Linn County, Iowa

LINN COUNTY eNEWS

March 2015


Linn County approves fiscal year 2016 budget with no increase in tax levy rate

The Linn County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Linn County’s fiscal year 2016 budget of $105.1 million with no increase in the county tax levy rate. The countywide levy rate for FY16 will be $6.14 per $1,000 of taxable value, the same as the current fiscal year. The rural services levy, which is in addition to the countywide levy rate for residents who live in unincorporated Linn County, also remains unchanged at $2.78 after a $.93 (cent) reduction from Local Option Sales Tax revenue. The new fiscal year begins July 1. Read more…

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston
Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston

State of Linn County address set for April 9

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston will give the main address highlighting the successes and challenges for Linn County at the State of the County luncheon, to be held April 9 at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. 
 
The 10th-annual State of the County event, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. RSVP information... 

Public Health Accreditation Board Seal

Linn County Public Health first in Iowa to be awarded national accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board

Linn County Public Health has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nation’s public health departments. To receive accreditation, Linn County Public Health passed a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process demonstrating it meets or exceeds a set of national quality standards and measures. Linn County Public Health is the first health department in Iowa to achieve national accreditation. Linn County residents are now among the 113 million U.S. residents reaping benefits of National Public Health Department Accreditation. Read more…

Linn County Board of Supervisors attends national legislative conference

Members of the Linn County Board of Supervisors joined more than 1,500 county leaders in Washington, D.C. for the National Association of Counties’ annual Legislative Conference Feb. 21–25. They heard from top-level federal officials and met with members of the Obama Administration and Congress on key issues such as transportation, municipal bonds, healthcare, the environment, and public lands. There were more than two dozen educational workshops featuring county officials and other leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. They focused on topics such as workforce and economic development; transportation and infrastructure; public health and safety; mental health and jails; and cybersecurity and technology. The conference emphasized that federal policies matter to county government and county government matters to America. Read more…

Property taxes due March 31

Linn County residents are reminded the second installment of property and mobile home taxes is due and must be paid no later than March 31, 2015. 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. Property taxes can be paid online, by mail, in person, or over the phone. Read more…

New deputy auditor sworn in

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller appointed Stacey Law to the position of Deputy Auditor of the Property Tax & Real Estate Services Division of the Office of Linn County Auditor. Law, formerly a Geographic Information Systems Specialist, has worked for Linn County for 29 years – five years for the Assessor’s Office and 24 years for the Auditor’s Office. Law was sworn into office March 27. She is replacing Deputy Auditor Gordon Thompson who will retire May 29 after devoting 35 years of service to Linn County.

Stacey Law Deputy Auditor swearing in ceremony
Stacey Law being sworn in as Linn County Deputy Auditor

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 48 local non-profit organizations. The recipients were selected through an annual competitive grant process that began in November. The Board of Supervisors received more than $250,000 in grant requests. Read more…

National Public Health Week logo

Linn County hosts CDC director during National Public Health Week April 6-10

The Linn County Board of Health and Linn County Public Health will host a reception in celebration of National Public Health Week 2015 on Thursday, April 9, 2015 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. The keynote speaker is Judith Monroe, MD, the Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RSVPs are required by Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Read more…

Linn County receives grant to combat chronic disease

The Planning Healthy Iowa Communities Coalition has received a $130,000 grant from the American Planning Association through its Plan4Health program to combat two determinants of chronic disease—lack of physical activity and lack of access to nutritious foods. Planning Healthy Iowa Communities is a collaborative effort between the Iowa Public Health Association and the American Planning Association Iowa Chapter to connect planners and public health officials across Iowa to improve the health of Iowans. This Plan4Health grant project will be implemented by a coalition of organizations in Linn County to increase opportunities for physical activity and improve nutrition, especially among low-income Linn County residents. Read more…

Lead Paint Hurts Kids poster

Keep kids safe from lead-based paint

Linn County Public Health and the City of Cedar Rapids are currently accepting applications for a program that can help residents find and fix lead-based paint hazards in their home for little or no cost. A grant is currently available to help both homeowners and landlords. It costs nothing to find out if you are eligible for the program.
 
Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of lead exposure and can lead to a variety of health problems in young children, including IQ, developmental delays, learning disabilities, and impaired hearing – all preventable. Homes built before 1978 carry risk of lead paint hazards. The greatest risk is to homes built prior to 1960. Read more…

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