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Local taxes › Adair County › Adair

City

Adair

Adair County · How cities work

$3,060 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.38 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,420 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.84 per $1,000)
$503,394property taxes the city levies, FY27
$3.3Mcity budget, FY27, without city-run utilities (not yet reported)2

Who runs it

The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.

  • Joanne ByarsAdair Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Paul GettlerAdair City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Ronald WheatleyAdair City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jade IrlmeierAdair City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Renee JensenAdair City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Shannon Mullen HausAdair City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023

Officials are worked out from election results: every member whose four-year term is still running, plus appointments and titles Iowa Funnel has been told about. A resignation may not show yet.

Meetings and agendas

What the council is deciding: each agenda, the resolutions and ordinances on it, and a plain-language summary.

Iowa Funnel doesn’t read this city’s agendas yet. Every council and board posts its agenda at least 24 hours before it meets.

Property taxes

How the bill is collected · What each levy is for

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Adair

Homes and businesses in most of Adair pay a combined $36.38 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Adair County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $16.84. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Adair$16.8446%
  • Adair-Casey schools$9.7527%
  • Adair County$5.0914%
  • Adair County Memorial Hospital$3.229%
  • Des Moines Area Community College$0.812%
  • Adair County Assessor$0.371%
  • Adair County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.30<1%

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Adair pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.83$14.83
FY21$36.57$15.54
FY22$35.95$15.55
FY23$35.96$15.55
FY24$37.45$17.17
FY25$37.65$17.84
FY26$37.51$17.84
FY27$36.38$16.84
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.83$14.83
FY21$36.57$15.54
FY22$35.95$15.55
FY23$35.96$15.55
FY24$37.45$17.17
FY25$37.65$17.84
FY26$37.51$17.84
FY27$36.38$16.84

Compared with places this size3

Adair’s city property tax rate of $16.84 per $1,000 is the 24th highest of 181 Iowa cities with 530–1,200 people. The middle of the group is $12.78.

