Letter to the Editor: Wake up, Floyd County citizens

By Douglas K. Lindaman, Charles City

The County, City and Schools are putting together their respective budgets, deciding how much property tax to assess verses expenses to be addressed.

There needs to be more attention paid to income sources.

For example, I outlined for the Supervisors (over two years ago) to accept the $300,000 to $400,000 cash offer for a CO2 easement over Area Development ground southeast of Charles City.

Most farmers accepted the deal and now can keep the money even if the pipeline is never built.

Wake up citizens: We lost $300,000 or $400,000!

Next, there is a moratorium on the construction of commercial windmills in our county. Each windmill would generate a $20,000 yearly lease payment to the landowner and $30,000 of property tax.

Consequently, 100 windmills produce $3 million in taxes split between the county and school districts each year. Wake up citizens: $3 million per year would substantially lower our property tax burden.

Keep in mind that farm bankruptcies are up 55%. We need to roll out the red carpet to wind energy companies and support our farmers!

Remind our community leaders of the above decisions as budgets are addressed.