Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Jamie HanlonLanesboro Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Kelly AddisonLanesboro City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Linette DeSartLanesboro City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Wanda BattaLanesboro City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Gordy ToyneLanesboro City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Kevin WinkerLanesboro 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 Lanesboro
Homes and businesses in most of Lanesboro pay a combined $31.49 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Carroll County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $13.53. Estimate your bill.
- City of Lanesboro$13.5343%
- Glidden-Ralston schools$12.6640%
- Carroll County$3.9012%
- Des Moines Area Community College$0.813%
- Carroll County Assessor$0.431%
- Carroll County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.16<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Lanesboro pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $28.00 | $11.68 |
| FY21 | $26.04 | $9.40 |
| FY22 | $26.84 | $10.56 |
| FY23 | $24.51 | $8.09 |
| FY24 | $25.56 | $8.64 |
| FY25 | $30.20 | $13.59 |
| FY26 | $30.62 | $13.54 |
| FY27 | $31.12 | $13.53 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $28.00 | $11.68 |
| FY21 | $26.04 | $9.40 |
| FY22 | $26.84 | $10.56 |
| FY23 | $24.51 | $8.09 |
| FY24 | $25.56 | $8.64 |
| FY25 | $30.20 | $13.59 |
| FY26 | $30.62 | $13.54 |
| FY27 | $31.12 | $13.53 |
Compared with places this size3
Lanesboro’s city property tax rate of $13.53 per $1,000 is the 31st highest of 139 Iowa cities with 80–170 people. The middle of the group is $9.61.
See all 139
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castana | $34.13 | 103 |
| 2 | Brayton | $25.07 | 138 |
| 3 | Hansell | $23.66 | 85 |
| 4 | Harris | $23.13 | 145 |
| 5 | Whitten | $22.65 | 98 |
| 6 | Stanley | $20.69 | 86 |
| 7 | Rowan | $19.53 | 118 |
| 8 | Chester | $19.30 | 134 |
| 9 | Bouton | $19.25 | 125 |
| 10 | Ricketts | $19.22 | 105 |
| 11 | Hastings | $18.95 | 157 |
| 12 | Grant | $18.71 | 82 |
| 13 | Swaledale | $18.62 | 136 |
| 14 | Derby | $18.13 | 89 |
| 15 | Hillsboro | $17.68 | 158 |
| 16 | Bristow | $17.39 | 139 |
| 17 | Woolstock | $17.26 | 141 |
| 18 | Monmouth | $16.41 | 129 |
| 19 | Blockton | $16.37 | 123 |
| 20 | Geneva | $16.25 | 137 |
| 21 | Waterville | $16.25 | 112 |
| 22 | Popejoy | $15.80 | 76 |
| 23 | Woodburn | $15.59 | 133 |
| 24 | Goodell | $15.16 | 139 |
| 25 | Marne | $15.03 | 109 |
| 26 | Baldwin | $14.91 | 99 |
| 27 | Palmer | $13.89 | 137 |
| 28 | Ayrshire | $13.55 | 128 |
| 29 | Searsboro | $13.55 | 129 |
| 30 | Ferguson | $13.53 | 98 |
| 31 | Lanesboro | $13.53 | 112 |
| 32 | Calumet | $13.16 | 144 |
| 33 | Delaware | $12.86 | 139 |
| 34 | Clemons | $12.69 | 135 |
| 35 | Cylinder | $12.52 | 84 |
| 36 | Millersburg | $12.40 | 135 |
| 37 | Aurora | $12.40 | 165 |
| 38 | Bridgewater | $12.29 | 145 |
| 39 | Arion | $12.14 | 99 |
| 40 | Webb | $12.10 | 139 |
| 41 | Shambaugh | $11.98 | 161 |
| 42 | Lone Rock | $11.92 | 143 |
| 43 | East Peru | $11.89 | 119 |
| 44 | Henderson | $11.85 | 140 |
| 45 | Reasnor | $11.76 | 157 |
| 46 | Morley | $11.74 | 94 |
| 47 | Ledyard | $11.74 | 118 |
| 48 | Toronto | $11.68 | 101 |
| 49 | Exline | $11.60 | 157 |
