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Local taxes › Allamakee County › Waukon

City

Waukon

Allamakee County · How cities work

$2,940 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.86 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,240 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.76 per $1,000)
$2.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.6Mcity 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.

  • Arvid HatlanWaukon Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Cassie CahoonWaukon City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Stephen WiednerWaukon City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tim SmedsrudWaukon City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • John LydonWaukon City Council Ward 2 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Nicholas EngravWaukon 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 Waukon

Homes and businesses in most of Waukon pay a combined $34.86 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Allamakee County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.76. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Waukon$14.7642%
  • Allamakee schools$10.5730%
  • Allamakee County$6.4519%
  • Allamakee County Veterans Memorial Hospital$1.213%
  • Northeast Iowa Community College$1.043%
  • Allamakee County Assessor$0.562%
  • Allamakee County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.27<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$32.85$14.53
FY21$33.04$14.74
FY22–$14.80
FY23–$15.00
FY24$35.03$15.49
FY25–$15.00
FY26$35.94$15.50
FY27$34.86$14.76
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$32.85$14.53
FY21$33.04$14.74
FY22–$14.80
FY23–$15.00
FY24$35.03$15.49
FY25–$15.00
FY26$35.94$15.50
FY27$34.86$14.76

Compared with places this size3

Waukon’s city property tax rate of $14.76 per $1,000 is the 33rd highest of 67 Iowa cities with 2,500–5,600 people. The middle of the group is $14.57.

Eldora: $26.87Red Oak: $20.65Bloomfield: $20.41Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Missouri Valley: $17.68Clarinda: $17.25Madrid: $16.93Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Grundy Center: $16.36Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Forest City: $15.77Tipton: $15.54Sheldon: $15.33Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Jesup: $14.31Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Onawa: $12.32Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Waukon: $14.76$8.00 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 67
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Red Oak$20.655,420
3Bloomfield$20.412,773
4Sibley$19.772,787
5Albia$19.703,579
6Eagle Grove$19.323,615
7Iowa Falls$18.864,993
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Tama$17.742,997
11Clarion$17.742,751
12Missouri Valley$17.682,638
13Clarinda$17.255,334
14Madrid$16.932,824
15Centerville$16.855,345
16Algona$16.755,341
17Grundy Center$16.362,821
18Vinton$16.254,962
19Winterset$16.155,421
20Cresco$16.133,890
21Humboldt$16.004,774
22Forest City$15.774,199
23Tipton$15.543,059
24Sheldon$15.335,584
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Manchester$14.965,283
28Jefferson$14.884,148
29Hampton$14.864,340
30Carlisle$14.824,381
31Cherokee$14.825,186
32Glenwood$14.775,250
33Waukon$14.763,799
34Rock Rapids$14.572,709
35Monticello$14.494,095
36Osceola$14.375,585
37Jesup$14.312,541
38Windsor Heights$14.305,106
39Osage$14.293,559
40Rock Valley$13.764,024
41Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
42Emmetsburg$13.703,632
43Wilton$13.622,914
44Mount Vernon$13.504,518
45New Hampton$13.443,433
46Hudson$13.192,916
47Center Point$13.192,578
48Hawarden$13.022,630
49Garner$12.863,049
50Camanche$12.754,536
51Le Claire$12.644,776
52Milford$12.573,258
53Onawa$12.322,795
54Huxley$11.684,737
55West Branch$11.632,876
56Mitchellville$11.542,686
57Solon$11.533,284
58Williamsburg$11.113,380
59Carter Lake$10.673,752
60Story City$10.393,439
61Kalona$10.372,762
62Dyersville$10.274,559
63Spirit Lake$10.175,548
64West Burlington$10.153,249
65Robins$9.683,362
66Fairfax$8.102,937
67Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Waukon’s general levy is $7.81 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.29 below the limit.4 693 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $8.05 · FY27 $7.81 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.95 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.51 · $565,409
  • Debt Service Levy$1.99 · $353,750
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.44 · $232,689

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$16.5M of taxable value in Waukon is in TIF districts’ increment (9% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $654,730 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$610,325
$595,816

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 $211,079 of the city’s own.

