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Local taxes › Calhoun County › Lake City

City

Lake City

Calhoun County · How cities work

$3,240 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($38.45 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,630 a yearof that goes to the city ($19.32 per $1,000)
$1.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.0Mcity 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.

  • Adam WilsonLake City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Nicholas Allen GordenLake City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Scott BrunsLake City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jessica DanielLake City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Lee A. VogtLake City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mike SchleismanLake City Mayor · 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 Lake City

Homes and businesses in most of Lake City pay a combined $38.45 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Calhoun County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $19.32. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.54$21.05
FY21$39.31$19.78
FY22$40.42$21.12
FY23$40.61$21.35
FY24$41.29$21.99
FY25$41.89$22.77
FY26$40.75$21.42
FY27$38.45$19.32
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.54$21.05
FY21$39.31$19.78
FY22$40.42$21.12
FY23$40.61$21.35
FY24$41.29$21.99
FY25$41.89$22.77
FY26$40.75$21.42
FY27$38.45$19.32

Compared with places this size3

Lake City’s city property tax rate of $19.32 per $1,000 is the 10th highest of 116 Iowa cities with 1,100–2,500 people. The middle of the group is $14.13.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Belmond: $19.86Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Dysart: $17.95Britt: $17.72Strawberry Point: $17.58Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Logan: $15.05Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Glidden: $13.43Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Springville: $13.22Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Walcott: $10.29Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Arnolds Park: $4.95Lake City: $19.32$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 116
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Rockwell City$20.742,185
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Villisca$19.741,106
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
14Dysart$17.951,266
15Britt$17.722,001
16Strawberry Point$17.581,141
17Mapleton$16.901,114
18George$16.891,106
19Manson$16.871,646
20Fayette$16.851,193
21Nashua$16.811,515
22Ackley$16.631,538
23West Union$16.602,435
24Audubon$16.522,008
25Roland$16.511,376
26Monona$16.411,462
27Belle Plaine$16.342,335
28Colfax$16.252,305
29Durant$16.241,798
30Lamoni$16.152,072
31Marengo$16.102,415
32Dike$15.941,293
33Holstein$15.811,475
34State Center$15.801,403
35Pleasantville$15.801,696
36Postville$15.682,418
37Earlham$15.551,411
38Shell Rock$15.521,265
39Brooklyn$15.491,474
40Stuart$15.481,887
41Mount Ayr$15.321,616
42Granger$15.222,095
43Sigourney$15.201,974
44Guttenberg$15.191,804
45Logan$15.051,351
46Tripoli$14.991,208
47Sumner$14.832,032
48Woodbine$14.801,707
49Bedford$14.661,474
50Lenox$14.651,355
51Manning$14.621,390
52Van Meter$14.601,840
53Coon Rapids$14.491,258
54Nora Springs$14.251,330
55Kingsley$14.251,394
56Urbana$14.201,635
57Sheffield$14.161,123
58Parkersburg$14.151,986
59Hartley$14.111,584
60Ida Grove$14.101,988
61Woodward$14.051,383
62Guthrie Center$14.041,579
63Alton$13.871,248
64Lake Mills$13.822,077
65Montezuma$13.791,421
66Gilbert$13.711,397
67Clarksville$13.531,238
68Avoca$13.511,685
69Glidden$13.431,140
70Wapello$13.292,026
71Manly$13.291,233
72Springville$13.221,161
73Greenfield$13.131,988
74Treynor$13.031,104
75Akron$12.931,545
76Leon$12.931,779
77New Sharon$12.801,249
78Slater$12.791,626
79Buffalo$12.681,163
80Bellevue$12.672,321
81Sanborn$12.621,463
82New London$12.561,853
83Lisbon$12.502,238
84Dallas Center$12.421,993
85Remsen$12.321,681
86Monroe$12.282,021
87Denver$12.271,955
88Alta$12.132,039
89Reinbeck$12.101,673
90Atkins$11.992,168
91Wellman$11.881,531
92Blue Grass$11.791,707
93Hull$11.792,459
94Columbus Junction$11.711,794
95Cascade$11.642,396
96Palo$11.491,554
97Prairie City$11.381,722
98Northwood$11.282,047
99Mediapolis$11.271,679
100Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
101University Heights$11.121,188
102Ely$11.082,371
103Ogden$10.991,970
104Farley$10.911,723
105Oakland$10.851,519
106Moville$10.671,707
107Walcott$10.291,556
108Lake Park$10.251,155
109Central City$10.011,254
110Peosta$9.822,195
111Epworth$9.422,042
112Lake View$9.391,120
113Fairbank$9.001,133
114Walford$8.721,357
115Lone Tree$8.131,341
116Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Lake City’s general levy is $7.73 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.37 below the limit.4 723 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $7.97 · FY27 $7.73 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $11.59 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$5.17 · $304,535
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.30 · $245,000
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.12 · $120,824

