Tag: property taxes

Monroe County using big, small grants for road paving, logjam projects

This is a representative example of stretch of road that will get attention as part of the 26 miles worth of projects that Community Crossing will help fund. The 26 miles worth of roads in Wednesday’s approved contract include: Mt. Pleasant Rd.; Monroe Dam Rd.; Valley Mission Rd.; Sewell Rd.; Rockport Rd.; Brummetts Creek Rd.; Ramp Creek Rd.; Popcorn Rd.; Vernal Pike; Chambers Pike; Zikes Rd.; Woodland Rd.; Oak Ridge Rd.; and all of Shelburn Woods Subdivision.
This is a representative example of stretch of road that will get attention as part of the 26 miles worth of projects that Community Crossing will help fund. The 26 miles worth of roads in Wednesday’s approved contract include: Mt. Pleasant Rd.; Monroe Dam Rd.; Valley Mission Rd.; Sewell Rd.; Rockport Rd.; Brummetts Creek Rd.; Ramp Creek Rd.; Popcorn Rd.; Vernal Pike; Chambers Pike; Zikes Rd.; Woodland Rd.; Oak Ridge Rd.; and all of Shelburn Woods Subdivision.
This is a representative example of stretch of road that will get attention as part of the 26 miles worth of projects that Community Crossing will help fund. The 26 miles worth of roads in Wednesday’s approved contract include: Mt. Pleasant Rd.; Monroe Dam Rd.; Valley Mission Rd.; Sewell Rd.; Rockport Rd.; Brummetts Creek Rd.; Ramp Creek Rd.; Popcorn Rd.; Vernal Pike; Chambers Pike; Zikes Rd.; Woodland Rd.; Oak Ridge Rd.; and all of Shelburn Woods Subdivision
The image is from the Pictometry module of Monroe County’s online property lookup system.
Photo of Brummett’s Creek logjam taken on 2024-01-12 by Kelsey Thetonia, who is Monroe County’s stormwater program manager.

A marathon’s worth of road repaving projects will be completed this season in Monroe County, aided by a $1.5 million grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation’s (INDOT’s) Community Crossing grant program.

A $2.7-million contract with Milestone Contractors for 26 miles worth of road projects was  approved by county commissioners at their regular Wednesday meeting.

In other grant award news, a couple of big logjams on Brummett’s Creek in eastern Monroe County will get cleared out with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources LARE (Lake and River Enhancement Program)

At their regular Wednesday meeting, county commissioners approved the LARE grant agreement with Indiana’s DNR. Continue reading “Monroe County using big, small grants for road paving, logjam projects” →

8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24

Monroe County Community School Corporation superintendent Jeff Hauswald (May 23, 2023)
Monroe County Community School Corporation board president Brandon Shurr (May 23, 2023)

No referendum to increase property taxes has yet been placed on the Nov. 7 ballot by the Monroe County Community School corporation board.

But at its Tuesday night meeting, the board voted unanimously to pass a resolution authorizing district superintendent Jeff Hauswald to  consult with Monroe County auditor Cathy Smith about the calculations that would go into increasing MCCSC’s property tax rate by 8.5 cents.

A press release issued immediately following the board’s meeting  says, “In the November 7th election, MCCSC expects to ask voters to approve the rate not to exceed $0.085 per $100 of assessed property value.”

The revenue generated by the additional tax would go towards early childhood education for 3-to-5-year-old children, as well as other initiatives to make education more accessible.

The other initiatives include free instructional technology, supplies, and consumables for all students. Also made free would be Advanced Placement (AP) exams and tests that are needed for workplace certificates. The additional revenue would also mean free career education, including tuition, testing, supplies, and associated fees.

To lay out details of the potential referendum and to get feedback from the public, MCCSC is hosting a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (May 24) at the MCCSC Co-Lab at 553 E. Miller Drive, which is the regular board meeting location. Continue reading “8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24” →

Bloomington area budget prep: Income tax revenues for 2023 projected up 13%, property tax levy up 5%

Indiana’s state budget agency has released its estimated county-by-county local income tax (LIT) distributions for 2023, which are numbers local governmental units will use for 2023 budget planning.

