Fort Madison wants to make it more enticing for rural property owners to join the city.
The city council has signed off on a series of incentives available to those interested in voluntarily annexing into the city.
City Manager Byron Smith says the incentives include the gradual phasing in of the city’s property tax rate and the possibility of offering a specific zoning designation for a property.
They also allow the city to cover certain legal expenses and reduce utility connection fees.
Smith says the incentives come from a recently-completed annexation study pertaining to the new Highway 61 Bypass around Fort Madison.
He says one business, located just outside city limits, has expressed an interest in voluntary annexation.
Smith says it has been five years since a property owner participated in that process.
