be paid in person, online, by mail, or over the phone.

Linn County government accounts for approximately 16 percent of property taxes paid by Linn County property owners in incorporated areas. The remaining 84 percent of property taxes goes to the property taxpayer’s city of residence, school district and other taxing bodies in the county.

Linn County Juvenile Detention Center receives grant to offer additional rehabilitative yoga

Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services received a $5,350 grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation to develop its trauma-informed (T-I) yoga program. The T-I yoga program aims to strengthen incarcerated youth’s healthy coping skills and capacity to regulate their own emotions, with long-term aims to prevent re-offense. This supports the department’s goals of rehabilitation and successful community reentry for all youth offenders.

Since January 2015, most youth at the Juvenile Detention Center have participated in weekly T-I yoga classes. The grant will allow the Center to offer additional T-I yoga programming to incarcerated youth and train all staff in principles of T-I yoga in 2016.

Together! Healthy Linn Releases Community Health Improvement Plan

Every three years, a group of stakeholders and residents entitled Together! Healthy Linn conducts a community-wide assessment of the community’s health needs. The group then creates a Community Health Improvement Plan that identifies objectives and strategies to address the priority public health issues that were identified. The steering committee will meet quarterly on the second Thursday of the month beginning in May. The long-range goal is to improve the health and well-being of Linn County residents.

Find us online:

Website: linncounty.org
Twitter:   @LinnCounty

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