City property taxes increase, Independence has highest tax rate in Polk County
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
When Independence resident Andy Duncan made a special trip to the Polk County courthouse to determine the taxes on his home this year, the shock was nearly immediate. He got a tax hike of more than 8.5%. compared with last year’s. “How can it be this much?” Duncan said he asked himself, before carefully reviewing his bill. The answer: a Polk County public safety bond passed, and school bond payments were higher than he anticipated, and the list of tax obligations was longer than he expected.
Duncan said he expected some increases, due to increases in the value of assessed property by the county, which is how home-property taxes are determined. But the payments for the school bond are higher, too.
Duncan correctly spotted an increase -- of about $1.30, confirmed Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J.
That uptick was due to building improvements at Ash Creek Elementary School and adding the sixth-grade wing at Talmadge Middle School, she explained.
“Each year, the Central School District’s volunteer budget committee, made up of local citizens, has to approve the payment of debt service on bonds as one of its actions,” Mentzer explained. This year, when the committee approved the bond payments, they chose to pay off some of the debt from the bonds that built the improvements, which increased the levy amount on property taxpayers in the district for the 2023-2024 year.
Additionally, the Independence tax rate, 19.1332, is the highest in Polk County – it exceeds that of Monmouth’s 18.2184; the figures represent a number that reflects the amount of taxing districts. Independence has one more of those than Monmouth does, confirmed Valerie Patoine, Polk County’ tax assessor.
Independence also has the highest “ad valorem” tax of any city in Polk County, excluding the West Salem area. The ad valorem tax rate, 4.5897, was set years ago and is the permanent rate for Independence’s taxing district; due to the tax’s annual passage, the percentage of dollars needed for individual tax payments ticks up with time. Monmouth's ad valorem is 3.6107. Dallas' ad valorem is 4.1954.
Duncan said he doesn’t consider himself a tax sleuth for uncovering the reason behind the tax bill that gave him sticker shock. “It is hard to miss how much it increased,” he said. “I think it may surprise people.” ▪
Independence city councilors hike development fees over objections from builders
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
In approving a substantial fee hike that the city will charge developers to build houses – now exceeding $32,000 per single-family home – one city councilor characterized her yes vote as the only choice for “the pickle that we are in.”
During a discussion on raising the system development charges for developers, which now have ticked up by more than $3,000, City Councilor Dawn Roden said that any of the other alternatives for meeting the current infrastructure demand would place a financial burden on residents.
“And we have to be able to look out for the people in our community,” she said.
At issue is the subdivision Brandy Meadows, in the southwest part of Independence, where scores of houses have been built. However, 720 units are scheduled for the site by the time the last phase is finished, according to Harvey Cummings, a construction specialist who was involved with the start-up of the residential development.
The increase in the SDCs will hit Dalke Construction hard, putting the remaining neighborhoods planned for the area at risk, Cummings said.
Two councilors, Kate Schwarzler and Sarah Jobe, expressed concern that Independence could be seen in a negative light with developers. Acknowledging that “we are in a tough spot,” Councilor Schwarzler suggested that such actions can be discouraging to the kind of development that’s good for the city.
“I do have a growing concern, though, about being perceived as a community less friendly to development or developers,” she said.
Jobe cast the only dissenting vote on the adoption of the new SDCs, with the rest of the city council affirming the action. Councilor Marilyn Morton was absent.
Roden said she felt forced into making the decision she did, which in effect mandates that the main builder, Dalke Construction, assume financial responsibility for paying for a new traffic light at 7th and Monmouth streets.
The Independence Planning Commission approved Dalke’s share of expense as only six percent of the cost. Through a series of reimbursements in the years to come, Dalke is to be repaid for all but the six percent, according to Gerald Fisher, the city’s public works director.
With added traffic due to the addition of population in the area, that intersection at 7thStreet along Monmouth Street is “failing,” he pointed out.
“As part of the development, the developer has to build the signal,” Fisher said. However, eventually “he is made whole,” he stressed.
Roden observed that two options for routing traffic out of the growing subdivision – Mt. Fir Avenue and Chestnut Street – haven’t been constructed. “You would think that we would have planned for egress from that location well before we developed that entire section,” she said.
Fisher said the two potential thoroughfares were in the plans in the early stages and remain there. Barriers to both have been identified: Mt. Fir Avenue would require a railroad crossing to be completed, and Chestnut Street would need a bridge built over Ash Creek, according to previous council sessions in which the Brandy Meadows development was discussed.
Larry Dalke, president of Dalke Construction, told councilors during public testimony that the SDC increase means he will have difficulty forging ahead. Chet Graham, the real estate broker that has handled many of the sales in the area, said such costs are making new homes in Independence far less competitive compared with cities like Dallas, where SDCs are much lower.
Earlier this year, Independence’s strained fiscal circumstances resulted in cutbacks that closed the library on Saturdays and eliminated the position of the city’s engagement coordinator, a bilingual staff member who was considered key among several residents in the Independence Hispanic community.
