A public hearing was held Monday night during the Webster City City Council meeting to consider the maximum tax dollars from certain levies for Fiscal Year 2022.

The council gathered in-person in the council chambers while members of the public were able to join the meeting via Zoom or by watching a broadcast of the meeting on Facebook Live.

City Finance Director Dodie Wolfgram said that the hearing and resolution on the maximum tax dollars is a new requirement from the state.

“Senate File 634 requires all cities to pass a resolution stating their maximum property tax dollars to certify for levy prior to the budget certification each year,” said Wolfgram. “Last year was the first year for this.”

The city was required to post the notice of the hearing in the newspaper and on the city’s website and social media, according to Wolfgram.

The city is required to hold the hearing to let the public know the percent of increase in tax dollars from the previous year with certain levies. Wolfgram said the only two levies that the city uses that are not included in the required hearing are the airport levy and the debt levy.

“What I’m asking is 3.13 percent, which equates to $105,156,” she said. “Of that, only $14,868 is for general expense operations, The majority is for employee benefits.”

She outlined in a memo to the council the breakdown in the other additional funds:

$3,870 for liability and property insurance (as needed, no cap)

$25,059 for the Police and Fire Retirement Fund (as needed, no cap)

($17,255) for the FICA and IPERS funds (as needed, no cap, using fund balances)

$78,614 for other employee benefits which includes medical insurance, workman’s compensation, and unemployment (as needed, no cap).

The council voted to approve the maximum tax dollars from certain levies for the 2022 Fiscal Year budget.

In a second public hearing, the council held a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of a parcel of land located east of Briggs Woods Road and west of Millards Lane on the southside of the city.

Officials with Hamilton County requested the rezoning of their 21 acres of land from A-1 (agricultural) to M-1 (light industrial). The county plans to construct a new storage structure for winter sand and salt storage. They will be demolishing the existing building and constructing a new structure.

According to Karla Wetzler, planning director, storage units are not allowed in an A-! District unless they are associated with farming or unless they are an existing nonconforming building. She said the existing M-1 zoning is already contiguous with the county’s land parcel.

The council approved the first reading of the rezoning request, with the second and third readings planned for future council meetings.