Decorah City Council scheduled to vote in late April on renewing downtown improvement district

Twenty years ago, downtown Decorah property owners agreed to add a small yearly tax to their property tax bills in order to raise money to make improvements to the downtown area. 

The "Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District" has raised $15,000 a year for the 20 years since it began in 2000.  SSMID Board President Andy Nelson says the program "has created a vibrant downtown and West Side Decorah Area."

Now the SSMID Board has been collecting signatures on a petition to increase that amount to $20,000 a year.  Property owners representing over two-thirds of the valuation of downtown and West Side properties have signed the petition in favor of the increase and renewal.

Decorah City Council members have scheduled April 20th as the date for action on the matter.  If approved at that time, the special property tax assessment would be in effect until 2030.