Land valuations last year continue to see a healthy increase in Greene County.

According to a report from the Iowa Department of Management, Greene County had a 8.97-percent increase in land valuation over the previous year to $795,058. The rural portion went up 13.60-percent, while the urban part showed a decrease of 3.10-percent. 

Greene County Real Estate and Tax Coordinator Pam Olerich says most of the rural increases in land valuations was due to the increase per acre for farmland values. She points out the main reason why all urban areas had a decrease was due to the lack of an equalization order from the Iowa Legislature, which happens every odd numbered year. She says in 2019, there was an equalization order for commercial properties to be increased by 19-percent and in 2021, no such order was given and the Greene County Assessor’s Office decreased commercial properties by three-percent.

Olerich notes there were dramatic increases for tax increment financing (TIF). The rural portions had a 75.87-percent increase in 2021, due mostly to all of the new wind turbines from MidAmerican Energy now showing valuation and the 22.26-percent increase for urban TIF was due to the distribution to the City of Jefferson for it’s expenses in its urban renewal district.