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Local taxes › Buena Vista County › Storm Lake

City

Storm Lake

Buena Vista County · How cities work

$3,770 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($44.73 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,280 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.17 per $1,000)
$5.7Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$18.3Mcity 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.

  • Don Piercy Jr.Storm Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Margaret MartinezStorm Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Meg McKeonStorm Lake Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Richard RinerStorm Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kevin E. McKinneyStorm Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Margaret J. McKeonStorm Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Maria Clarivel RamosStorm Lake 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.

Agendas will appear here as they’re posted. 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 Storm Lake

Homes and businesses in most of Storm Lake pay a combined $44.73 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Buena Vista County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $15.17. Estimate your bill.

  • Storm Lake schools$19.1043%
  • City of Storm Lake$15.1734%
  • Buena Vista County$7.3616%
  • Iowa Central Community College$1.574%
  • Buena Vista County Assessor$0.601%
  • Buena Vista Regional Medical Center$0.42<1%
  • Hayes-Storm Lake Cemetery$0.32<1%
  • Buena Vista County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.19<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.20$13.84
FY21$40.56$13.77
FY22$40.31$13.74
FY23$39.99$13.61
FY24$40.84$13.41
FY25$41.19$13.60
FY26$43.95$15.17
FY27$44.73$15.17
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.20$13.84
FY21$40.56$13.77
FY22$40.31$13.74
FY23$39.99$13.61
FY24$40.84$13.41
FY25$41.19$13.60
FY26$43.95$15.17
FY27$44.73$15.17

Compared with places this size3

Storm Lake’s city property tax rate of $15.17 per $1,000 is the 10th highest of 23 Iowa cities with 7,800–17,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.89.

Keokuk: $19.68Fort Madison: $18.84Denison: $18.69Perry: $17.91Waverly: $17.53Newton: $17.10Fairfield: $16.69Webster City: $16.51Grinnell: $15.60Boone: $15.13Norwalk: $14.89Oskaloosa: $14.47Spencer: $13.84Indianola: $13.33Pleasant Hill: $12.10Mount Pleasant: $11.94Carroll: $11.25Le Mars: $11.18Sioux Center: $11.05Bondurant: $10.82Pella: $10.75Grimes: $10.70Storm Lake: $15.17$10.70 lowest$19.68 highestmiddle
See all 23
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Keokuk$19.689,462
2Fort Madison$18.849,983
3Denison$18.698,302
4Perry$17.918,046
5Waverly$17.5310,576
6Newton$17.1015,709
7Fairfield$16.699,511
8Webster City$16.517,763
9Grinnell$15.609,495
10Storm Lake$15.1711,627
11Boone$15.1312,461
12Norwalk$14.8915,396
13Oskaloosa$14.4711,575
14Spencer$13.8411,418
15Indianola$13.3316,297
16Pleasant Hill$12.1011,942
17Mount Pleasant$11.948,509
18Carroll$11.2510,125
19Le Mars$11.1810,674
20Sioux Center$11.058,675
21Bondurant$10.829,511
22Pella$10.7510,965
23Grimes$10.7017,266

The $8.10 limit

Storm Lake’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 $8.13 · FY26 $8.05 · FY27 $8.10 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $7.07 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.99 · $1.8M
  • Debt Service Levy$1.31 · $593,438
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.78 · $288,724

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$84.5M of taxable value in Storm Lake is in TIF districts’ increment (19% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $3.2M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$895,498
$818,193

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 $1.2M of the city’s own.

  • Storm Lake schools$1.2M
  • Buena Vista County$593,478
YearTIF revenue
FY16$740,590
FY17$895,498
FY18$774,784
FY19$799,951
FY20$773,898
FY21$825,517
FY22$828,352
FY23$818,193
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$740,590
FY17$895,498
FY18$774,784
FY19$799,951
FY20$773,898
FY21$825,517
FY22$828,352
FY23$818,193

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$3.0M52%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.8M32%
  • Debt Service Levy$593,43810%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$288,7245%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Storm Lake’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 59¢ of every dollar59¢Public Safety: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Capital Projects: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Debt Service: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Public Works: 5¢ 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 22 Iowa cities closest in size (7,800–17,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (22)
Business Type / Enterprise59¢36¢
Public Safety11¢13¢
Capital Projects9¢23¢
Debt Service7¢7¢
Public Works5¢6¢
Everything else9¢14¢

