Deer Creek raises preliminary tax levy by nearly 10 percent
News | Published on October 4, 2022 at 4:38pm EDT | Author: Chad Koenen
0By Chad Koenen
Publisher
The Deer Creek City Council approved a 9.95 percent increase in its 2023 preliminary tax levy.
During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the Deer Creek City Council approved the increase to its preliminary tax levy for next year. The preliminary tax levy can be decreased when it is finalized later this year, but not increased.
The change in the tax levy will amount to an additional $8,500 in the general fund.
In addition to the preliminary tax levy, the city council heard that sentence to serve has cleaned up much of the exterior of a property located at 107 Clark St. The property has been condemned and according to city clerk/treasurer Tom Parish, the county has indicated the Deer Creek Fire Department may be able to utilize the structure for future training exercises.
The city council credited the work of Parish to get the county to clean up the dilapidated property and hopefully tear it down in the future.
In other news
• Discussed a franchise fee to Otter Tail Power for $600 a year. The city had not had a franchise fee in the past, which will go into the city’s general fund to help offset various expenses in the city.
• Accepted a 2023 police contract with the City of NY Mills that will see a 2 percent increase for charges next year. The NY Mills Police Department provides monthly police service for the City of Deer Creek.
• Approved an increase in pay for election judges to $15 an hour after several neighboring communities also increased the pay for their election judges.
• Approved several increases in salaries for the upcoming year including: increasing the custodial and lawn mowing pay to $15 per hour, increasing water/utility supervisor Dan Kovar’s base pay to $1,200 per month and increasing the pay for city clerk/treasurer Tom Parish to $1,200 per month.
• Heard that David Snyder retired from the Deer Creek Fire Department, but will serve as a reserve firefighter as part of a new program recently approved by the City of Deer Creek.
• Discussed installing several new interior doors at the community center. The new doors would be a solid core door as the old ones were hollow in the inside.
• Heard the cost of the city’s annual audit will increase from $10,500 to $11,600 next year.
• Accepted the following donations: $5,00 from the Deer Creek Lions Club for the band stand, beer cooler and mower, as well as $2,000 from the Deer Creek Lions Club for the fire department and $1,500 from the Deer Creek Lions Club for the new pickle ball court