Superior tax rates drop again

The city of Superior’s residential and business property tax rates are dropping for the second year in a row.

While the Superior City Council approved a 2.8 percent levy increase last month, the overall assessed value in the city rose 2.7 percent. And the Superior School and Douglas County boards adopted levy increases below the rate of growth, netting savings for Superior property owners.

“This good news is the result of a combination of a number of measures,” said Mayor Bruce Hagen. “City departments and operations have held the line on expenditures, managed budgets and continued to provide direct services without budget overruns.

“We have been fortunate, through the good, hard work within the private sector, to witness the assessed value in the community to increase by 2.7 percent, which allows for the reduced tax rate.”

Taking into account other factors such as new construction, the tax rate for 2013 of $21.94 per $1,000 valuation is down from $22.15 per $1,000 for 2012, which was down 9 cents from 2011.

For a home valued at $150,000 each of the years, this translates into about $45 in savings from the 2011 tax year. A tax bill that cost $3,336 in 2011 dropped to $3,323 in 2012 and will drop again to $3,291 when the new tax bills go out this month.

Hagen expressed his appreciation to the Common Council, all departments, other taxing authorities and the people of Superior.

The Superior school district adopted about a 2.5 percent levy increase for 2013, which is paid communities outside the city, and the Douglas County Board approved a 1.6 percent levy increase countywide, both below the rate of growth in Superior.

“In working together for the good of the entire community and providing services that are cost efficient and mindful of this difficult economy, we do hope this reduced tax rate will bring some relief to the taxpayers of this great city,” Hagen said.

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