Exira: $24.81Dayton: $22.51Correctionville: $19.84Villisca: $19.74Allison: $19.06Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Greene: $17.91Alden: $17.90New Hartford: $17.69Lansing: $17.67Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Eddyville: $16.82Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Buffalo Center: $16.58Bancroft: $16.52Eldon: $16.42Early: $16.35Aplington: $16.34Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Armstrong: $15.87Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Newell: $15.49Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Gilbertville: $15.15Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Griswold: $15.01Readlyn: $14.99Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Dunlap: $14.56Garnavillo: $14.52Maxwell: $14.50Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Primghar: $14.18Sheffield: $14.16Elgin: $14.05Ossian: $13.88Redfield: $13.73Victor: $13.72Edgewood: $13.64Sioux Rapids: $13.63Donnellson: $13.63Gladbrook: $13.58Rockford: $13.52Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Boyden: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Anita: $13.28Van Horne: $13.27Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Coggon: $12.99Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85Malvern: $12.79Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Wellsburg: $12.68Buffalo: $12.68Delmar: $12.68Badger: $12.67Stanton: $12.62Hospers: $12.58Everly: $12.51Hazleton: $12.48West Point: $12.39Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Alburnett: $12.30Hubbard: $12.30Moravia: $12.27Hedrick: $12.22Carson: $12.22Wheatland: $12.18Schaller: $12.14Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Afton: $11.96Lowden: $11.93Tabor: $11.88Albert City: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Merrill: $11.64Morning Sun: $11.50Battle Creek: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43West Bend: $11.42Dakota City: $11.39Marcus: $11.31Dunkerton: $11.30Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Whiting: $11.21Shelby: $11.17University Heights: $11.12Blairstown: $11.04Manilla: $11.01Hamburg: $10.95Clarence: $10.94Ireton: $10.93Fontanelle: $10.88Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Cambridge: $10.53Swisher: $10.39Schleswig: $10.39Melbourne: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Elk Run Heights: $10.33Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Ventura: $10.22Inwood: $10.22Milo: $10.20Hartford: $10.16What Cheer: $10.01Newhall: $9.99Graettinger: $9.81Doon: $9.78Long Grove: $9.59Lake View: $9.39Paullina: $9.21Fairbank: $9.00Winthrop: $8.94Crescent: $8.72Keosauqua: $8.58Grand Junction: $8.57Princeton: $8.24Gilman: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lakeside: $8.10Riverside: $8.02Agency: $7.94Hills: $7.94Fremont: $7.86Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Raymond: $6.85Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79Okoboji: $3.83Adair: $16.84$3.83 lowest$24.81 highestmiddle
See all 181
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Exira$24.81766
2Dayton$22.51766
3Correctionville$19.84759
4Villisca$19.741,106
5Allison$19.06937
6Dumont$19.04614
7Seymour$18.78646
8Dexter$18.69631
9Fonda$18.52636
10Kanawha$18.11638
11Swea City$18.04545
12Greene$17.91971
13Alden$17.90738
14New Hartford$17.69555
15Lansing$17.67959
16Strawberry Point$17.581,141
17Rockwell$17.541,044
18Walnut$17.46728
19Murray$17.44609
20Gowrie$17.17943
21Colo$17.14856
22Mapleton$16.901,114
23George$16.891,106
24Adair$16.84792
25Eddyville$16.82965
26Elk Horn$16.78631
27Oxford$16.70715
28Buffalo Center$16.58839
29Bancroft$16.52677
30Eldon$16.42788
31Early$16.35571
32Aplington$16.341,088
33Panora$16.141,096
34Mechanicsville$16.12974
35Armstrong$15.87847
36Ruthven$15.84710
37Minden$15.77581
38Walker$15.74671
39Newell$15.49850
40Riceville$15.31807
41Neola$15.30917
42Sidney$15.191,048
43Gilbertville$15.15792
44Stanwood$15.12612
45Stratford$15.03688
46Griswold$15.01975
47Readlyn$14.99857
48Hopkinton$14.79622
49Essex$14.76721
50Dunlap$14.561,030
51Garnavillo$14.52751
52Maxwell$14.50862
53Clermont$14.30571
54Moulton$14.25596
55Mcgregor$14.20725
56Olin$14.19652
57Primghar$14.18893
58Sheffield$14.161,123
59Elgin$14.05676
60Ossian$13.88777
61Redfield$13.73719
62Victor$13.72852
63Edgewood$13.64908
64Sioux Rapids$13.63722
65Donnellson$13.63859
66Gladbrook$13.58775
67Rockford$13.52722
68Janesville$13.431,052
69Glidden$13.431,140
70Calmar$13.391,100
71Boyden$13.39694
72Baxter$13.32983
73Anita$13.28953
74Van Horne$13.27768
75Conrad$13.231,098
76Springville$13.221,161
77Keota$13.21888
78Shellsburg$13.20987
79De Soto$13.18937
80Quasqueton$13.12587
81Farmington$13.10583
82Anthon$13.05534
83Treynor$13.031,104
84Odebolt$13.00967
85Coggon$12.99691
86Earlville$12.90713
87Brighton$12.88592
88Danville$12.87910
89Underwood$12.85973
90Malvern$12.791,056
91Montrose$12.78734
92Goldfield$12.73617
93Wellsburg$12.68709
94Buffalo$12.681,163
95Delmar$12.68541
96Badger$12.67540
97Stanton$12.62664
98Hospers$12.58703
99Everly$12.51570
100Hazleton$12.48711
101West Point$12.39903
102Hinton$12.38959
103Preston$12.38940
104Alburnett$12.30672
105Hubbard$12.30837
106Moravia$12.27625
107Hedrick$12.22717
108Carson$12.22772
109Wheatland$12.18765
110Schaller$12.14702
111Winfield$12.041,006
112Elkhart$12.001,079
113Afton$11.96864
114Lowden$11.93767
115Tabor$11.88983
116Albert City$11.88627
117Aurelia$11.84970
118Merrill$11.64713
119Morning Sun$11.50702
120Battle Creek$11.49683
121Wall Lake$11.43739
122West Bend$11.42770
123Dakota City$11.39764
124Marcus$11.311,069
125Dunkerton$11.30840
126Sutherland$11.25628
127Arcadia$11.23588
128Whiting$11.21725
129Shelby$11.17730
130University Heights$11.121,188
131Blairstown$11.04705
132Manilla$11.01756
133Hamburg$10.95863
134Clarence$10.94991
135Ireton$10.93571
136Fontanelle$10.88684
137Richland$10.82532
138Grand Mound$10.78608
139Cambridge$10.53844
140Swisher$10.39909
141Schleswig$10.39820
142Melbourne$10.38771
143Radcliffe$10.37540
144Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
145Fredericksburg$10.27983
146Lake Park$10.251,155
147Ventura$10.22701
148Inwood$10.22962
149Milo$10.20762
150Hartford$10.16729
151What Cheer$10.01595
152Newhall$9.99887
153Graettinger$9.81810
154Doon$9.78640
155Long Grove$9.59849
156Lake View$9.391,120
157Paullina$9.21979
158Fairbank$9.001,133
159Winthrop$8.94814
160Crescent$8.72626
161Keosauqua$8.58944
162Grand Junction$8.57715
163Princeton$8.24917
164Gilman$8.10530
165Kellogg$8.10597
166Lakeside$8.10695
167Riverside$8.021,063
168Agency$7.94623
169Hills$7.94911
170Fremont$7.86688
171Larchwood$7.52954
172North English$7.491,030
173Sloan$7.491,078
174Sully$7.41891
175Fruitland$7.21928
176Lawton$7.10949
177Wayland$7.07935
178Raymond$6.85754
179Keystone$6.80616
180Shueyville$6.79725
181Okoboji$3.83729

