Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Westwood City Council to address leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a three-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Westwood residents.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question. (Note: All seats on the Westwood City Council are at-large. The top two vote-getters in this race will be seated.)
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
One of the most discussed issues among Johnson County homeowners right now is property taxes. With rising property values, many cities are seeing their annual revenues go up even if they hold their municipal mill levy — or property tax — rates flat or decrease them. Should Westwood consider cutting its mill rate in the future? If yes, what would you cut from the budget to account for the lost revenue? If not, are there other forms of tax relief the city can provide residents?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Melinda Garcia
Decisions about cutting the mill rate and budget adjustments should be based on a careful and transparent analysis of Westwood’s financial situation and needs of its residents.
Rising property taxes are a reason to consider a mill rate reduction, but this should be done while ensuring essential services are maintained for the residents of Westwood.
Alternatives to tax relief would include exploring tax incentives or other sources of revenue such as grants or public-private partnerships to balance the budget without reducing services or revenue. Public input and a thorough financial assessment would be essential in making this decision.
Holly Wimer (incumbent)
Johnson County is a great place to live and, in my opinion, Westwood is one of the best places to live. We are all feeling the impact of increasing property values. The Westwood City Council approved our Fiscal Year 2024 budget at the September 14th meeting and voted to keep our mill rate flat from the previous year. It has been important to the governing body to ensure we keep, and maybe even grow, our level of service to residents in police, public works, leaf pick up, city administration and programming. It has also been a value to pay our city staff a competitive wage so we can reward them for excellent work and retain them.
That being said, I think it would be of great service to many of Westwood’s residents, my household included, if we could lower the mill rate at some point in time. However, there are so many variables that go into that decision. City leaders should consider all sources of city revenue and ensure that those revenue sources are balancing out with budgeted expenditures. As the city is exploring potential development opportunities, it is important to think about how this could help the tax base the city has and perhaps give us the opportunity to consider lowering the mill rate someday.
Laura Steele (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Tomorrow, we will publish the candidates’ responses to the next question:
Housing affordability remains a hot topic among readers. Many older residents on fixed incomes feel like they can’t sell their homes and afford to stay in Johnson County, while many young, first-time home buyers can’t compete in a competitive market with tight inventory. Some of our readers say they want to see more affordable options come on the market, including so-called “missing middle” housing, like duplexes, townhomes and small starter homes. What, if anything, acan the city of Westwood do to encourage these types of “missing middle” housing? Are there other ways for the city to address housing affordability?