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$5.4M30%
  • Public Safety$4.7M26%
  • Debt Service$2.2M12%
  • Culture and Recreation$2.2M12%
  • Public Works$2.0M11%
  • General Government$1.1M6%
  • Community and Economic Development$588,1743%
  • Health and Social Services$23,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($24.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$2.1M$2.0M
Public Safety$3.9M$3.7M
Health and Social Services$18,000$18,252
General Government$788,841$682,498
Debt Service$2.3M$2.2M
Culture and Recreation$1.7M$1.6M
Community and Economic Development$587,509$546,582
Capital Projects$10.0M$7.5M
Business Type / Enterprise$16.5M$16.0M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$67.1M

Storm Lake’s own budget documents

The adopted budgets, resolutions and hearing notices the city posts, often weeks before the state publishes the figures. The city’s finance page

9 older

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Storm Lake owes

$29.8M at June 30, 2026: $2,648 per resident. 315th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$39.0M
$29.8M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$29.8M$2,648
2025$30.7M$2,722
2024$24.3M$2,161
2023$27.4M$2,429
2022$23.9M$2,121
2021$24.9M$2,214
2020$28.0M$2,489
2019$31.6M$2,805
2018$33.2M$2,944
2017$35.6M$3,157
2016$37.5M$3,330
2015$33.3M$2,955
2014$37.4M$3,318
2013$39.0M$3,464
2012$30.3M$2,690
2011$27.9M$2,475
2010$29.0M$2,571
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$29.8M$2,648
2025$30.7M$2,722
2024$24.3M$2,161
2023$27.4M$2,429
2022$23.9M$2,121
2021$24.9M$2,214
2020$28.0M$2,489
2019$31.6M$2,805
2018$33.2M$2,944
2017$35.6M$3,157
2016$37.5M$3,330
2015$33.3M$2,955
2014$37.4M$3,318
2013$39.0M$3,464
2012$30.3M$2,690
2011$27.9M$2,475
2010$29.0M$2,571

Up 3% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $12.5M, 31% of the limit of about $40.0M (5% of $800.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

16 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsTIF Revenue Bond2048$5.8M
General ObligationRefinancing of AWAYSIS and Urban Renewal Bonds2035$4.3M
Revenue BondsConstruction of Water Tower #52045$4.1M
General ObligationAcquisition of two fire truck apparatus.2034$2.7M
Revenue BondsConstruction of Water Tower #52045$2.2M
General ObligationRefinancing of Storm Water Projects2033$2.1M
Revenue BondsSewer Revenue Refinancing2031$1.9M
Revenue BondsWater Revenue Refinancing2032$1.5M
General ObligationRefinancing Bargloff Addition Bonds2031$1.5M
General ObligationMemorial Lift Station SRF2041$1.2M
Revenue BondsConstruction of Water Well #222045$1.2M
General ObligationRefinance of AWAYSIS Hotel Revenue Bonds2029$555,000
Revenue BondsConstruction of Water Well #222045$533,171
General ObligationRefinancing of Hotel/Motel and TIF Bonds2027$140,000
Revenue BondsStorm Water SRF2027$48,000
Revenue BondsSewer SRF2027$44,000

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. Storm Lake’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.

16 earlier reports for Storm Lake

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: $1.7M in FY25, up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$1.5M$1.6M$1.6M$1.6M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$138,354$157,934$135,441$112,868

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.

$1.2M
$249,937
  • State grants$249,937100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$740,334
FY20$3,610
FY21$256,756
FY22$52,984
FY23$834,288
FY24$1.2M
FY25$249,937
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$740,334
FY20$3,610
FY21$256,756
FY22$52,984
FY23$834,288
FY24$1.2M
FY25$249,937

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−7%$1.4M → $1.6M, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−41%$152,506 → $112,868, down 26% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 41% 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 27% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 1% more.

$1.9M
$1.7M

Federal grants, for comparison: $792,029 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 3 contracts since 1998 worth $480K, for 158 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 4, 2025

City · 3

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Storm Lake; 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.

  • Storm Lake City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Kevin E. McKinney, Maria Clarivel Ramos, Margaret J. McKeon

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

Lynn Evans (Sen. 3)Megan Jones (Rep. 6)

U.S. House:District 4

Buena Vista CountyStorm Lake schools