For the certified shares category, Monroe County (across all government units) is projected to see about a 13-percent increase—from $34,232,607 in 2022 to $38,815,238 in 2023.

That news comes shortly after the maximum levy growth quotient for property tax revenue was announced for the 2023 budget year: 5 percent.  That’s the biggest percentage increase since at least as far back as 2003. Continue reading “Bloomington area budget prep: Income tax revenues for 2023 projected up 13%, property tax levy up 5%” →

Video produced opposing Bloomington’s planned “island” annexation: “We definitely don’t want to pay higher taxes.”

The aerial photo of Area 4 is from the Pictometry module of Monroe County's online property lookup system.
The aerial photo of Area 4 is from the Pictometry module of Monroe County’s online property lookup system.
Closeup map of so-called "island" areas for annexation.
Closeup map of so-called “island” areas for annexation.
Screenshot of YouTube video opposing annexation of Area 4. https://youtu.be/TpX0e6pxhTk
Screenshot of YouTube video opposing annexation of Area 4. https://youtu.be/TpX0e6pxhTk
Histogram of net increases in property taxes based on projections of Reedy Financial Group, Bloomington's consultant.
Histogram of net increases in property taxes based on projections of Reedy Financial Group, Bloomington’s consultant.

If Bloomington’s planned annexation is successful, the city will add to its population an estimated 14,000 people, several cows, a pig or two, and at least one chicken, whose “eyes don’t work any more.”

For the hen’s owner, Susan Brackney, the longer phrase in place of a single adjective is a nicer way of describing the bird’s current abilities.

Brackney would prefer that she and the chicken not become a part of the city’s census.

But Bloomington’s annexation plan calls for Area 4, where Brackney and about 400 other people live, to become a part of the city starting on Jan. 1, 2024.

Area 4 is one of eight separate areas that Bloomington wants to annex into the city.

With an Aug. 4 public hearing on the horizon, and a city council vote that will likely come in September, some residents who oppose annexation are using the earlier part of the summer to organize their opposition.

To help with the organization, Brackney has produced a three-and-a-half minute video, which was posted on YouTube earlier this week. The footage highlights the rural aspects of Area 4, and features on-camera speaking turns from residents like her, who oppose annexation into the city. Continue reading “Video produced opposing Bloomington’s planned “island” annexation: “We definitely don’t want to pay higher taxes.”” →

Monroe County property taxes due: May 10

“Bills are out and we are really busy right now,” Monroe County treasurer Jessica McClellan told the Square Beacon on Wednesday.

That means property owners are sending in the taxes they owe, in response to the bills that were due to be sent out a week ago. The deadline for spring tax bills is Monday, May 10.

Property tax season also explains the drop box that’s been placed just to the side of the north entrance of the Monroe County courthouse. The courthouse building is still closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drop box is listed in a press release from the treasurer’s office issued the last week of March, as one of several options property owners can use to pay their taxes.

Continue reading “Monroe County property taxes due: May 10” →

COVID-19 impact: 2021 budget previewed by Bloomington mayor shows more expenses than revenues

Single Bar Barchart of City Budget 2021 preview
Re: the gray bar. A detailed breakdown of proposed major categories of expenses has not yet been released for the proposed 2021 Bloomington budget.

Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s proposed 2021 budget will be presented by city department heads next week in four sessions that will take place over successive nights, starting Monday.  [Updated at 1:22 p.m. on Aug. 17, 2020. The proposed budget has now been posted to the city’s website.]

During Friday’s media preview of his proposed budget for next year, Hamilton reflected on this year’s numbers compared to the four budgets he presented in his first term as mayor. “This is my first non-balanced budget,” Hamilton said, “meaning the expenses are higher than the projected revenues.”

Controller Jeff Underwood was on the conference call, so Hamilton was quick to clarify, “in case Jeff falls out of his chair” that the city has sufficient revenues plus reserves to pay for the budget.

Hamilton is proposing to spend $4 million of reserves, in order to maintain basic services and to pay for a collection of initiatives to stimulate the local economy that he is calling “Recover Forward.” The first phase of that set of initiatives was approved by Bloomington’s city council last Wednesday as a roughly $2 million appropriation. Continue reading “COVID-19 impact: 2021 budget previewed by Bloomington mayor shows more expenses than revenues” →