Ivanhoe adopts proposed tax rate

By Chris Edwards
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IVANHOE – In an emergency meeting of the Ivanhoe City Council, last Thursday, council voted on the city’s proposed tax rate for the coming fiscal year.

Mayor Cathy Bennett began the meeting, after calling it to order, by explaining that the proposed tax rate needed to be published in the newspaper prior to adopting the official rate, which will take place on Sept. 29. after a public hearing on the budget and tax rate.

Bennett explained that the proposed tax rate is 0.8322 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This rate includes factoring in the over 65 exemption, and the estimated values of taxable property with this rate would decrease by $1 million from last year’s values, from $84 million to $83 million.

The proposed rate was unanimously approved by the council. 

A regular council meeting followed the emergency-called meeting, and the council and Bennett heard from Victoria Dye, of LJA Engineering. 

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Dye spoke about bids received for road construction projects to be undertaken with funds from the bond the city received last year. Dye said two bids came in, one from Gulf Coast at a base bid of $556,754.68, which was the lowest.

The project was slated to include Sherwood Drive, Forest Drive West and Lakewood Drive. Dye said her firm had looked into using an oil-sand surfacing material for the project, which was included in Sherwood and Forest roadways, and traditional hot mix surfacing on Lakewood.

The alternate situation would be hot mix for all three roads, the contract would be more than $562K, Dye said. 

Council voted to award the contract to Gulf Coast. Following the vote, Wayne Sweet, of Gulf Coast, spoke to council, and explained the differences between the types of road materials being considered.

The oil sand product, he said, is cheaper, and holds up well under light traffic loads. Regular asphalt, he said, is a more consistent product for higher-travelled roads. 

Sweet said he anticipates the project starting in five or six weeks.