Anytime the taxes increase, it puts a strain on affordable housing. The lack of forethought could bring about stress and hardship on those who need to be protected the most: those in the lower income brackets. Landlords are put in a position of needing to increase rents to offset their ever increasing taxes and utilities. Over the last decade, tax increases have been substantial. One mobile home park owner in Creston has seen an increase of 88% in his property taxes from 2007 to 2017 and his utilities have increased 106% over the same time period. The mayor and council need to look at their proposed projects from a different viewpoint, especially expensive, long-term, debt-ridden initiatives.
Keith Goforth, Creston