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Local taxes › Bremer County › Sumner

City

Sumner

Bremer County · How cities work

$2,940 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.96 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,250 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.83 per $1,000)
$1.0Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$4.4Mcity 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.

  • Dustin PierceSumner City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Isaac RichmondSumner City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Wayne H. MeyerSumner City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Brad GadeSumner City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Brian BockhausSumner Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • George HeyingSumner 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 Sumner

Homes and businesses in most of Sumner pay a combined $34.96 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Bremer County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.83. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.85$13.68
FY21$33.17$14.60
FY22–$14.71
FY23–$14.50
FY24$33.03$15.08
FY25–$15.29
FY26$34.00$15.03
FY27$34.96$14.83
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.85$13.68
FY21$33.17$14.60
FY22–$14.71
FY23–$14.50
FY24$33.03$15.08
FY25–$15.29
FY26$34.00$15.03
FY27$34.96$14.83

Compared with places this size3

Sumner’s city property tax rate of $14.83 per $1,000 is the 43rd highest of 104 Iowa cities with 1,400–3,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.18.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Kalona: $10.37Walcott: $10.29Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Walford: $8.72Fairfax: $8.10Sumner: $14.83$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 104
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Traer$19.561,547
9Corning$19.361,509
10Lake City$19.321,656
11Corydon$18.221,563
12Toledo$18.212,372
13La Porte City$18.082,267
14Tama$17.742,997
15Clarion$17.742,751
16Britt$17.722,001
17Missouri Valley$17.682,638
18Madrid$16.932,824
19Manson$16.871,646
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22West Union$16.602,435
23Audubon$16.522,008
24Roland$16.511,376
25Monona$16.411,462
26Grundy Center$16.362,821
27Belle Plaine$16.342,335
28Colfax$16.252,305
29Durant$16.241,798
30Lamoni$16.152,072
31Marengo$16.102,415
32Holstein$15.811,475
33State Center$15.801,403
34Pleasantville$15.801,696
35Postville$15.682,418
36Earlham$15.551,411
37Brooklyn$15.491,474
38Stuart$15.481,887
39Mount Ayr$15.321,616
40Granger$15.222,095
41Sigourney$15.201,974
42Guttenberg$15.191,804
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Lenox$14.651,355
47Manning$14.621,390
48Van Meter$14.601,840
49Rock Rapids$14.572,709
50Jesup$14.312,541
51Kingsley$14.251,394
52Urbana$14.201,635
53Parkersburg$14.151,986
54Hartley$14.111,584
55Ida Grove$14.101,988
56Woodward$14.051,383
57Guthrie Center$14.041,579
58Lake Mills$13.822,077
59Montezuma$13.791,421
60Gilbert$13.711,397
61Wilton$13.622,914
62Avoca$13.511,685
63Wapello$13.292,026
64Hudson$13.192,916
65Center Point$13.192,578
66Greenfield$13.131,988
67Hawarden$13.022,630
68Akron$12.931,545
69Leon$12.931,779
70Slater$12.791,626
71Bellevue$12.672,321
72Sanborn$12.621,463
73New London$12.561,853
74Lisbon$12.502,238
75Dallas Center$12.421,993
76Onawa$12.322,795
77Remsen$12.321,681
78Monroe$12.282,021
79Denver$12.271,955
80Alta$12.132,039
81Reinbeck$12.101,673
82Atkins$11.992,168
83Wellman$11.881,531
84Blue Grass$11.791,707
85Hull$11.792,459
86Columbus Junction$11.711,794
87Cascade$11.642,396
88West Branch$11.632,876
89Mitchellville$11.542,686
90Palo$11.491,554
91Prairie City$11.381,722
92Northwood$11.282,047
93Mediapolis$11.271,679
94Ely$11.082,371
95Ogden$10.991,970
96Farley$10.911,723
97Oakland$10.851,519
98Moville$10.671,707
99Kalona$10.372,762
100Walcott$10.291,556
101Peosta$9.822,195
102Epworth$9.422,042
103Walford$8.721,357
104Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Sumner’s general levy is $8.10 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, at the limit.4 247 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.21 · FY26 $7.97 · FY27 $8.10 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.73 more5

  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.77 · $189,789
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.51 · $171,810
  • Debt Service Levy$1.45 · $105,941

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$4.4M of taxable value in Sumner is in TIF districts’ increment (6% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $139,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$133,726

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 $58,963 of the city’s own.

