March 18, 2024

Get to know Newton taxes

Newton’s taxes are outrageous. We tax like crazy, our city property tax levy rate is only topped by four other cities in Iowa. The average for cities in Iowa with a population over 10,000 is $14.12, we are at $17.15. Our aggregate property tax rate is $42.40 in Newton. Both of these numbers are alarming.

If you travel 30 minutes to the south you can enjoy an aggregate tax of only $33.01 in Pella, or travel 25 miles to the west and you can be in Altoona with only a $9.94 city property tax levy. I will echo recent letters to the editor and say the spending is atrocious in this community. With a population that has not increased in 50 years, maybe lowering the taxes would help?

Ben Miller

Newton