Bill Gates, Got a Spare Billion Dollars? You Could Own Marion

A new report shows that Marion's tax base grew by $120 million last year compared to the previous year.

That's comes to a cool $1.3 billion in taxable real estate across Marion. So, for Bill Gates, that's what, a week's pay?

Thankfully, he's on the left coast doing his thing, and we're here in peaceful Iowa doing ours.

The growth of the tax base falls in line with Marion's overall growth, according to a MEDCO report. Marion population has grown 32.2 percent since 2000, up to more than "36,000 and climbing."

Housing continues to grow. Marion added 157 new homes in 2012, which is the most since 2008, and based on housing permits that is expected to increase again this year. Commercial and industrial real estate has been another big piece of the growth.

In 2012, 3,679 building permits were issued. A total of 55 commercial building permits were issued worth an estimated $16.1 million of new commercial construction investment in Marion; an increase of $9.1 million from the previous year. Major projects include CVS Pharmacy, U of I Credit, Menards, Timberline Manufacturing, Marion Police Department, Linn Area Credit, Linn Mar Schools, Bruce Marsh Development and Marion Independent Schools.

Read more from the attached Marion Engineering Department report.