News Flash

FAQ - 2024 Property Tax Informational Letter

• Why did the Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office mail me a “School, City and County Budget Year Statement?”
  • A new law adopted in 2023 requires county auditors by March 20 to send a statement to every taxpayer in the county with specific information about budgets and property tax rates being proposed by local school, county, and city governments.

• Do I need to do anything with this statement?
  • No. It is strictly informational. It is not a bill. You are not required to do anything due to receiving the letter. You may want to attend one or more of the budget hearings referenced on the front of the letter if you want to make comments.

• Why did I get more than one letter?
  • Persons owning more than one property should get additional statements if those parcels are in different tax districts. For example, if you own a building in Waterloo and a building in Cedar Falls, you will get a statement for each. If you own two buildings in the same tax district in Waterloo you should only get one statement.
     
• I am a Black Hawk County taxpayer and did not get a copy of this statement. Why?
  • The auditor’s office can research whether your mailing address is correct in the county tax system. If you want a notice but did not receive one, contact the auditor’s office at (319) 833-3058.
     
• The statement indicates a $100,000 home and $100,000 business would see a big property tax cuts. Will my taxes really go down?
  • Not necessarily. The calculation on the statement assumes the home and business in question did not see any change in its assessed value from one year to the next. Many property owners in Black Hawk County saw an increase in assessed value for the 2023 assessment year, taxes payable September 2024/March 2025. If your assessed value changed, the example in the statement would not be correct for your property.
     
• Do tax-exempt properties receive a statement?
  • No.
     
• My statement does not include information about a city budget hearing. Why not?
  • Properties outside of city limits do not pay city taxes and would not have city budget information included.
     
• If I want help figuring out something on the statement where can I turn?
  • The Iowa Department of Management has additional information about the mailing on its website at https://dom.iowa.gov/property-taxes or you could contact the Black Hawk County Auditor’s Office at (319) 833-3058.