The Carroll County Board of Supervisors voted during Monday’s meeting to approve assessments for six of the county’s drainage districts. County Engineer Zac Andersen, who oversees the county’s 100 or so drains, says the last year has seen an unusually large number of necessary repairs with more expected in the fall.
The county tracks expenses for each district and maintains a balance dedicated to each one, used for repairs as they arise. However, recent projects could not be delayed and will draw the accounts down from $85,000 to $45,000 once the bills are paid. Board Chair Gene Meiners outlines the proposed assessments.
Individual bills associated with assessments follow a somewhat convoluted formula based on the area of land, the benefit from the drain, and various other factors. Most of the combined repairs for the drainage districts range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, but in some cases, they can reach into the tens of thousands. For example, Drain 45 in Jasper Township had over $18,000 in repairs.
Andersen says county staff tries to limit drainage district assessments whenever possible, but they cannot be avoided in some cases. The supervisors voted unanimously to move forward with the assessments. County staff will begin preparing the assessments, and they will appear on the September 2026 tax bills.
