Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider

The Wellman City Council approved a smaller tax bite for local property owners for the next fiscal year.

The maximum budgeted tax levy for 2022-23 will be $10.91 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For fiscal 2021-22, the rate was $12.50 per $1,000.  For accounting purposes, Iowa ‘s municipal years begin on July 1 and conclude on June 30.

City Manager Kelly Litwiller said the lower rate was triggered by reductions in the city’s indebtedness. However, with Washington County property valuations rising, some taxpayers might not see much of a difference in their tax bills from the previous year.

In other business, the city approved a new police protection agreement with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

County Sheriff Jared Schneider reviewed a new three-year contract with the council that will cost the city $108,891 per year.  The previous contract billed the city $94,675 per year.

The increased costs are due to the two additional deputies the department has added in the past few years and the increasing number of service calls in north Washington County, he said. The department now employs 12 officers, an increase of 2 from past years.

Washington’s increasing population has left the department short-handed at times and Schneider said the deputies have been hired to meet a goal of fielding one deputy for every 1,000 residents in the county. A plan to add an additional deputy has been put on hold, he said.

City council members approved a public hearing on its 2022-23 budget for March 7 and authorized a grant application to the Washington County Riverboat Foundation for improvements to the Wellman Heritage Society Museum.