  • Allamakee schools$105,894
  • Allamakee County$102,068
YearTIF revenue
FY16$461,933
FY17$436,661
FY18$469,245
FY19$525,937
FY20$610,325
FY21$608,997
FY22$483,780
FY23$595,816
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$461,933
FY17$436,661
FY18$469,245
FY19$525,937
FY20$610,325
FY21$608,997
FY22$483,780
FY23$595,816

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$1.3M52%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$565,40923%
  • Debt Service Levy$353,75015%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$232,68910%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Waukon’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Culture and Recreation: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Works: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Safety: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Everything else: 17¢ of every dollar17¢

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 66 Iowa cities closest in size (2,500–5,600 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (66)
Business Type / Enterprise26¢38¢
Culture and Recreation16¢8¢
Public Works16¢9¢
Public Safety15¢13¢
Debt Service11¢8¢
Everything else17¢24¢

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.

  • Culture and Recreation$1.3M21%
  • Public Safety$1.3M19%
  • Public Works$1.2M19%
  • Capital Projects$1.2M18%
  • Debt Service$679,45610%
  • General Government$632,58210%
  • Community and Economic Development$199,5213%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.1M$1.2M
Public Safety$856,405$952,870
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$472,779$481,661
Debt Service$879,942$1.1M
Culture and Recreation$1.1M$1.2M
Community and Economic Development$233,370$152,104
Capital Projects$3.2M$3.3M
Business Type / Enterprise$3.1M$13.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$21.7M
$11.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Waukon owes

$15.2M at June 30, 2026: $3,974 per resident. 183rd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$21.3M
$15.2M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$15.2M$3,974
2025$16.6M$4,340
2024$18.2M$4,743
2023$19.6M$5,131
2022$21.3M$5,554
2021$16.5M$4,312
2020$13.5M$3,540
2019$7.5M$1,959
2018$7.3M$1,899
2017$7.6M$1,996
2016$6.8M$1,765
2015$7.0M$1,839
2014$6.7M$1,763
2013$7.0M$1,827
2012$7.5M$1,953
2011$6.3M$1,646
2010$4.8M$1,242
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$15.2M$3,974
2025$16.6M$4,340
2024$18.2M$4,743
2023$19.6M$5,131
2022$21.3M$5,554
2021$16.5M$4,312
2020$13.5M$3,540
2019$7.5M$1,959
2018$7.3M$1,899
2017$7.6M$1,996
2016$6.8M$1,765
2015$7.0M$1,839
2014$6.7M$1,763
2013$7.0M$1,827
2012$7.5M$1,953
2011$6.3M$1,646
2010$4.8M$1,242

Up 220% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $6.0M, 39% of the limit of about $15.4M (5% of $308.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

6 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Plant- State Revolving Fund2039$7.9M
General ObligationStreet Improvements2041$3.2M
General ObligationStreet Projects (supported by TIF Revenues)2034$1.8M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation- Corporate Purpose & Refunding Street Improvement; Municipal Facility Improvement; Refunding2031$1.0M
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Plant- State Revolving Fund2040$805,000
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Plant- State Revolving Fund2041$589,000

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. Waukon’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Friday, March 20, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Waukon

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: $707,966 in FY25, up 26% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 1% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$530,766$527,025$540,574$543,508
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$55,104$29,899$156,610$164,458

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.

$209,851
$10,000
  • State grants$10,000100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$2,973
FY20$2,919
FY21$2,953
FY22$59,741
FY23$209,851
FY24$2,751
FY25$10,000
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$2,973
FY20$2,919
FY21$2,953
FY22$59,741
FY23$209,851
FY24$2,751
FY25$10,000

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−14%$503,437 → $543,508, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+130%$56,968 → $164,458, up 189% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 130% more

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 45% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% more.

$538,606

Federal grants, for comparison: $59,126 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2011 worth $672K, for 84 pledged jobs.

Awards 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 3, 2026

Ballot measures · 1

Passed Yes 83.0% (1,118) · No 17.0% (229)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Waukon; 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.

  • Waukon City Council At-Large
    Now held by Nicholas Engrav
  • Waukon City Council Ward 2
    Now held by John Lydon
  • Waukon Mayor
    Now held by Arvid Hatlan

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

Past ballot measures

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

Mike Klimesh (Sen. 32)Jason Gearhart (Rep. 64)

U.S. House:District 2

Allamakee CountyAllamakee schools