Iowa City approves $60.7 million budget

IOWA CITY – Iowa City property owners will pay a higher tax rate under a fiscal year 2012 budget approved by the City Council Tuesday night.

The council voted 7-0 in support of a $60.7 million general fund budget for the year that starts July 1.

It sets the tax rate at $17.84 per $1,000 of taxable value, up from $17.76 this year. The owners of a $100,000 home will pay about $866 in city taxes next year.

To keep the tax rate increase to a minimum, the council previously agreed to $647,000 in spending reductions from the initial budget proposal. Among those was cutting one police officer position and one in the Fire Department through attrition, not layoffs.

With the council talking about the importance of public safety the past couple of years, some council members said they were not happy with the loss of the positions. Regenia Bailey, in particular, voiced concern, calling it a “slow down” to recent progress in public safety.

Susan Mims noted that three police officers are currently serving in the military and will return in the coming months, meaning the Police Department will gain a couple of officers.