[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:05]
>> IT'S MARCH 25TH, 2024 AT 5:00 PM I CALL A SPECIAL MEETING TO ORDER.
SHANICE, WILL YOU PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL?
>> BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA?
[III. Approval of Agenda]
>> WE HAVE A FIRST. WE HAVE A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA SAY, AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY, NAY.
THE PROPOSED SIOUX CITY PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1ST,
[IV. Public Hearing]
2024 TO JULY 30TH, 2025, PATTY BLANKENSHIP.A NOTICE WAS PROVIDED THAT A HEARING WOULD BE HELD AT 5:00 PM LOCAL TIME AT THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER, 627 FOURTH STREET, SIOUX CITY, IOWA ON THE 25TH DAY OF MARCH 2024, TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON THE PROPOSED SIOUX CITY PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2024 TO JULY 30, 2025.
>> JUNE 30TH. THANK YOU, 2025.
ANY INTERESTED PARTY MAY APPEAR AND FILE OBJECTIONS AND ANY INFORMATION FOR OR AGAINST.
THE SAME WILL BE HEARD ON THE PROPOSED SIOUX CITY PROPERTY TAX LEVY WITH THE FINAL DECISION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS A MATTER OF RECORD.
A REMINDER, YOU WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES AND THE BOARD IS HERE TO LISTEN.
SHANICE IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT?
>> JUST A REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE SPEAKING, TO COME UP, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
AGAIN, A REMINDER, YOU ARE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES AND THE BOARD IS HERE TO LISTEN AND WILL NOT RESPOND.
>> GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. SORRY I'M LATE.
I JUST WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS LEVY.
IS THIS ANOTHER TAX INCREASE FOR PROPERTY OWNERS? IS THIS SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? THE LETTER IS CONFUSING AND TO MOST PEOPLE THAT I SPOKE WITH, IT'S CONFUSING.
IT'S LIKE, OKAY, BOTTOM LINE IS, ARE YOU GOING TO RAISE OUR TAXES AGAIN? ARE WE GOING TO GET AN INFLATED PROPERTY ASSESSMENT TO DO THAT? I'M RETIRED AND PERSONALLY, I'M TIRED.
I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RIGHT DOWN TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, TAKING MY TAX DOLLARS AND SPENDING IT ANY WAY THEY CHOOSE.
IT'S NOT RIGHT AND IT'S NOT FAIR.
I'M HERE TO TRY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
>> WE'RE NOT HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL TRY TO.
THE DOCUMENT THAT EVERYBODY RECEIVED, THIS IS NEW.
THIS WAS LEGISLATION FROM THE STATE OF IOWA THAT PUT THIS OUT.
THIS DID NOT COME FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THERE'S SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMATION ON HERE.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, THERE'S CITY INFORMATION ON HERE.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY, THERE'S COUNTY INFORMATION ON HERE.
BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID NOT PUT THIS OUT.
THIS CAME FROM THAT STATE LEGISLATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEVY RATE, THE PROPOSED RATE, THE FIRST ONE YOU CAN SEE THAT'S $12 AND BASICALLY $0.38.
LAST YEAR THE RATE WAS $12.43 FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> OKAY, BUT I DON'T EVEN HAVE KIDS AT SCHOOL, AND IT'S JUST AS I SAID, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, IT'S OUT OF CONTROL.
THE MISMANAGEMENT OF TAXPAYER FUNDS IS OUT OF CONTROL, AND IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE MORE.
NOBODY GETS TO VOTE ON THIS STUFF ANYMORE.
THERE'S JUST A HANDFUL OF SELECT PEOPLE THAT GET TO DECIDE HOW OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
PERSONALLY, I THINK IT'S WRONG.
THIS FREE COUNTRY IS GETTING PRETTY EXPENSIVE FOR US TAXPAYERS AND OUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN OR HAVE A SAY IN IT IS GETTING LIMITED AS WELL.
I DON'T LIKE IT, SO I'M HERE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
[00:05:02]
A LITTLE FURTHER ON THIS AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL END MY LITTLE SPEECH HERE, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.>> MR. BREW BAKER, CAN YOU STATE YOUR ADDRESS INTO THE MICROPHONE?
>> OH, MY ADDRESS IS 112 21ST STREET.
>> MELISSA, REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
>> SURE. MY NAME IS MELISSA RAMIREZ, AND I LIVE AT 1407 PRESCOTT STREET, HERE IN SIOUX CITY.
MY MOM ACTUALLY OWNS THE HOUSE, AND SO SHE GOT THIS IN THE MAIL AND PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT HE SAID, I'M A PRETTY SAVVY PERSON AND MY MOM IS TOO AND THIS IS EXTREMELY CONFUSING.
IF THE STATE PUT THIS OUT AND THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT PUBLIC HEARINGS, WHO DO WE TALK TO TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND IT AND I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH IT MYSELF.
>> I CAN JUST SHARE WITH YOU ON THE SECOND PAGE OF IT.
AGAIN, THIS IS FROM THE STATE FOR ASSISTANCE INTERPRETING THE PROPERTY TAX MAILING CONSULT, THERE'S THERE'S A WEB ADDRESS THERE.
