Hunter
12/15/21
The Iowa City City Council was busy giving final approval on two important issues, while issuing initial approval on a self-imposed taxing district.
After reducing the choices from three to two, the Council voted unanimously to approve a new precinct map for the city. The Council chose Map A among the ones submitted to them by the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. Precinct maps are updated every ten years, and the number of precincts was increased to keep populations around 3000 people. Five precincts were over the 3500-person limit before the new map was approved.
The Council also gave final approval on a senior center development in the Hickory Hill Park neighborhood. The original plan included single-family housing, but was rejected and went through three more iterations before finally approved by Planning and Zoning, the Council, and the Friends of Hickory Hill Park.
Finally, the city council unanimously supported the first consideration creating a self-imposed tax district in the South District. The Neighborhood Association there is hoping to revitalize local businesses in the Pepperwood Plaza. Property owners would be taxed and the money would be invested back into the district, much like the Iowa City Downtown District.
It’s estimated that over $100,000 would be generated by the tax, which would start on July 1st and run for five years initially.