  • Bremer County$20,803
YearTIF revenue
FY16$63,692
FY17$87,638
FY18$77,770
FY19$61,128
FY20$91,433
FY21$119,873
FY22$106,404
FY23$133,726
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$63,692
FY17$87,638
FY18$77,770
FY19$61,128
FY20$91,433
FY21$119,873
FY22$106,404
FY23$133,726

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$554,88654%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$189,78919%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$171,81017%
  • Debt Service Levy$105,94110%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Sumner’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 72¢ of every dollar72¢Business Type / Enterprise: 10¢ of every dollar10¢General Government: 4¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 4¢ of every dollarCulture and Recreation: 4¢ of every dollarEverything else: 6¢ of every dollar

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 103 Iowa cities closest in size (1,400–3,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (103)
Capital Projects72¢14¢
Business Type / Enterprise10¢41¢
General Government4¢6¢
Debt Service4¢6¢
Culture and Recreation4¢8¢
Everything else6¢25¢

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$2.4M55%
  • Culture and Recreation$566,26713%
  • General Government$491,90011%
  • Debt Service$355,7508%
  • Public Safety$310,0507%
  • Public Works$230,1505%
  • Community and Economic Development$4,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.0M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$2.0M$849,130
Public Safety$364,450$389,543
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$397,550$393,523
Debt Service$337,565$338,765
Culture and Recreation$384,900$575,838
Community and Economic Development$37,000$143,233
Capital Projects$187,000$389,248
Business Type / Enterprise$1.3M$1.2M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$7.9M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Sumner owes

$6.7M at June 30, 2026: $3,285 per resident. 253rd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$6.7M
$6.7M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$6.7M$3,285
2025$6.7M$3,301
2024$5.2M$2,561
2023$4.9M$2,419
2022$5.3M$2,633
2021$5.9M$2,903
2020$6.4M$3,128
2019$2.8M$1,397
2018$3.2M$1,560
2017$2.5M$1,250
2016$2.2M$1,100
2015$1.8M$900
2014$2.0M$1,006
2013$2.3M$1,137
2012$2.1M$1,055
2011$2.6M$1,291
2010$3.0M$1,474
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$6.7M$3,285
2025$6.7M$3,301
2024$5.2M$2,561
2023$4.9M$2,419
2022$5.3M$2,633
2021$5.9M$2,903
2020$6.4M$3,128
2019$2.8M$1,397
2018$3.2M$1,560
2017$2.5M$1,250
2016$2.2M$1,100
2015$1.8M$900
2014$2.0M$1,006
2013$2.3M$1,137
2012$2.1M$1,055
2011$2.6M$1,291
2010$3.0M$1,474

Up 123% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.7M, 38% of the limit of about $7.2M (5% of $144.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

8 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsSF44 Wastewater treatment plant and lift stations upgrades2044$2.7M
General ObligationUrban Renewal Bond Series 2020A Detention Basins2034$1.2M
Revenue BondsWA39 Water hwy 93 infrastructure project2039$797,000
General ObligationSumner Municipal Light Plant had severe flood damage in July of 2017. City borrowed money and loaned to SMLP to help stabilize electrical service.2037$550,000
General ObligationGO34 Stormwater Walnut St project flood mitigation and Road Use Bridge projects2034$492,000
General ObligationGO Bond 2020B Detetion Basins2033$450,000
Revenue BondsSF36 Waste water treatment plant upgrade II.2036$402,000
Revenue BondsSRF WATER P&D2026$90,000

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. Sumner’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 Tuesday, March 31, 2026, by a CPA firm.

The report has no Schedule of Findings Iowa Funnel could read.

16 earlier reports for Sumner

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: $288,299 in FY25, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$280,564$279,351$286,743$288,299

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.

$2.2M
  • FEMA 4557$2.1M95%
  • SMLP DEBT PAYMENT$50,0002%
  • Iowa DOT projects$45,4642%
  • State grants$12,7211%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$13,310
FY20$643,134
FY21$205,620
FY22$225,210
FY23$393,719
FY24$1.4M
FY25$2.2M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$13,310
FY20$643,134
FY21$205,620
FY22$225,210
FY23$393,719
FY24$1.4M
FY25$2.2M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$261,989 → $288,299, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% 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 39% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% more.

$288,782
$282,089

Federal grants, for comparison: $45,121 in FY22.

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 · 1

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Sumner; 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.

  • Sumner City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Brad Gade, George Heying
  • Sumner Mayor
    Now held by Brian Bockhaus

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

Sandy Salmon (Sen. 29)Charley Thomson (Rep. 58)

U.S. House:District 2

Bremer CountySumner schools