The changes were implemented after the budget session, which drew attendees who spoke in protest of the cuts.
Recently, the Independence City Council adopted a new Capital Improvement Plan, which includes a new water system, including a treatment facility that is estimated to cost $25 million, as well street renovations with a price tag of several million dollars; other high-priority projects are listed as requiring millions more.
Observing that the sum apparently represents years of deferred upgrades, one civil engineer who works frequently in the Willamette Valley explained that it can be tough for city officials to face such needs – they often get public recognition for downtown attractions and holiday events but far less recognition for efforts to maintain infrastructure. “There are no ribbon-cuttings for making sure streets are in good shape,” he said. ▪
IN ACTUALITY
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
An editorial column to assist public knowledge and discourse on recent events.
WHO: A member of the development team at Brandy Meadows reported that he dropped off invitations for city councilors to a community lunch planned at the subdivision – and was told they were never delivered.
WHAT: The invitations, which were from real estate broker Chet Graham, had been identified as an outreach effort to a potentially relationship-building event.
WHERE: Brandy Meadows, the city’s newest subdivision in the southwest areas of the city, where a picnic-style outdoor taco party drew neighbors and others.
WHEN: At the last city council meeting, the lack of delivery of the invitations was confirmed.
WHY: No reason was given for why the invitations weren’t distributed, prompting Graham to tell staff and city councilors at the meeting, “That hurts.”
HOW: Public discussions by the city about raising fees to developers have ensued over the past weeks -- and those at Brandy Meadows, which has a 720-unit project, are currently likely to be the most deeply impacted.
In following up, Trammart News sought to answer why the invitations apparently never made it to the mailboxes of city councilors and whether there is a process in place to keep such correspondence from slipping through the cracks.
The anticipated explanation was that the invitations might have been seen as creating a way for undesirable “ex parte” contact to occur, which is oral or written communication to potential decision-makers outside of a hearing process. However, that reason was never given. One resident pointed out that, earlier this year, the city had accepted other engagements, such as a visit to a business prior to a hearing on its expansion.
Though that visit could have been called “fact-finding,” Oregon law also allows interaction for economic-development purposes, a category that could include a socializing lunch with developers.
There was no response from the city’s communications coordinator about the procedure used to process letters, invitations or correspondence received by the city. A public records request by Trammart News, in which the city recorder provided the only apparently related documentation, didn’t describe the ways that such received communication is carried out.
Communications coordinator Emmanuel Goicochea has indicated, by previous email to Trammart News, that he can make his own determinations on whether to answer questions from the media. In this case, no answer has been obtained. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
When Independence resident Andy Duncan made a special trip to the Polk County courthouse to determine the taxes on his home this year, the shock was nearly immediate. He got a tax hike of more than 8.5%. compared with last year’s. “How can it be this much?” Duncan said he asked himself, before carefully reviewing his bill. The answer: a Polk County public safety bond passed, and school bond payments were higher than he anticipated, and the list of tax obligations was longer than he expected.
Duncan said he expected some increases, due to increases in the value of assessed property by the county, which is how home-property taxes are determined. But the payments for the school bond are higher, too.
Duncan correctly spotted an increase -- of about $1.30, confirmed Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J.
That uptick was due to building improvements at Ash Creek Elementary School and adding the sixth-grade wing at Talmadge Middle School, she explained.
“Each year, the Central School District’s volunteer budget committee, made up of local citizens, has to approve the payment of debt service on bonds as one of its actions,” Mentzer explained. This year, when the committee approved the bond payments, they chose to pay off some of the debt from the bonds that built the improvements, which increased the levy amount on property taxpayers in the district for the 2023-2024 year.
Additionally, the Independence tax rate, 19.1332, is the highest in Polk County – it exceeds that of Monmouth’s 18.2184; the figures represent a number that reflects the amount of taxing districts. Independence has one more of those than Monmouth does, confirmed Valerie Patoine, Polk County’ tax assessor.
Independence also has the highest “ad valorem” tax of any city in Polk County, excluding the West Salem area. The ad valorem tax rate, 4.5897, was set years ago and is the permanent rate for Independence’s taxing district; due to the tax’s annual passage, the percentage of dollars needed for individual tax payments ticks up with time. Monmouth's ad valorem is 3.6107. Dallas' ad valorem is 4.1954.
Duncan said he doesn’t consider himself a tax sleuth for uncovering the reason behind the tax bill that gave him sticker shock. “It is hard to miss how much it increased,” he said. “I think it may surprise people.” ▪
Independence city councilors hike development fees over objections from builders
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
In approving a substantial fee hike that the city will charge developers to build houses – now exceeding $32,000 per single-family home – one city councilor characterized her yes vote as the only choice for “the pickle that we are in.”
During a discussion on raising the system development charges for developers, which now have ticked up by more than $3,000, City Councilor Dawn Roden said that any of the other alternatives for meeting the current infrastructure demand would place a financial burden on residents.
“And we have to be able to look out for the people in our community,” she said.