The $8.10 limit

Adair’s general levy is $7.64 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.46 below the limit.4 761 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.10 · FY26 $7.86 · FY27 $7.64 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $9.21 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$4.01 · $185,371
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$3.61 · $88,679
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.59 · $39,095

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$21.7M of taxable value in Adair is in TIF districts’ increment (46% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $773,209 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$433,120

What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY277

Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $278,277 of the city’s own.

  • Adair County$109,233
  • Adair Casey schools$20,134
YearTIF revenue
FY16$111,566
FY17$118,339
FY18$132,439
FY19$174,769
FY20$188,622
FY21$250,322
FY22$269,411
FY23$433,120
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$111,566
FY17$118,339
FY18$132,439
FY19$174,769
FY20$188,622
FY21$250,322
FY22$269,411
FY23$433,120

The city’s levies, FY27

What the city raises from each levy. The general levy is capped by state law; the others are set aside for one purpose.

  • Consolidate General Fund$187,62037%
  • Debt Service Levy$185,37137%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$88,67918%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$39,0958%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Adair’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 55¢ of every dollar55¢Public Works: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Debt Service: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Business Type / Enterprise: 10¢ of every dollar10¢General Government: 7¢ of every dollarEverything else: 9¢ of every dollar9¢

Planned spending from all funds, including city-run utilities like water and sewer (“business type”), which some cities run and others don’t. Transfers between funds are left out. “Cities this size” is the average for the 180 Iowa cities closest in size (530–1,200 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (180)
Capital Projects55¢8¢
Public Works10¢16¢
Debt Service10¢6¢
Business Type / Enterprise10¢40¢
General Government7¢10¢
Everything else9¢20¢

Planned spending, FY27

All funds: property taxes, utility and other fees, state and federal money. “Business type” is city-run utilities and enterprises like water or sewer.

