October 21, 2024
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Ottawa will seek more property tax dollars, but tax rate should decrease

Owner of $100,000 home will pay $9.27 less to the city, if home value remains the same

By Michael Urbanec
Ottawa City Hall

The increase in property values in Ottawa has led the city, much like it has the school districts, to request an additional $580,000 more than the $7.7 million it asked for last year, but the tax rate should decrease for homeowners. (Shaw Local File )

The increase in property values in Ottawa has led the city, much like it has the school districts, to request an additional $580,000 more than the $7.7 million it asked for last year, but the tax rate should decrease for homeowners.

Treasurer Don Harris said Ottawa will need to host a truth-in-taxation hearing because the city’s request is a 7.45% increase over last year’s, but the estimated value of properties is expected to increase at a higher rate.

“It could be the property values increasing, it could be new properties coming in,” Harris said. “But we’ve got a larger base which, in our case, is more than 6% of what we experienced with last year’s assessment.”

Harris said despite the 7.45% increase in what the city is requesting in its yearly tax levy, a homeowner with a property that remains valued at $100,000 would pay $788 in taxes to the city, $9.27 less than what they paid in the prior year.

This truth-in-taxation hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the next City Council meeting at Ottawa City Hall, 301 W. Madison St. It is expected the requested levy will pass through the council after the hearing.