At issue is the subdivision Brandy Meadows, in the southwest part of Independence, where scores of houses have been built. However, 720 units are scheduled for the site by the time the last phase is finished, according to Harvey Cummings, a construction specialist who was involved with the start-up of the residential development.
The increase in the SDCs will hit Dalke Construction hard, putting the remaining neighborhoods planned for the area at risk, Cummings said.
Two councilors, Kate Schwarzler and Sarah Jobe, expressed concern that Independence could be seen in a negative light with developers. Acknowledging that “we are in a tough spot,” Councilor Schwarzler suggested that such actions can be discouraging to the kind of development that’s good for the city.
“I do have a growing concern, though, about being perceived as a community less friendly to development or developers,” she said.
Jobe cast the only dissenting vote on the adoption of the new SDCs, with the rest of the city council affirming the action. Councilor Marilyn Morton was absent.
Roden said she felt forced into making the decision she did, which in effect mandates that the main builder, Dalke Construction, assume financial responsibility for paying for a new traffic light at 7th and Monmouth streets.
The Independence Planning Commission approved Dalke’s share of expense as only six percent of the cost. Through a series of reimbursements in the years to come, Dalke is to be repaid for all but the six percent, according to Gerald Fisher, the city’s public works director.
With added traffic due to the addition of population in the area, that intersection at 7thStreet along Monmouth Street is “failing,” he pointed out.
“As part of the development, the developer has to build the signal,” Fisher said. However, eventually “he is made whole,” he stressed.
Roden observed that two options for routing traffic out of the growing subdivision – Mt. Fir Avenue and Chestnut Street – haven’t been constructed. “You would think that we would have planned for egress from that location well before we developed that entire section,” she said.
Fisher said the two potential thoroughfares were in the plans in the early stages and remain there. Barriers to both have been identified: Mt. Fir Avenue would require a railroad crossing to be completed, and Chestnut Street would need a bridge built over Ash Creek, according to previous council sessions in which the Brandy Meadows development was discussed.
Larry Dalke, president of Dalke Construction, told councilors during public testimony that the SDC increase means he will have difficulty forging ahead. Chet Graham, the real estate broker that has handled many of the sales in the area, said such costs are making new homes in Independence far less competitive compared with cities like Dallas, where SDCs are much lower.
Earlier this year, Independence’s strained fiscal circumstances resulted in cutbacks that closed the library on Saturdays and eliminated the position of the city’s engagement coordinator, a bilingual staff member who was considered key among several residents in the Independence Hispanic community.
The changes were implemented after the budget session, which drew attendees who spoke in protest of the cuts.
Recently, the Independence City Council adopted a new Capital Improvement Plan, which includes a new water system, including a treatment facility that is estimated to cost $25 million, as well street renovations with a price tag of several million dollars; other high-priority projects are listed as requiring millions more.
Observing that the sum apparently represents years of deferred upgrades, one civil engineer who works frequently in the Willamette Valley explained that it can be tough for city officials to face such needs – they often get public recognition for downtown attractions and holiday events but far less recognition for efforts to maintain infrastructure. “There are no ribbon-cuttings for making sure streets are in good shape,” he said. ▪
IN ACTUALITY
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023
An editorial column to assist public knowledge and discourse on recent events.
WHO: A member of the development team at Brandy Meadows reported that he dropped off invitations for city councilors to a community lunch planned at the subdivision – and was told they were never delivered.
WHAT: The invitations, which were from real estate broker Chet Graham, had been identified as an outreach effort to a potentially relationship-building event.
WHERE: Brandy Meadows, the city’s newest subdivision in the southwest areas of the city, where a picnic-style outdoor taco party drew neighbors and others.
WHEN: At the last city council meeting, the lack of delivery of the invitations was confirmed.
WHY: No reason was given for why the invitations weren’t distributed, prompting Graham to tell staff and city councilors at the meeting, “That hurts.”
HOW: Public discussions by the city about raising fees to developers have ensued over the past weeks -- and those at Brandy Meadows, which has a 720-unit project, are currently likely to be the most deeply impacted.
In following up, Trammart News sought to answer why the invitations apparently never made it to the mailboxes of city councilors and whether there is a process in place to keep such correspondence from slipping through the cracks.
The anticipated explanation was that the invitations might have been seen as creating a way for undesirable “ex parte” contact to occur, which is oral or written communication to potential decision-makers outside of a hearing process. However, that reason was never given. One resident pointed out that, earlier this year, the city had accepted other engagements, such as a visit to a business prior to a hearing on its expansion.
Though that visit could have been called “fact-finding,” Oregon law also allows interaction for economic-development purposes, a category that could include a socializing lunch with developers.
There was no response from the city’s communications coordinator about the procedure used to process letters, invitations or correspondence received by the city. A public records request by Trammart News, in which the city recorder provided the only apparently related documentation, didn’t describe the ways that such received communication is carried out.
Communications coordinator Emmanuel Goicochea has indicated, by previous email to Trammart News, that he can make his own determinations on whether to answer questions from the media. In this case, no answer has been obtained. ▪
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