Wells Council has citizens show up
Crowd voices frustration with the rise in proposed property taxes

Many residents of Wells attended the City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 11, to express their unhappiness with the rise in their property taxes and amount of the proposed tax levy.
The Wells City Council held their Truth in Taxation Meeting on Monday night, Dec. 11, and many citizens attended the meeting to voice their frustration with the rise in their proposed property taxes.
One man, representing his aunt who lives in the city, told the council his aunt’s proposed taxes would increase by almost 120 percent.
“The market value of her property is set to increase by 25 percent and then there is the proposed 23 percent levy increase,” he commented. “It’s too much.”
Another person spoke and shared their property values had never increased by more than 5.5 percent in one year.
“This year the increase is 144 percent,” he said. “I am already paying more for gas, food and health insurance. I am working two jobs. Where am I going to find the extra money I need? We need some help.”
Most of the people who spoke had positive things to say about the city and about the City Council.
“Wells is a fantastic community,” one citizen added. “But to have the taxable market value increase and my taxes almost doubled is tough. I believe increasing the levy by 23 percent is a stretch. You don’t have to do everything. You can pick and choose.”
One elderly woman said she thought she could get by but was worried about others.
“People can’t afford this,” she said. “I am concerned about my neighbors who are living day-to-day and are relying on the food shelf for their meals.”
“There is no way we can afford this increase when we only get a three percent cost-of-living increase in our wages,” another resident offered. “This is obviously a problem for people living on a fixed income.”
Finally, the last woman to speak had this to say to the council members.
“You are going to be old someday and standing right here where we’ve been standing,” she said. “And you are going to want someone to do something for you.”
Many of those who spoke acknowledged that the City Council had nothing to do with the rise in property values.
“I think our next step is to go to the County Board Truth and Taxation Meeting on Dec. 19,” one citizen added. “But, I am not happy that the County Board and the United South Central School District’s Truth in Taxation meetings are at the same time. It means we can’t attend both meetings.”
The council thanked the citizens for their input and then began discussing ways to trim the increase in the proposed levy.
“I want you to be aware there may be some relief available to some of you in the form of property tax refunds and/or deferrals,” council member Brenda Weber said. “I only learned about them when I started doing my father’s financial work.”
The council then took up the task of trying to find a way to lower the proposed tax levy.
Finally, after much discussion, the council voted to reduce the seal coating that was planned for some streets and to also cut back on a proposed lighting project for city streets which lowered the proposed levy amount in the Capital Fund by $77,500 to $345,473.
“That would lower the proposed levy amount to $1,690,800 and take us from a proposed 23 percent increase down to an increase of 17.6 percent,” city administrator Connor La Pointe commented.
The council voted unanimously to pass the proposed tax levy for 2023, collectible in 2024, with the 17.6 percent increase.
The council also voted to adopt the final proposed budget for 2024 with expenditures totaling $5,565,163 and expected revenues totaling $5,522,918.