News & Updates
from Linn County Government

March 2016

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

The Linn County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Linn County’s fiscal year 2017 budget of $107.6 million with no change in the countywide tax rate and a $0.05 decrease in the rural tax rate due to Local Option Sales Tax revenue. This marks the third year in a row that the countywide levy rate has not increased. The countywide levy rate for FY17 will be $6.14 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Homeowners in cities will see no change in the county portion of their property tax bills, while rural residents will see a decrease in the county portion of their bill. The $1.48 million in property tax relief for rural residents in FY17 is equal to a 98 cent reduction.

Linn County’s levy rate is the second lowest among comparable counties in Iowa. Property taxes levied account for $63 million, or 58 percent of Linn County’s total budget. The FY17 budget begins July 1.

Annual State of Linn County address is April 20

Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers will present the 11^th annual State of the County address April 20 at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd SW in Cedar Rapids. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the program will begin at noon.

The event is hosted by the Linn County League of Women Voters (LWV). The event is open to the public. Reservations are due by April 15 by contacting the LWV at 319-329-0409 or visiting www.lwvlinncounty.org. Free seating is provided for individuals who want to attend only for the program.

Linn County appoints minimum wage study group

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has appointed a study group to explore the potential impact of raising the minimum wage in Linn County. Members of the study group represent local employers, service providers, citizens, municipalities and policy makers in local governments. The group will report back to the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

A formal timeline has not been set; however, the meetings will likely take place over the next several months. The meetings will be open to the public. The first meeting is March 31 at 8:30 a.m. in the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 935 2^nd St. SW in Cedar Rapids. Future meetings will be posted on Linn County’s website www.linncounty.org.

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. Property taxes can be paid in person, online, by mail, or over the phone.

County Day at the Capitol
Pictured left to right: Supervisor James Houser, Representative Todd Taylor, and Sheriff Brian Gardner

County Day at the Capitol

Linn County officials participated in County Day at the Capitol in Des Moines on March 9 hosted by the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC). The event gives county officials and employees the opportunity to be involved in the legislative process by promoting legislation that is of importance to counties, including delinquent court debt, distracted driving, E-911 funding, food safety, and mental health and disability services funding.

Secondary Road Department spring newsletter now available

Which county roads will be part of the 2016 maintenance cycle? Find out in the Linn County Secondary Road Department spring newsletter. It includes maintenance projects by districts, information about the county right-of-way, dust control, and more.

Severe Weather Awareness Week

March 21-25 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. It’s a reminder to Iowa families and businesses to take time and review their own emergency disaster preparedness plans for severe weather.

There are three simple steps you can take:

Build a kit. Your emergency supply kit should have everything you need to sustain you and your family for 3-5 days.
Make a plan. Knowing what to do in the event of an emergency is key. Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do.
Be Aware. Learn about the hazards that can affect your community, and learn how to obtain information about current weather and road conditions.

Brochures and fact sheets about severe weather safety and family preparedness are available for download on the Ready Iowa website and NWS website.

Tips to keep you from becoming a victim of theft

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office reports Linn County is experiencing an increase in car burglaries. Although there is no absolute guarantee to prevent this from happening to you, there are several preventative measures you can take to greatly reduce the chances of your vehicle becoming a target:

Lock your doors and keep the windows up
Keep your vehicle tidy
Never leave valuables in the vehicle
Choose your parking spot

Stay connected with Linn County

Linn County makes it easy for you to stay informed about county news, services and events by sharing information in a variety of ways. You can receive email and/or text message notifications for news releases, road construction projects, eNewsletters, upcoming elections, meeting notices and agendas, and more.

Visit Linn County’s website at www.linncounty.org and click the “Notify Me” section to sign-up to receive the information that is important to you. There is no cost to subscribe. Text messages are subject to standard text messaging rates.

Find us online:

Website: linncounty.org
Twitter: @LinnCounty

@lc_elections
@LCPublicHealth
@LinnIASheriff

News & Updates from Linn County GovernmentMarch 2016