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Local taxes › Buchanan County › Jesup

City

Jesup

Buchanan County · How cities work

$3,300 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($39.16 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,210 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.31 per $1,000)
$1.7Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.7Mcity 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.

  • Cindy GosseJesup City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Dennis BellJesup City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • James MastellerJesup Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Merritt JonesJesup City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Craig WrightJesup 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 Jesup

Homes and businesses in most of Jesup pay a combined $39.16 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Buchanan County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.31. Estimate your bill.

  • Jesup schools$14.8738%
  • City of Jesup$14.3137%
  • Buchanan County$6.8017%
  • Hawkeye Community College$1.363%
  • Buchanan People'S Memorial Hospital$1.083%
  • Buchanan County Assessor$0.541%
  • Buchanan County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.21<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.92$14.43
FY21$38.50$14.62
FY22$38.11$14.44
FY23$37.48$14.43
FY24$38.30$14.42
FY25$38.33$14.37
FY26$38.58$14.43
FY27$39.16$14.31
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.92$14.43
FY21$38.50$14.62
FY22$38.11$14.44
FY23$37.48$14.43
FY24$38.30$14.42
FY25$38.33$14.37
FY26$38.58$14.43
FY27$39.16$14.31

Compared with places this size3

Jesup’s city property tax rate of $14.31 per $1,000 is the 38th highest of 84 Iowa cities with 1,700–3,800 people. The middle of the group is $13.76.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Sac City: $19.69Eagle Grove: $19.32West Liberty: $18.68Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Stuart: $15.48Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Waukon: $14.76Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Osage: $14.29Parkersburg: $14.15Ida Grove: $14.10Lake Mills: $13.82Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62New Hampton: $13.44Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Leon: $12.93Garner: $12.86Bellevue: $12.67Milford: $12.57New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Atkins: $11.99Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Williamsburg: $11.11Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Moville: $10.67Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37West Burlington: $10.15Peosta: $9.82Robins: $9.68Epworth: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Jesup: $14.31$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 84
#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
7Albia$19.703,579
8Sac City$19.691,992
9Eagle Grove$19.323,615
10West Liberty$18.683,724
11Toledo$18.212,372
12La Porte City$18.082,267
13Tama$17.742,997
14Clarion$17.742,751
15Britt$17.722,001
16Missouri Valley$17.682,638
17Madrid$16.932,824
18West Union$16.602,435
19Audubon$16.522,008
20Grundy Center$16.362,821
21Belle Plaine$16.342,335
22Colfax$16.252,305
23Durant$16.241,798
24Lamoni$16.152,072
25Marengo$16.102,415
26Pleasantville$15.801,696
27Postville$15.682,418
28Tipton$15.543,059
29Stuart$15.481,887
30Granger$15.222,095
31Sigourney$15.201,974
32Guttenberg$15.191,804
33Sumner$14.832,032
34Woodbine$14.801,707
35Waukon$14.763,799
36Van Meter$14.601,840
37Rock Rapids$14.572,709
38Jesup$14.312,541
39Osage$14.293,559
40Parkersburg$14.151,986
41Ida Grove$14.101,988
42Lake Mills$13.822,077
43Emmetsburg$13.703,632
44Wilton$13.622,914
45New Hampton$13.443,433
46Wapello$13.292,026
47Hudson$13.192,916
48Center Point$13.192,578
49Greenfield$13.131,988
50Hawarden$13.022,630
51Leon$12.931,779
52Garner$12.863,049
53Bellevue$12.672,321
54Milford$12.573,258
55New London$12.561,853
56Lisbon$12.502,238
57Dallas Center$12.421,993
58Onawa$12.322,795
59Monroe$12.282,021
60Denver$12.271,955
61Alta$12.132,039
62Atkins$11.992,168
63Blue Grass$11.791,707
64Hull$11.792,459
65Columbus Junction$11.711,794
66Cascade$11.642,396
67West Branch$11.632,876
68Mitchellville$11.542,686
69Solon$11.533,284
70Prairie City$11.381,722
71Northwood$11.282,047
72Williamsburg$11.113,380
73Ely$11.082,371
74Ogden$10.991,970
75Farley$10.911,723
76Moville$10.671,707
77Carter Lake$10.673,752
78Story City$10.393,439
79Kalona$10.372,762
80West Burlington$10.153,249
81Peosta$9.822,195
82Robins$9.683,362
83Epworth$9.422,042
84Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Jesup’s general levy is $8.22 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.12 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 139 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.47 · FY26 $8.47 · FY27 $8.22 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.09 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$3.24 · $397,901
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.09 · $247,416
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.76 · $90,230

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$4.0M of taxable value in Jesup is in TIF districts’ increment (3% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $67,111 in TIF revenue for FY25.

