Assessor explains the envelope in the mail

Apr. 4 — OTTUMWA — The calls have been coming in fairly regularly about what Wapello County supervisor Brian Morgan called “things in the mail.” County assessor Gary Smith explained what that meant. Residents have been receiving notices about increased assessments to their property values, which in turn, could mean higher property taxes down the road. But that is not always the case, and a lot of unknowns remain, Smith said. “It’s happening statewide. Property values have gone up about 21% across the state,” Smith told the supervisors during their meeting Tuesday at the courthouse. “Ours went up about 23%,…