| 50 | Beaman | $11.54 | 155 |
| 51 | Melrose | $11.27 | 110 |
| 52 | Linn Grove | $11.15 | 155 |
| 53 | Promise City | $11.13 | 91 |
| 54 | Leighton | $11.07 | 153 |
| 55 | Masonville | $11.00 | 98 |
| 56 | Somers | $10.99 | 121 |
| 57 | Havelock | $10.95 | 127 |
| 58 | Alexander | $10.90 | 165 |
| 59 | Wallingford | $10.75 | 154 |
| 60 | Pacific Junction | $10.56 | 99 |
| 61 | Barnes City | $10.44 | 152 |
| 62 | Bradgate | $10.37 | 76 |
| 63 | Randall | $10.35 | 156 |
| 64 | North Washington | $10.23 | 107 |
| 65 | Dawson | $10.19 | 110 |
| 66 | Hartwick | $9.90 | 91 |
| 67 | Clare | $9.81 | 133 |
| 68 | Tingley | $9.81 | 146 |
| 69 | Rutland | $9.65 | 116 |
| 70 | Rock Falls | $9.61 | 143 |
| 71 | Kirkville | $9.59 | 159 |
| 72 | Superior | $9.58 | 127 |
| 73 | Webster | $9.55 | 94 |
| 74 | Martinsburg | $9.49 | 109 |
| 75 | Larrabee | $9.41 | 116 |
| 76 | Hamilton | $9.35 | 125 |
| 77 | Wiota | $9.32 | 91 |
| 78 | Floris | $9.29 | 119 |
| 79 | Mitchell | $9.22 | 118 |
| 80 | Westphalia | $9.18 | 133 |
| 81 | Prairieburg | $8.91 | 156 |
| 82 | Welton | $8.86 | 124 |
| 83 | Archer | $8.84 | 116 |
| 84 | Luther | $8.83 | 147 |
| 85 | Fraser | $8.81 | 107 |
| 86 | Macksburg | $8.81 | 103 |
| 87 | Pilot Mound | $8.54 | 155 |
| 88 | Andover | $8.28 | 106 |
| 89 | Thurman | $8.26 | 162 |
| 90 | Carpenter | $8.10 | 92 |
| 91 | Chillicothe | $8.10 | 79 |
| 92 | Rome | $8.10 | 112 |
| 93 | Scarville | $8.10 | 75 |
| 94 | Westfield | $8.10 | 121 |
| 95 | Vincent | $8.09 | 125 |
| 96 | Buckeye | $7.94 | 82 |
| 97 | Morrison | $7.86 | 101 |
| 98 | Mount Auburn | $7.86 | 162 |
| 99 | Haverhill | $7.86 | 164 |
| 100 | Oyens | $7.86 | 88 |
| 101 | Castalia | $7.86 | 141 |
| 102 | Dickens | $7.86 | 146 |
| 103 | Ralston | $7.86 | 76 |
| 104 | Rose Hill | $7.86 | 156 |
| 105 | West Chester | $7.82 | 147 |
| 106 | Cromwell | $7.81 | 104 |
| 107 | Mcclelland | $7.79 | 147 |
| 108 | Arispe | $7.71 | 95 |
| 109 | Luzerne | $7.69 | 111 |
| 110 | Lidderdale | $7.68 | 162 |
| 111 | Westwood | $7.67 | 96 |
| 112 | Kinross | $7.57 | 80 |
| 113 | Bernard | $7.56 | 117 |
| 114 | Braddyville | $7.49 | 142 |
| 115 | Garber | $7.35 | 76 |
| 116 | Franklin | $7.31 | 133 |
| 117 | Spragueville | $7.20 | 92 |
| 118 | Weldon | $7.18 | 134 |
| 119 | Craig | $7.01 | 78 |
| 120 | Brunsville | $6.95 | 128 |
| 121 | Zwingle | $6.93 | 86 |
| 122 | Pleasant Plain | $6.79 | 83 |
| 123 | Houghton | $6.73 | 129 |
| 124 | Williamson | $6.72 | 126 |
| 125 | Lincoln | $6.32 | 119 |
| 126 | Tennant | $6.29 | 83 |
| 127 | Gravity | $6.18 | 149 |
| 128 | Ackworth | $5.90 | 117 |
| 129 | Springbrook | $5.79 | 145 |
| 130 | Maysville | $5.77 | 155 |
| 131 | Harper | $5.29 | 117 |
| 132 | Panorama Park | $4.62 | 142 |
| 133 | Keomah Village | $3.15 | 107 |
| 134 | Mcintire | $2.78 | 115 |
| 135 | Graf | $2.56 | 76 |
| 136 | Centralia | $2.41 | 117 |
| 137 | New Liberty | $2.27 | 141 |
| 138 | North Buena Vista | $1.78 | 107 |
| 139 | Balltown | $0.12 | 78 |
The $8.10 limit
Lanesboro’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.4 604 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.09 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.86 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $5.67 more5
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$5.67 · $19,189
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.