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$2.0M of taxable value in Lake City is in TIF districts’ increment (3% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6

$9,312

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 $28,377 of the city’s own.

  • Calhoun County$11,525
YearTIF revenue
FY20$3,569
FY21$7,717
FY22$6,581
FY23$9,312
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY20$3,569
FY21$7,717
FY22$6,581
FY23$9,312

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$440,46840%
  • Debt Service Levy$304,53527%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$245,00022%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$120,82411%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

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

Business Type / Enterprise: 57¢ of every dollar57¢Public Safety: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Culture and Recreation: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Public Works: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Debt Service: 6¢ 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 115 Iowa cities closest in size (1,100–2,500 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (115)
Business Type / Enterprise57¢40¢
Public Safety14¢11¢
Culture and Recreation10¢8¢
Public Works7¢12¢
Debt Service6¢6¢
Everything else6¢9¢

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$702,71336%
  • Culture and Recreation$405,99021%
  • Debt Service$310,80716%
  • Public Works$283,27514%
  • General Government$183,1759%
  • Community and Economic Development$70,0004%
  • Capital Projects$20,0001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.3M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$194,650$225,466
Public Safety$414,050$556,935
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$103,400$205,915
Debt Service$314,850$314,800
Culture and Recreation$275,800$227,008
Community and Economic Development$5,500$3,733
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$467,150$714,856

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$4.0M
$2.8M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Lake City owes

$2.2M at June 30, 2026: $1,297 per resident. 494th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$3.4M
$2.2M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$2.2M$1,297
2025$2.2M$1,291
2024$2.4M$1,389
2023$2.6M$1,511
2022$2.8M$1,629
2021$3.2M$1,849
2020$3.4M$1,953
2019$1.4M$834
2018$1.8M$1,015
2017$2.2M$1,262
2016$2.2M$1,262
2015$2.2M$1,291
2014$1.5M$864
2013$1.7M$1,002
2012$1.2M$710
2011$1.4M$806
2010$1.6M$907
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$2.2M$1,297
2025$2.2M$1,291
2024$2.4M$1,389
2023$2.6M$1,511
2022$2.8M$1,629
2021$3.2M$1,849
2020$3.4M$1,953
2019$1.4M$834
2018$1.8M$1,015
2017$2.2M$1,262
2016$2.2M$1,262
2015$2.2M$1,291
2014$1.5M$864
2013$1.7M$1,002
2012$1.2M$710
2011$1.4M$806
2010$1.6M$907

Up 43% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.1M, 42% of the limit of about $4.9M (5% of $98.3M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationRoad/Sidewalk/ Water main replacement2039$2.0M
Capital Leases/Lease to Purchase2027 Peterbilt 548 chassis with plow and dump body2032$184,404
General ObligationGO Swim Pool and Refunding Bonds 20142027$65,000

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. Lake City’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF), released Wednesday, July 23, 2025, by a CPA firm.

14 earlier reports for Lake City

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: $245,835 in FY25, up 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$239,183$238,205$244,508$245,835
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$18,429–$8,063–

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.

$102,149
  • State grants$102,149100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$2,223
FY20$1,835
FY21$1,782
FY22$1,851
FY23$2,096
FY24$0
FY25$102,149
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$2,223
FY20$1,835
FY21$1,782
FY22$1,851
FY23$2,096
FY24$0
FY25$102,149

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$223,104 → $245,835, 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 48% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% more.

$257,085
$197,907

Federal grants, for comparison: $36,978 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 · 1

3 seats: the top 3 win.

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

  • Lake City City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Jessica Daniel, Lee A. Vogt
  • Lake City Mayor
    Now held by Mike Schleisman

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

Tim Kraayenbrink (Sen. 4)Wendy Larson (Rep. 7)

U.S. House:District 4

Calhoun CountySouthern Cal schools