/s/Kris McGrane, City Administrator/Clerk
Published in The Union Echo Leader and online on November 3, 2021
/s/Kris McGrane, City Administrator/Clerk
Published in The Union Echo Leader and online on November 3, 2021
The residents of the city of Fayette will have three proposals on the election ballot for the November 2, 2021 election.
Hotel/Motel Tax - The Fayette City Council has placed a 7% Hotel/Motel Tax question on the upcoming election ballot that will be decided on November 2, 2021. The proposed 7% Hotel/Motel Tax is a transient tax that would be paid only by visitors and patrons staying at a hotel/motel located within the city limits of Fayette. In 2021, 168 cities and 20 counties in the state of Iowa have such a tax. The city must use at least fifty percent (50%) of the revenues from the Hotel/Motel Tax for recreation, convention, cultural and entertainment facilities or for the promotion and encouragement of tourist and convention business in the city and surrounding areas. The remaining revenues from the Hotel/Motel Tax may be used for all other purposes permitted by Chapter 423A of the Code of Iowa.
Here is a variety of programming and service examples that other cities in Iowa have been able to fund using their Hotel/Motel Tax proceeds (courtesy of the City of Adel).
- Community Events: Autumnfest (City of DeWitt), Heritage Days (City of Mount Vernon), Lincoln Highway Arts Festival (City of Mount Vernon), Midwest Old Threshers (City of Mount Pleasant), Various events (City of Clarion and West Des Moines)
- Culture/Recreation: Parks & Recreation (Cities of Anamosa, Clive, DeWitt, Humboldt, Mount Pleasant & Osceola), Cultural programming (City of Osceola), Southeast Iowa Symphony (City of Mount Pleasant), Museum displays for non-profit organizations (City of Clarion), Bravo Greater Des Moines (16 cities in the Des Moines metro-area), Christmas lights (City of Mount Pleasant), Banners & flowers for downtown (City of Clarion)
- Tourism/Chamber: Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau (14 cities in the Des Moines metro-area), Mount Vernon Community Development Group (City of Mount Vernon), Main Street group (City of Mount Pleasant), Chamber marketing and/or membership (Cities of Anamosa, DeWitt, Humboldt & Marion), General tourism and marketing (Cities of Anamosa, Clarion, Elkader, Humboldt, Mount Vernon & Oelwein)
- General Fund/Use: Library Programs (City of Clive), Street maintenance (City of Osceola), Facade improvement grants (City of Clarion), Economic Development programs (City of Clive)
City Council Term Changes - The Fayette City Council has placed a City Council Term Change question on the upcoming election ballot. Currently, the Mayor and all 5 City Council members serve a 2 year term. The question asks the residents if they want to change the City Council members terms from 2 years to 4 years and stagger the terms so not all members are up for re-election every 2 years. If this is passed, it would not start until 1/1/2024 (that means the Mayor and City Council members on the 11/2/2021 ballot will only serve a 2 year term and the next election in November of 2023 will be the first election to start the 4 year staggered terms).
Local Option Sales Tax - The Fayette City Council has placed an extension of the local sales and services tax, at the rate of 1%, to be effective 1/1/2025 until 12/31/2034 on the upcoming election ballot. The city of Fayette currently has a local option sales tax. If this passes, 100% of the revenues will be used for community betterment for the city of Fayette. Currently, these cities/places in Fayette County participate and have a 1% local options sales tax: Alpha, Arlington, Clermont, Donnan, Eldorado, Elgin, Fairbank, Fayette, Hawkeye, Maynard, Oelwein, Oran, Randalia, Saint Lucas, Wadena, Waucoma, West Union and Westgate. Many cities and counties throughout Iowa also participate and have a 1% local options sales tax. Below is the revenue the city of Fayette has brought in the last few years from the local option sales tax. The local option sales tax revenue is currently used to help fund recreation within the city as well as to help fund the streets and police departments.
Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) the city of Fayette received $121,939.34
Fiscal Year 2020 (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020) the city of Fayette received $101,209.04
Fiscal Year 2019 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019) the city of Fayette received $106,909.34
Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018) the city of Fayette received $101,821.83
Fiscal Year 2017 (July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017) the city of Fayette received $102,674.98
Fiscal Year 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) the city of Fayette received $95,424.86
Fiscal Year 2015 (July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015) the city of Fayette received $103,807.31
Fiscal Year 2014 (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014) the city of Fayette received $93,882.01
Please contact Fayette City Hall, 563-425-4316, with further questions about any of the proposals on the ballot.
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The Fayette Tree Board is considering submitting an application for the free tree seedlings program through the Iowa DNR. Fayette is eligible to receive free seedlings for residents within city limits but can only submit one application for the city. If you are interested in receiving 11” to 20” or 21” to 30” tall seedlings, please print and fill out the below sheet and return it to Fayette City Hall or the Fayette Community Library before October 31, 2021. You may also stop by Fayette City Hall or the Fayette Community Library to sign-up before October 31, 2021. If there is enough interest, the Fayette Tree Board will apply to the program in hopes for a spring delivery. To see what trees are available through the program, visit https://nursery.iowadnr.gov/spring-delivery.html. If kids will be helping to plant the seedlings, please include that on the sign-up sheet because it is part of the application process. These would be trees planted on residents’ private property and not in the city right-of-way (or the land the city owns between the roads, streets, alley’s to the sidewalks). Contact Fayette City Hall to view the Resolution of recommended trees that may be planted in the city right-of-way, however, permission to plant trees in the city right-of-way must have prior approval from the Fayette Tree Board with guidance from Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand.
Fayette American Legion Post 339 sponsored a backpack/school supply program donating 100 backpacks filled with school supplies to six area schools and two community organizations for distribution to those children who need them. North Fayette Valley Elementary Schools in Fayette, Elgin, and West Union; West Central Elementary School in Maynard, Starmont Elementary School, and Turkey Valley Elementary School each received some of the backpacks as well as bottles of hand sanitizer and boxes of zip lock bags. Backpacks were also given to the Fayette County Food Shelf and Helping Services of Northeast Iowa.
In an effort to attract new businesses, the City of Fayette has implemented a number of creative incentives in recent years. These efforts are beginning to pay off as three new businesses have opened their doors in beautiful downtown Fayette since January.
Fayette started a marketing incentive offering new businesses a reimbursement of up to $1,000 in marketing and advertising expenses. The city is also willing to hand out up to $20,000 for any new construction within the city limits. A low interest revolving loan fund is also available for businesses.
Crawford Creations was the first business to move into downtown Fayette and offers a variety of goods including handmade crafts, home décor, furniture, antiques, clothing, jewelry and more. A unique, locally owned ice cream and sandwich shop, the Sugar Bowl, opened shortly after. The Sugar Bowl has two other locations in Decorah, Iowa, and added its third location in downtown Fayette. The Visual Element, a marketing and advertising company specializing in graphic design and brand development, was the most recent business to relocate to the recently restored downtown area.
Fayette, with a population of around 1400, is home to Upper Iowa University, Klock’s Island Park and Campground and the new Fayette County Freedom Rock. Fayette continues to seek out opportunities to fill available downtown storefronts. Entrepreneurs looking for a great community to locate or expand their business can contact Kris McGrane, Fayette City Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 563-425-4316 to learn more.
(Left to right) Wanda Crawford and Fayette Mayor Andrew Wenthe. Wanda opened Crawford Creations in downtown Fayette in early 2021.
(Left to right) Nathan Todd, Brittany Todd and Fayette Mayor Andrew Wenthe. The Todd’s opened the Sugar Bowl in downtown Fayette in early 2021.
(Left to right) Fayette Mayor Andrew Wenthe and Amanda Pasket. Amanda opened The Visual Element in downtown Fayette in 2021.
There is no place like home. And there is no place like Fayette.