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 $44,100 of the city’s own.

  • Jesup schools$42,468
  • Buchanan County$15,729
  • Black Hawk County$7,650
YearTIF revenue
FY22$5,412
FY23$33,695
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY22$5,412
FY23$33,695

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$975,30057%
  • Debt Service Levy$397,90123%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$247,41614%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$90,2305%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Jesup’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 40¢ of every dollar40¢Business Type / Enterprise: 18¢ of every dollar18¢Public Safety: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Debt Service: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Public Works: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Everything 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 83 Iowa cities closest in size (1,700–3,800 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (83)
Capital Projects40¢14¢
Business Type / Enterprise18¢39¢
Public Safety13¢13¢
Debt Service10¢7¢
Public Works9¢11¢
Everything else9¢17¢

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.

  • Public Safety$825,04431%
  • Public Works$668,07125%
  • Debt Service$401,18015%
  • Culture and Recreation$316,77512%
  • General Government$255,01310%
  • Capital Projects$116,5624%
  • Community and Economic Development$81,7433%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$559,529$476,647
Public Safety$703,268$966,579
Health and Social Services$1,900$1,900
General Government$201,395$204,168
Debt Service$350,367$463,336
Culture and Recreation$267,559$323,537
Community and Economic Development$17,775$22,538
Capital Projects$11.8M$6.8M
Business Type / Enterprise$805,034$581,221

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$9.8M
$5.2M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Jesup owes

$12.6M at June 30, 2026: $5,040 per resident. 128th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$12.8M
$12.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$12.6M$5,040
2025$11.5M$4,594
2024$11.9M$4,726
2023$12.4M$4,953
2022$12.8M$5,099
2021$2.6M$1,021
2020$3.2M$1,262
2019$3.6M$1,445
2018$4.1M$1,643
2017$4.6M$1,834
2016$3.7M$1,490
2015$2.8M$1,118
2014$2.9M$1,154
2013$3.4M$1,360
2012$3.2M$1,272
2011$3.8M$1,509
2010$2.0M$797
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$12.6M$5,040
2025$11.5M$4,594
2024$11.9M$4,726
2023$12.4M$4,953
2022$12.8M$5,099
2021$2.6M$1,021
2020$3.2M$1,262
2019$3.6M$1,445
2018$4.1M$1,643
2017$4.6M$1,834
2016$3.7M$1,490
2015$2.8M$1,118
2014$2.9M$1,154
2013$3.4M$1,360
2012$3.2M$1,272
2011$3.8M$1,509
2010$2.0M$797

Up 532% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.9M, 25% of the limit of about $11.6M (5% of $231.1M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

4 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsConstruction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant2043$8.7M
General ObligationReconstruction of Prospect, Hopkins, and Ainsworth Streets, sanitary sewer, water mains, concrete streets2035$1.9M
Revenue BondsThis is for funding a new Emergency Services Facility and refinancing the City Hall bond.2037$1.0M
General ObligationReconstruciton of 8th and Young Streets, new sanitary sewer mains,manholes,new water main, storm sewer, curb and gutter2032$975,000

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. Jesup’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, December 9, 2025, by the Auditor of State.

16 earlier reports for Jesup

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: $420,062 in FY25, up 19% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 5% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$346,989$345,129$354,262$356,184
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$25,888$22,652$64,182$63,878

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.

$22,471
$2,374
  • State grants$2,374100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$4,195
FY20$22,471
FY21$7,349
FY22$2,364
FY23$17,558
FY24$2,500
FY25$2,374
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$4,195
FY20$22,471
FY21$7,349
FY22$2,364
FY23$17,558
FY24$2,500
FY25$2,374

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−13%$325,548 → $356,184, up 9% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 13% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+89%$26,917 → $63,878, up 137% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 89% 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 46% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% more.

$346,073
$337,329

Federal grants, for comparison: $219,358 in FY23.

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 · 3

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Jesup; 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.

  • Jesup City Council At-Large
    Now held by Craig Wright
  • Jesup Mayor
    Now held by James Masteller

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

Dan Zumbach (Sen. 34)Chad Ingels (Rep. 68)

U.S. House:District 2

Buchanan CountyJesup schools