SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 2, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/8/20
In this edition:
*Labor Day
*Tax Statements
*There But For The Grace of God Go I
*Did You Know?
*Labor Day
Happy Labor Day Monday, September 7! I love Labor Day. Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day we set aside time to recall the folks whose service has given us our freedom. I have long felt we need to treat Labor Day in a similar fashion.
Please take a moment this Labor Day to remember the people who fought (and often died) to give us child labor laws, 40 hour weeks, weekends, overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA, employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, health insurance, and so much more.
Do not be fooled! Benevolent corporations did not GIVE these benefits to workers! They were earned by workers who sacrificed! It is a shame that so many average Janes and Joes have chosen to support our corporate masters versus supporting those whose efforts really benefit the masses.
Trust me – the average person has nothing to fear from unions. We all benefit when folks have safe and healthy workplaces. We all benefit when workers get adequate rest. We all benefit when workers receive good training. We all benefit when folks earn a living wage and have health insurance. Unions help improve the quality of life for all of us.
I feel as though I have accomplished some good labor-related things as a member of the Board of Supervisors. In response to the gutting of Prop 20, I led the charge to extend our collective bargaining agreements through June of 2021. Johnson County was the first county, city, or school district in Iowa to do so. We built our projects using Project Labor Agreements until the GOP prevented us from doing so. I have maintained very good relationships with our six bargaining units, three PPME and three AFSCME. Finally, I have treated County employees with the respect they deserve – unfortunately, not every Supervisor does that.
This is a particularly difficult Labor Day. Every year I do the same things Labor Day weekend, and they are some of my favorite events of the year. I would go to the Mill on Sunday for the annual American Federation of Musicians fundraiser. While there I would chat with Mel Stahmer and Tom Jacobs, both of whom are now departed. (Not to mention the Mill!) Then Monday, I’d get up early and help my fellow City Fed delegates set up for the Labor Day picnic. Mel and Tom would once again be part of the crew. Not only are both men gone, but we cannot even get together to raise a toast in their honor. We will get through this Labor Day. But it is going to be hard.
I am proud to be a member of Local 716 of the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the Iowa City Federation of Labor, and a Delegate to City Fed. Happy Labor Day!
*Tax Statements
Tax statements are in, and I have begun getting questions. I thought I’d run through my own bill; maybe you can put yours side by side. Please know that I am happy to field questions at any time.
Your property taxes are made up of four elements: 1) rollback; 2) credits; 3) assessed value of your property; and 4) the tax rates of various taxing bodies.
First, the rollback. The residential rollback for this year is 55.07%. That means you are taxed on 55.07% of your value. Rollbacks move a bit from year to year. If rollbacks go down, as they did this year, you are taxed on a lower number.
Second, credits. Credits appear in the middle of the page. These can be because you served in the military, have a disability, or, most commonly, the homestead credit. (You get that one on your primary residence.) I am only eligible for the homestead credit; it was $186.95 this year. That amount is subtracted from my taxes.
Third, assessed value. Assessed value is essentially what your property is worth. The value of my property went up quite a bit. Last year, it was assessed at $178,120. This year, it is assessed at $192,630. That is an increase of $14,510 – about 8%.
While it is true that 8% is a hefty increase, I cannot complain. First, they only reassess every other year. So it is really something akin to a 3.8% per year increase. Secondly, numerous houses in our neighborhood have sold for over $200,000. If you were going to offer me cash for my house right now, there is no way I accept less than $200,000. So I really cannot complain about my $192,630 assessment.
Now, perhaps you think your assessment IS too high. In that case, if you live in Iowa City, call the Iowa City Assessor. If you live anywhere else in Johnson County (rural, Coralville, etc.) call the Johnson County Assessor. They are happy to talk you through the process.
Fourth, tax rates. Tax rates do not appear on your tax statement. But the various taxing authorities and the percentage each gets are listed on the bottom left part of your form. In my case, Iowa City = 41% of my bill, the ICCSD is 39%, Johnson County is 15%, and the rest combined = about 5%.
Still at the bottom but on the right side, you can see the % change. Iowa City went up about 7.3%. ICCSD went up about 6.8%. Johnson County went up 0.48%.
So, my total taxes are $3,902, up from $3,726 a year ago. That amounts to $176 more this year, a 4.7% overall increase. This sounds like a lot, but remember – I own a very valuable asset. Most people in Johnson County do not own their own homes, and therefore lack this generational wealth.
Again, if you want to discuss your tax statement, feel free to contact me. Remember, taxes are due by September 30!
*There But For The Grace of God Go I
One of my best friends posted something on Facebook recently. He said (I am paraphrasing) that he was tired of working hard while others sit back and get something for nothing. You have probably seen the meme. I think we all have this feeling at times; I am concerned about how often I seem to hear it now.
I wrote him the following response. But in addition to this, I told him I loved him. Because I do. And I don’t want the culture wars to tear us apart. But it is hard, man. I wrote:
My Grandma Sullivan was a pretty religious woman. Staunch Catholic. In all the years I knew her, she almost never said a judgmental word. What she DID say, on some occasions, in a whisper, was, "There but for the Grace of God go I."
My Grandma was quiet and humble. I did not inherit those traits. But you know what? She got it. There but for the Grace of God go I. It's not my job to judge others, or to decide who is worthy. A couple seconds or inches here or there, and I would be dead or paralyzed. A few people giving me breaks along the way. The kindness of strangers. There but for the Grace of God go I.
I do agree with you that people should take personal responsibility. And I agree that people should work hard. But I don't get to judge who is taking responsibility and who is working hard. That is left to a higher power. I just need to recognize that I am a full-blown sinner who enjoys the fruits of this world *NOT* because I have worked hard or taken responsibility, but thanks to the Grace of God. There but for the Grace of God go I.
*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County’s rural property taxes rank 35th out of Iowa’s 99 counties; 34 counties have higher rates, and 64 have lower rates. The overall property tax rate ranks 33rd.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 1:41 PM
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