Taxpayers Group Schedules More ‘Ideas in Action’ Sessions

There are still a few seats available for the Oct. 17 “Innovations in Local Service Delivery” session sponsored by by the Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa.

The session will be hosted by E.J. Giovannetti, a longtime Urbandale mayor and Polk County supervisor, and will feature a panel of local government officials who will discuss the ins and outs of shared services and other innovations that increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Panelists include Dave Wilkerson, superintendent of the Waukee Community School District, and Dave Murillo, a member of the Norwalk City Council. To register, go here.

The taxpayers group has released details of other sessions in its “Ideas In Action Series 2013-14”:

Property Tax 101, Nov. 21: Property taxation is complex and the formula is tough for the average home or business owner to slog through and understand how the bill is determined and who’s responsible for what. At this session, learn some of the basics that will allow you to better job of holding your local government officials accountable.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Dec. 19: TIF is one of the most popular and versatile of economic development tools available to cities.  It is a method of financing that significantly impacts all taxpayers, yet is poorly understood by the average home or business owner.  Learn about how TIF works, where it has been used most successfully, and when it may warrant more questions from taxpayers.