The Marion City Council unanimously approved a $119.9 million City budget for fiscal year 2023 –  a plan which adds no additional staff, aligns resources to the City’s strategic plan and continues investments in capital improvement projects.

State Impacts
Marion saw another healthy increase in gross  valuation. However, much of this valuation growth is offset by legislation at the State level. Changes in residential and multi-residential rollback and the phase-out of commercial backfill have diminished Marion’s property tax revenue growth by approximately $1.1 million but won’t negatively impact property taxes.

Strategic Plan Investments
The proposed budget does include some non- recurring investments that align with Strategic Plan initiatives. Proposed investments include maximizing the use of technology to streamline processes and contractual services to enhance service delivery, new equipment to support streetscape maintenance as well as the purchase of a screen and inflatables to support event initiatives.

Capital Improvement Plan
The fiscal year 2022-2023 budget includes  $37.7 million in Capital Improvement Projects.  Transportation projects, such as neighborhood streets improvements, Tower Terrace Road, 7th Avenue Improvements and overlay projects received the majority share of this year’s CIP budget (32% of expenditures), followed by facilities improvements (20%).

The following list highlights projects with over $1 million in expenditures:

• Public Services Fleet Replacement
  Replacement of garbage trucks, street sweepers, snowplows and other operating vehicles for the Streets, Sewer and Solid Waste divisions. The project aligns with the sustainable infrastructure goal in the Strategic Plan and is key to adding capacity for future growth.
• Indian Creek Trunk Sewer Segment 7
  This is a joint project with the City of Cedar Rapids and involves the replacement and widening of the main sewer line. The project aligns with the Strategic Plan’s sustainable infrastructure goal and is key to adding capacity for future growth.
• 7th Avenue Streetscape
  This project is part of the Uptown Master Plan and involves the reconstruction of the infrastructure both above and below 7th Avenue as well as the addition of streetscape amenities.
• Tower Terrace Road
  This project extends  Tower Terrace Road west from Alburnett Road to C Avenue. It is another joint project with our regional partners and is a high priority in the 2040 Plan. The completion of this corridor is expected to drive infill development in Marion.
• Public Services Maintenance Facility
  New Public Services Maintenance Facility to include administrative offices and operations for the Streets, Sewer and Solid Waste divisions. The project aligns with the Strategic Plan’s sustainable infrastructure goal and is key to adding capacity for future growth.
• Neighborhood Streets Reconstruction
  This is an annual program that replaces streets in residential areas. The project addresses older neighborhoods in Marion and aligns with the strategic plan goals of sustainable infrastructure and contributes to an improved quality of life in the neighborhoods.
• Indian Creek Trail
  This project includes the  construction of a trail that follows Indian Creek,  from Boyson Trail to Tower Terrace Road. The project serves the overall quality of life goal and is part of the Trails Master Plan. Funding is provided through a Federal Surface Transportation Grant and includes a local share.
• Sanitary Trunk Sewer
  This is a program to address problems in existing sewer lines and add capacity for future growth.
• Echo Hill/Alburnett Road Roundabout
  This project upgrades a four-way stop intersection to a roundabout to address traffic flow issues.
• Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Overlay
  This is another annual program instituted to improve existing road conditions.
• Uptown Plaza
  Part of the Uptown Master  Plan, this project is a key milestone to meeting the vibrant community goal in the Strategic Plan. It includes the construction of a community  gathering space with amenities and event space  in Uptown Marion.

Property Taxes

Three main components determine the amount of property taxes levied by a city in order to fund municipal operations/services: (1) valuation, (2) rollback value and (3) levy rate. Accordingly, the Linn County Assessor determines each property’s value. The State issues a rollback (discount) order to determine taxable valuation. Cities determine the need for service delivery (expenditures) and the levy rate is calculated based on the given taxable values.  The levy rate determined by this calculation for FY22-23 is $14.20203 (up from $14.19976). A homeowner this year will pay $769 per $100,000 valuation compared to $801 last year. The city’s portion of the overall property tax bill is between 30-35%, with the school districts and Linn County making up the majority of the difference.