  • Capital Projects$1.4M44%
  • Debt Service$769,66723%
  • Public Works$434,27713%
  • General Government$295,7299%
  • Public Safety$241,0427%
  • Culture and Recreation$88,1503%
  • Community and Economic Development$31,5001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($398,968 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$415,410$865,874
Public Safety$168,896$293,858
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$208,075$255,670
Debt Service$268,098$0
Culture and Recreation$76,950$1.1M
Community and Economic Development$27,000$1.0M
Capital Projects$3.5M$2.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$357,230$538,540

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$6.5M
$3.7M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Adair owes

$7.1M at June 30, 2026: $9,004 per resident. 23rd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$7.1M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$7.1M$9,004
2025$5.6M$7,029
2024$5.4M$6,793
2023$5.7M$7,207
2022$3.8M$4,797
2021$4.2M$5,254
2020$3.6M$4,500
2019$3.4M$4,315
2018$2.0M$2,589
2017$2.2M$2,766
2016$2.3M$2,913
2015$1.6M$2,059
2014$876,828$1,109
2013$1.1M$1,394
2012$1.8M$2,310
2011$2.0M$2,477
2010$1.1M$1,332
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$7.1M$9,004
2025$5.6M$7,029
2024$5.4M$6,793
2023$5.7M$7,207
2022$3.8M$4,797
2021$4.2M$5,254
2020$3.6M$4,500
2019$3.4M$4,315
2018$2.0M$2,589
2017$2.2M$2,766
2016$2.3M$2,913
2015$1.6M$2,059
2014$876,828$1,109
2013$1.1M$1,394
2012$1.8M$2,310
2011$2.0M$2,477
2010$1.1M$1,332

Up 576% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $3.1M, 82% of the limit of about $3.8M (5% of $75.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

10 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationStreet Loan2035$2.3M
Revenue BondsUSDA WATER LOAN2062$1.9M
Revenue BondsWater Project2060$1.6M
General ObligationCommunity Center2033$300,816
Revenue BondsUSDA WATER LOAN2062$277,782
General ObligationAdair Street2030$268,000
General ObligationBridge2032$225,000
Revenue BondsBridge2032$135,000
Revenue BondsSRF LOAN C036CR - 2010 SEWER PROJECT2029$127,000
General ObligationPOLICE VEHICLE2028$15,677

General obligation bonds are repaid from property taxes; revenue bonds and loans from the fees or revenue they’re tied to. On the Treasurer’s site

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances11. Adair’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF), released Wednesday, April 3, 2024, by a CPA firm.

12 earlier reports for Adair

State money

What the State of Iowa pays the city each year, and whether it has kept up with prices. Does state money keep pace? 13

What the state pays the city every year

Road Use Tax for streets, the commercial and industrial tax “backfill”, and ambulance reimbursement, paid every year by formula: $112,337 in FY25, up 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 20% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$109,094$108,851$111,731$112,337
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$32,459–$7,892–

Grants and project money

State grants and money for specific projects (roads, development, natural resources) vary with what the city applies for and wins, so they aren’t counted as the state’s regular support.

$806,827
$26,505
  • State grants$25,50596%
  • CEBA grants$1,0004%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$806,827
FY20$315,616
FY21$143,083
FY22$153,305
FY23$71,720
FY24$115,000
FY25$26,505
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$806,827
FY20$315,616
FY21$143,083
FY22$153,305
FY23$71,720
FY24$115,000
FY25$26,505

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$100,894 → $112,337, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less

Collected by the state for the city

The local option sales tax is a city tax voters approved; the state collects it with the state sales tax and sends it back. It isn’t state aid. It’s up 68% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 34% more.

$183,879

Federal grants, for comparison: $195,941 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 days.

For the Tuesday, November 2, 2027 election, candidates file Monday, August 23, 2027 to Thursday, September 16, 2027 with the county auditor (or the city clerk, if the auditor names the clerk to take them)14.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Adair; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Who has filed for Tuesday, November 2, 2027

Filing hasn’t opened. These seats are expected on the ballot.

  • Adair City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Renee Jensen, Shannon Mullen Haus, Jade Irlmeier
  • Adair Mayor
    Now held by Joanne Byars

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.

Past ballot measures

None found since 2022.

When a measure can be on the ballot

  • Tuesday, March 2, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
  • Tuesday, September 14, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
  • Tuesday, November 2, 2027 · any question, including bonds
  • Tuesday, March 7, 2028 · no bond or debt questions

Bonds and other borrowing can only go on the November ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

Amy Sinclair (Sen. 12)Ray Sorensen (Rep. 23)

U.S. House:District 3

Adair CountyAdair-Casey schools