Decorah City Council agrees to pay SSMID Board $1,125

The Decorah City Council has voted 6-1 to give an additional $1,125 to the Self Supported Municipal Improvement District Board.

The City of Decorah agreed to give the SSMID $7,500 in city funds after it was discovered that city officials missed a deadline to file paperwork with the State of Iowa establishing a tax levy to support improvement programs for downtown and West Side.  The error resulted in $15,000 in property taxes not being levied.

The City then mailed out letters to property owners in the SSMID, asking for voluntary donations.  The City of Decorah received $6,374.55 in response to letters sent out asking for contributions.

On Monday night, the Decorah City Council agreed to contribute the remaining balance of $1,125.45 needed to allow the SSMID Board to proceed with its previous expectation of funding $15,000 worth of projects downtown and on the West Side.

City Council member Paul Wanless cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he thought "the city has already been fair."