THAT'S WHAT THE STATE PUT OUT.
>> OKAY. CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT? THE LEVY IS JUST THE LEVY, SO IS THE LEVY FOR ONE YEAR? IS IT JUST FOR ONE YEAR CURRENTLY? THEN BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN UP INTO CATEGORIES.
AS THE SIOUX CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE CURRENT TAX RATE IS 12.43 AND THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX THAT GOES TO SCHOOL FUNDS IS THAT CORRECT, IS 38 MILLION?
>> THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT? TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> BECAUSE UP AT THE TOP IT SAYS, THE REFERENCE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE WOULD BE A RATE PRODUCED BY HOLDING A CURRENT TAXATION CONSTANT WHILE USING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S TAXABLE VALUES.
I DON'T KNOW. THEN IT SAYS THE PROPOSED TAX WOULD BE 40 MILLION AND THEN THE NEW PROPOSED TAX RATE WOULD BE 12.37 SO AN INCREASE OF A LITTLE OVER TWO MILLION.
>> YEAH. OR IT'S ABOUT $0.07 FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR PER 1,000.
>> BUT AGAIN, ALL OF THESE LEVIES ARE FOR ONE YEAR, AND NEXT YEAR THERE WOULDN'T BE ANOTHER LEVY OR WE DON'T KNOW?
>> IT DEPENDS. THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT STUDENT ENROLLMENT, I'M JUST SPEAKING FROM THE SCHOOLS.
>> IT DEPENDS ON ASSESSED VALUE.
IT DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE.
THERE ARE VARIABLES BUILT INTO THE FORMULA.
>> ARE THERE MULTIPLE TAX INCREASES? WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TAX INCREASE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEN IF YOU LIVE IN WOODBURY COUNTY, YOU GOT A COUNTY WIDE TAX ON TOP OF THAT.
THEN IF YOU HAVE GENERAL NON EGG LAND OR PROPERTY, IS THERE LIKE ANOTHER TAX? AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE THEN.
>> I CAN JUST SHARE WITH YOU. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS, YOU PAY A CITY TAX.
>> IF YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY, THERE'S A COUNTY TAX, BUT YOU DON'T PAY THE CITY TAX, IF YOU HAVE A RESIDENCE OR PROPERTY WITHIN THE SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU IN FACT PAY A SCHOOL DISTRICT TAX. THAT WOULD BE TRUE.
>> AS JUST LIKE A SINGLE PROPERTY OWNER IN SIOUX CITY, THEN WE'VE GOT THE SCHOOL TAX AND THEN THE COUNTY TAX OR THE CITY TAX?
AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO HELP MY MOM FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK THIS PAPER MEANS SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SHANICE, IS THERE ANY MORE SPEAKERS?
>> BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY INPUT? DIRECTOR MKEY?
>> YES. THERE WAS SOME HESITATION BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOT ENGAGING IN A DEBATE,
[00:10:01]
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER IS IT'S A NEW THING WHERE THE LEGISLATURE SAID, WE WANT TO GET YOU A WRITTEN NOTICE EVERY YEAR OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU EVERY YEAR.THIS ACTIVITY TO CREATE YOUR TAX BILL WAS HAPPENING EVERY YEAR BEFORE, AND IT HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR, EVERY YEAR.
THIS TIME ALL PROPERTY OWNERS GOT THE WRITTEN PAPER THAT EXPLAINED EXACTLY WHERE THE PIECES AND PARTS ARE FOR THE TAX THAT YOU ARE PAYING.
THE LEVY RATE IS WHAT WE ARE HERE DISCUSSING TODAY AND OUR LEVY RATE IS ACTUALLY GOING DOWN FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.
BUT WITHOUT TRYING TO ENGAGE IN THAT, PLEASE KNOW THAT THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS SO THAT YOU WOULD BE INFORMED.
I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU SAY, WELL, IT'S A SURPRISE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM.
IF YOU REALLY HAVE A QUESTION, I'D SUGGEST YOU TALK TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AT THE COURTHOUSE BECAUSE THEY GENERATE THE INFORMATION TO PUT IN HERE AND THEY CAN EXPLAIN THE CATEGORIES.
>> COULD YOU COME UP TO THE MIKE FOR THAT?
>> LAST FALL WE ATTENDED A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE MEETING.
IS THIS BASICALLY A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT WAS?
>> ACTUALLY, THAT'S CALLED A PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT. I WENT TO THE SAME MEETING.
THE ASSESSMENT ENDS UP THEN BEING WHAT THE ASSESSED VALUE IS ON YOUR HOUSE.
THAT'S ONE ACTIVITY, AND IT CREATES ONE ITEM FOR THE FORMULA.
THIS IS YOUR SHEET THAT SHOWS THE OTHER ITEM, WHICH IS WHAT THE LEVY RATE IS AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT IS.
>> ANY MORE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING MENTIONED? WE'RE AT THE END OF THIS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS SPECIAL MEETING?
WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE.
SPECIAL MEETING ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.