By Bob Balgemann

Reporter

Typically, when someone addresses city officials during the public comment portion of a meeting agenda, there is no response from the mayor, aldermen or staff.

That’s how it was Jan. 4, after aldermen Ric Brereton, Wendy Frank and Marsha Freeman, along with former Alderman Clint Morris, spoke at the outset of the city council meeting. But almost an hour later, after the final agenda item was voted on that night, Mayor Mike Chamberlain addressed what the four current and former officials said at the outset of the meeting.

His comments were focused on the Ida Public Library’s recently approved 2020-21 tax levy request, saying at that point, “I would like to be separated from the library so we don’t have any responsibility for what they do with their levy, and I’m looking into that. This is the way it’s been since I was an alderman, with the levy coming through the city. I would like to see that changed so we don’t have this discussion every year.”

He made those remarks about halfway through the last 22 minutes of the meeting.   

During the waning moments a lot of ground was covered with one recurring issue being resolved by City Attorney Mike Drella. That had to do with whether city council could deny a tax levy request made by the library board.

He said, “No,” and quoted an area of state statutes as being “the one that kind of kicks us in the teeth. Section 5 of Article 3 specifically states that city government, or village government, is required to levy the amount submitted by the library board.”

He added there was no case law out there to support the city using its Home Rule powers to circumvent statute in that regard.

Earlier that night, Freeman also quoted state statutes as saying the library board will submit a statement of its financial requirements, for the ensuing fiscal year, no less than 60 days prior to when the tax levy shall be certified.

“So, why are we always getting this stuff at the last minute?” she asked. “Then we have two meetings (left) and it has to pass otherwise we won’t have a levy.”

Drella answered that part of the problem is the city doesn’t get the needed information from Boone County in time.

To add a new detail to the discussion, City Budget and Finance Officer Becky Tobin said, “Their (library) numbers come from me. They don’t do the equations or the formula. I do that. So the $18,301 (requested increase) was my number; I gave it to them. Then they go back to their board and see if that number will coincide with their budget.”

(Chamberlain interjected the library did not have anyone on staff who does what Tobin does).

For 2020-21, the $18,301 was the increase sought by the library, representing a 2.52-percent increase over the 2019-20 levy. And it ultimately was approved 6-5 at the Dec. 21 council meeting, as an amendment to the original motion for approval of the new levy. The mayor was required to break the 5-5 tie. That decision meant the library levy increase was approved, while the city levy remained the same as last year with no tax increase.

(While the city’s fiscal year begins May 1 and continues through April 30, the levy for that period isn’t acted on until the end of the calendar year. Drella said at a previous meeting that didn’t make sense, but that was how it was set up).

During the Jan. 4 meeting, Tobin added: “If you’ve never participated in the Taxes on Time Committee, put together by the (county) treasurer and the assessor’s office, I highly suggest you do so. It really lays out the timeline, from the time something goes to the assessor, to the treasurer, to the county clerk, to the treasurer, back to your taxing bodies, it’s a very beneficial process.”

Referring to Freeman’s earlier comment on council dealing with the levy at such a late hour in the process, the mayor said, “For the past two years the city has been pushed right up to a deadline on the levy getting approved. Perhaps we need to change our process, which has worked for a long period of time.”

Not long after that he wrapped up the meeting by recommending that council “have a more thorough discussion earlier in the year on how we can possibly separate us from the responsibility of having to calculate their (library) levy. They have a full-time director now. They need to begin assuming some of that responsibility. Part of the problem has always been their finances did not allow for that.

“We’ve replaced several people on their board over the past couple of years with people we thought were more responsive in reporting to the city, and sharing information with the city. I think that has happened. I just don’t want to get tied up with this (levy problem) every year.”      

 
 
 
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