Budget and spending
Where each dollar of Lanesboro’s budget goes, FY26
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 140 Iowa cities closest in size (80–170 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (140) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 50¢ | 23¢ |
| Public Works | 21¢ | 28¢ |
| Public Safety | 16¢ | 10¢ |
| General Government | 10¢ | 26¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 2¢ | 7¢ |
| Everything else | <1¢ | <1¢ |
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.
The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($85,500 in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $9,500 | $7,723 |
| Public Safety | $18,350 | $21,019 |
| Health and Social Services | $500 | $0 |
| General Government | $13,500 | $4,143 |
| Debt Service | $0 | $0 |
| Culture and Recreation | $4,000 | $4,408 |
| Community and Economic Development | $0 | $0 |
| Capital Projects | $0 | $0 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $59,500 | $278,650 |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out6
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Lanesboro owes
$315,000 at June 30, 2026: $2,647 per resident. 316th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $315,000 | $2,647 |
| 2025 | $315,000 | $2,647 |
| 2024 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2023 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2022 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2021 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2020 | $391,000 | $3,286 |
| 2019 | $402,000 | $3,378 |
| 2018 | $413,000 | $3,471 |
| 2017 | $413,000 | $3,471 |
| 2016 | $424,000 | $3,563 |
| 2015 | $434,000 | $3,647 |
| 2014 | $444,000 | $3,731 |
| 2013 | $0 | $0 |
| 2012 | $376,803 | $3,166 |
| 2011 | $0 | $0 |
| 2010 | $0 | $0 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $315,000 | $2,647 |
| 2025 | $315,000 | $2,647 |
| 2024 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2023 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2022 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2021 | $397,000 | $3,336 |
| 2020 | $391,000 | $3,286 |
| 2019 | $402,000 | $3,378 |
| 2018 | $413,000 | $3,471 |
| 2017 | $413,000 | $3,471 |
| 2016 | $424,000 | $3,563 |
| 2015 | $434,000 | $3,647 |
| 2014 | $444,000 | $3,731 |
| 2013 | $0 | $0 |
| 2012 | $376,803 | $3,166 |
| 2011 | $0 | $0 |
| 2010 | $0 | $0 |
Down 16% since 2012.
Money in reserve
The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances8. Lanesboro’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF).
Audits9
The latest: Periodic Examination for the period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF), released Monday, March 4, 2024, by a CPA firm.
1 earlier report for Lanesboro
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Tuesday, August 30, 2016
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? 10
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: $14,654 in FY25, up 33% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% more. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $11,604 | $11,517 | $11,821 | $11,886 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | – | – | – | $2,768 |
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.
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $2,190 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $7,109 |
| FY22 | $4,238 |
| FY23 | $0 |
| FY24 | $1.1M |
| FY25 | $884 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $2,190 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $7,109 |
| FY22 | $4,238 |
| FY23 | $0 |
| FY24 | $1.1M |
| FY25 | $884 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−14%$10,993 → $11,886, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% 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 41% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $1.5M in FY24.
Business awards
Elections
Running for mayor and city council
Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 285 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)11.
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 · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- Kelly Addison Winner1338.2%
- Wanda Batta Winner1132.4%
- Linette DeSart Winner1029.4%
- Jamie Hanlon Unopposed10100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Lanesboro; 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.
- Lanesboro City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Kevin Winker, Gordy Toyne
- Lanesboro MayorNow held by Jamie Hanlon
Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here12.
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 ballot13.
Related places
At the Statehouse and in Congress14
Jason Schultz (Sen. 6)Craig Steven Williams (Rep. 11)
U.S. House:District 4
Carroll CountyGlidden-Ralston schoolsSouthern Cal schools