Tax abatement program has led to more than $5 million in construction

The Decorah City Council on Monday night approved another ten residential tax abatement applications.

City Manager Chad Bird says the program has "added significant value to the community."  Specifically, there has been a total of 12 new single family home or condos built in 2015 because of the tax abatements, totaling $3.9 million.  Also during 2015, 9 additions or remodelings worth $637,000 have been undertaken.  When combined with construction projects that qualified for tax abatements late in 2104, the tax abatement program has created $5,287,000 in new property valuation, says Bird.  That figure represents the value of the buildings alone--the property they are built on does not qualify for the tax abatement program.