The property tax levy for people living in the city of Sioux City is going up, while that rate is holding steady for those living within the Sioux City School District.
Two of the main three metro governmental units that can collect property taxes from owners, in Monday meetings set those amounts as part of passing the final budgets for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year.
The School Board members approved a budget where the property tax will only go up a fraction of a penny, essentially holding at the rate of $12.38 per $1,000 of assessed value, as is in place this year.
The school district leaders have a challenging budget reality with the $203 million plan, but plan to use reserves of $4 million to make the budget work, since they didn’t want to raise the property tax rate. The school board also voted to increase the state income surtax paid by people from 3 percent to 4 percent.
The passage of the city of Sioux City budget, which was set an hour before the school district in meetings just a few blocks away from the other, was more controversial.
The Sioux City Council members ultimately finished four months of budget deliberations by approving a plan that raises the city property tax levy.
In the current year, that levy amount is $16.54 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, and in the next year it moves to $17.12. A council memo recapped that property tax levy increase means that a person lying in a home valued at $100,000 would pay $43 more in city property taxes next year, or $86 for a home valued at $200,000.
Those budgets begin on July 1.
*As part of setting the city of Sioux City budget, the council members restored some, but not all, of the planned cut to the Human Rights Commission budget.
For several weeks, the council was working towards a proposal to cut $140,000 from the Human Rights Commision, which was 30 percent of the full department budget. Several people have since spoken strongly against that cut, after director Karen Mackey said that would severely restrict the ability to investigate discrimination cases.
The council ultimately only cut the Human Rights Commission budget by $35,500. The department currently has three full-time and two part-time employees.
The 2025-26 Sioux City budget totals $487 million, with $257 million for operating departments, and another $230 million for large capital projects.
*In other news, the Iowa Senate has moved two bills to Governor Kim Reynolds to sign into law, with one changing the election recount process and the other to create a Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa.
Under a bill that passed Tuesday on a 32-15 count, that new school would be dedicated to studying the U.S constitutional system. The Center for Intellectual Freedom would offer classes, conduct research, and provide programming on free speech and civil discourse.
Those against the bill say the state’s institutions are already required by law to encourage diversity of ideas. And they say current class offerings already cover the same material.
Supporters say the proposal will promote intellectual diversity and strengthen civics education at the state’s universities.
The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates the center will cost at least $1.5 million per year to maintain.
As for the other bill being considered by Governor Reynolds for signing, the changes to the existing election recount process would have county auditors and their staffs conduct recounts.
Under current law, the two candidates facing a recount each choose a person to serve on the recount board, and then they jointly choose a third member together.
Democratic state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott said she’s been through two recounts and felt that choosing a recount board member gave her a voice in the process. She says having equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats appointed by the county auditor doesn’t necessarily mean each candidate’s best interests are being represented.
Republican state Senator Ken Rozenboom said if county auditors are trusted to run elections, they can be trusted to conduct recounts.
*In another state, the Nebraska Legislature has given first-round approval to giving voters a chance to approve online sports betting by adding that as a constitutional amendment.
State Senator Eliot Bostar introduced the measure that would let people make sports bets on their phone from anywhere in the state. Bostar says Nebraskans are already betting, either by going to a casino, a neighboring state or using illegal, unregulated platforms.
State Senator Jared Storm opposes the constitutional amendment, calling it “taxation by exploitation… We're going to exploit people to get tax revenue out of them, mainly young men. So you're going to have students at UNL, students at UNK, other universities, who are going to gamble away their tuition on online sports betting.”
State Senator Brad Von Gillern on Monday vowed to filibuster the bill when it comes up for a second round of legislative voting.
Former Congressman Tom Osborne, former Governor Kay Orr, and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts oppose the gambling proposal.
