Chapter 1
Your local governments
Counties, cities, school districts and the rest: who runs them, how they’re elected, and how to keep an eye on them.
Counties
Iowa has 99 counties, and every inch of the state is in one. A county is partly its own government and partly the state’s local office: it runs elections, keeps land records and collects property taxes for everyone, including your city and school.
Board of Supervisors
Three or five members who set the county budget and its property tax levy, and oversee roads, the jail and county services. Elected in November of even years for four-year terms, on a party ticket.
The other elected officers
The auditor runs elections and keeps the books; the treasurer collects property tax and vehicle fees; the recorder keeps deeds and records; the sheriff patrols rural areas and runs the jail; the county attorney prosecutes crimes.
The assessor
Sets the value of every property. The assessor isn’t elected: a conference boardA board of the county’s, cities’ and school districts’ representatives that appoints the assessor and approves the assessor’s budget. appoints them. Some large cities have their own assessor.
Cities
Iowa has more than 900 cities, from Des Moines to towns of a few dozen people. Legally they’re all “cities”: Iowa has no villages or boroughs. Each has a city council that passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax levy.
Mayor and council
Most cities elect a mayor who leads the city day to day, can veto council actions, and appoints people to boards. The council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote.
Council and manager
Many larger cities hire a professional city manager to run daily operations and staff. The council sets policy; the mayor mostly runs meetings.
A council that picks its mayor
A few cities, like Burlington, don’t put mayor on the ballot. Voters elect the council, and the council chooses the mayor and mayor pro tem from its own members. Funnel notes this on those cities’ pages.
School districts
About 325 public school districts cover the state, and their lines don’t follow city or county lines. A district is run by an elected school board, usually five or seven members, who hire the superintendent, adopt the budget and set the district’s property tax levy.
AEAs
Area Education AgenciesArea Education Agency: a regional agency that provides special education support, media and other services to the school districts in its area. serve all the districts in a region with special education and other services. Iowa has 9.
Community colleges
Iowa’s 15 community college districts each have an elected board and their own small property tax levy.
Townships and more
Rural townships elect trustees who handle fire protection, cemeteries and fence disputes. Other boards, like hospitals and soil and water districts, also show up on ballots and tax bills.
Local elections
- Even years, NovemberCounty supervisors and officers, on the same ballot as state and federal races. Party primaries in June.
- Odd years, NovemberCity councils, mayors and school boards, together on one ballot. These races are nonpartisan: no party is printed.
- Sometimes October or DecemberSome cities hold a primary in October to narrow the field, or a runoff in December when no one gets a majority.
- Any timeSpecial elections for a vacancy or a ballot question, such as a school bond or a local option sales tax.
Local terms are four years, and most boards are staggered: about half the seats are up every two years, so a council always has experienced members. Results from county auditors appear on each place’s page on Funnel, usually within a few days.
Watching them work
Iowa’s open meetings law (Iowa Code chapter 21) covers every council, board of supervisors and school board:
- A meeting’s agenda has to be posted at least 24 hours ahead, and the board can only act on what’s on it.
- Anyone can attend. Most boards set aside time for public comment.
- A board can meet in closed session only for reasons the law lists, like a lawsuit, a property purchase or a personnel matter, and it has to vote in public to do it.
- Minutes are public, and so are most records under the public records law (chapter 22). If you think a board broke these rules, the Iowa Public Information Board handles complaints for free.
Check yourself
Pick an answer to see how you did. Nothing is saved.
1. Who collects the property tax that pays for your city and school district?
The city
Not quite. The county treasurer collects property tax for every government on your bill, then passes each one its share.
The county treasurer
Right. The county treasurer collects property tax for every government on your bill, then passes each one its share.
The state
Not quite. The county treasurer collects property tax for every government on your bill, then passes each one its share.
2. When are city council and school board members elected?
November of odd-numbered years
Right. City and school elections share one ballot in November of odd years. County, state and federal races are in even years.
November of even-numbered years
Not quite. City and school elections share one ballot in November of odd years. County, state and federal races are in even years.
Every June
Not quite. City and school elections share one ballot in November of odd years. County, state and federal races are in even years.
3. In Burlington, how does someone become mayor?
Voters elect the mayor on the ballot
Not quite. Burlington’s voters elect the council, and the council picks the mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves.
The council chooses the mayor from its own members
Right. Burlington’s voters elect the council, and the council picks the mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves.
The city manager appoints the mayor
Not quite. Burlington’s voters elect the council, and the council picks the mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves.
Next chapter
Property tax and local money →How your property tax bill is built, who sets each piece, and how schools are funded.