Rural areas outpace cities in growth

Rural areas of Chickasaw County showed greater growth than urban areas as measured by new construction value, when accounting for rollbacks but not exemptions.Increase in taxable value of rural areas grew by $11.85 million but $8.64 million was “industrial” which County Assessor Ray Armel attributed largely to the ethanol plant outside of Lawler, Homeland Energy Solutions, in a report on Jan 28.“That industrial value from the ethanol plant, that's on the five-year [phase-in] pay scale starting at 25 percent of that is taxable and adding 15 percent each year thereafter for five years.” Under the phase-in, tax hits 100 percent of assessed value, minus state rollbacks however, in year six when the exemption is over.— For more on this story, see the Feb. 15 New Hampton Tribune.