Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Dennis EdwardsDurant City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Melissa HendrychDurant City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Samantha ParsonsDurant City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Thomas J. DaufeldtDurant Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Kevin MundtDurant City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Marcus L. OstofiDurant 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 Durant
Homes and businesses in most of Durant pay a combined $37.32 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Cedar County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $16.24. Estimate your bill.
- City of Durant$16.2444%
- Durant schools$13.3436%
- Cedar County$6.1016%
- Eastern Iowa Community College$1.043%
- Cedar County Assessor$0.401%
- Cedar County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.19<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Durant pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.39 | $14.67 |
| FY21 | $33.15 | $14.93 |
| FY22 | $32.33 | $14.82 |
| FY23 | $31.11 | $14.64 |
| FY24 | $32.90 | $15.94 |
| FY25 | $36.21 | $16.27 |
| FY26 | $36.68 | $16.24 |
| FY27 | $37.32 | $16.24 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.39 | $14.67 |
| FY21 | $33.15 | $14.93 |
| FY22 | $32.33 | $14.82 |
| FY23 | $31.11 | $14.64 |
| FY24 | $32.90 | $15.94 |
| FY25 | $36.21 | $16.27 |
| FY26 | $36.68 | $16.24 |
| FY27 | $37.32 | $16.24 |
Compared with places this size3
Durant’s city property tax rate of $16.24 per $1,000 is the 25th highest of 106 Iowa cities with 1,200–2,700 people. The middle of the group is $14.18.
See all 106
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eldora | $26.87 | 2,595 |
| 2 | Laurens | $24.16 | 1,253 |
| 3 | Pocahontas | $20.79 | 1,848 |
| 4 | Rockwell City | $20.74 | 2,185 |
| 5 | Belmond | $19.86 | 2,405 |
| 6 | Sac City | $19.69 | 1,992 |
| 7 | Traer | $19.56 | 1,547 |
| 8 | Corning | $19.36 | 1,509 |
| 9 | Lake City | $19.32 | 1,656 |
| 10 | Corydon | $18.22 | 1,563 |
| 11 | Toledo | $18.21 | 2,372 |
| 12 | La Porte City | $18.08 | 2,267 |
| 13 | Dysart | $17.95 | 1,266 |
| 14 | Britt | $17.72 | 2,001 |
| 15 | Missouri Valley | $17.68 | 2,638 |
| 16 | Manson | $16.87 | 1,646 |
| 17 | Nashua | $16.81 | 1,515 |
| 18 | Ackley | $16.63 | 1,538 |
| 19 | West Union | $16.60 | 2,435 |
| 20 | Audubon | $16.52 | 2,008 |
| 21 | Roland | $16.51 | 1,376 |
| 22 | Monona | $16.41 | 1,462 |
| 23 | Belle Plaine | $16.34 | 2,335 |
| 24 | Colfax | $16.25 | 2,305 |
| 25 | Durant | $16.24 | 1,798 |
| 26 | Lamoni | $16.15 | 2,072 |
| 27 | Marengo | $16.10 | 2,415 |
| 28 | Dike | $15.94 | 1,293 |
| 29 | Holstein | $15.81 | 1,475 |
| 30 | State Center | $15.80 | 1,403 |
| 31 | Pleasantville | $15.80 | 1,696 |
| 32 | Postville | $15.68 | 2,418 |
| 33 | Earlham | $15.55 | 1,411 |
| 34 | Shell Rock | $15.52 | 1,265 |
| 35 | Brooklyn | $15.49 | 1,474 |
| 36 | Stuart | $15.48 | 1,887 |
| 37 | Mount Ayr | $15.32 | 1,616 |
| 38 | Granger | $15.22 | 2,095 |
| 39 | Sigourney | $15.20 | 1,974 |
| 40 | Guttenberg | $15.19 | 1,804 |
| 41 | Logan | $15.05 | 1,351 |
| 42 | Tripoli | $14.99 | 1,208 |
| 43 | Sumner | $14.83 | 2,032 |
| 44 | Woodbine | $14.80 | 1,707 |
| 45 | Bedford | $14.66 | 1,474 |
| 46 | Lenox | $14.65 | 1,355 |
| 47 | Manning | $14.62 | 1,390 |
| 48 | Van Meter | $14.60 | 1,840 |
| 49 | Coon Rapids | $14.49 | 1,258 |
| 50 | Jesup | $14.31 | 2,541 |
| 51 | Nora Springs | $14.25 | 1,330 |
| 52 | Kingsley | $14.25 | 1,394 |
| 53 | Urbana | $14.20 | 1,635 |
| 54 | Parkersburg | $14.15 | 1,986 |
| 55 | Hartley | $14.11 | 1,584 |
| 56 | Ida Grove | $14.10 | 1,988 |
| 57 | Woodward | $14.05 | 1,383 |
| 58 | Guthrie Center | $14.04 | 1,579 |
| 59 | Alton | $13.87 | 1,248 |
| 60 | Lake Mills | $13.82 | 2,077 |
| 61 | Montezuma | $13.79 | 1,421 |
| 62 | Gilbert | $13.71 | 1,397 |
| 63 | Clarksville | $13.53 | 1,238 |
| 64 | Avoca | $13.51 | 1,685 |
| 65 | Wapello | $13.29 | 2,026 |
| 66 | Manly | $13.29 | 1,233 |
| 67 | Center Point | $13.19 | 2,578 |
| 68 | Greenfield | $13.13 | 1,988 |
| 69 | Hawarden | $13.02 | 2,630 |
| 70 | Akron | $12.93 | 1,545 |
| 71 | Leon | $12.93 | 1,779 |
| 72 | New Sharon | $12.80 | 1,249 |
| 73 | Slater | $12.79 | 1,626 |
| 74 | Bellevue | $12.67 | 2,321 |
| 75 | Sanborn | $12.62 | 1,463 |
| 76 | New London | $12.56 | 1,853 |
| 77 | Lisbon | $12.50 | 2,238 |
| 78 | Dallas Center | $12.42 | 1,993 |
| 79 | Remsen | $12.32 | 1,681 |
| 80 | Monroe | $12.28 | 2,021 |
| 81 | Denver | $12.27 | 1,955 |
| 82 | Alta | $12.13 | 2,039 |
| 83 | Reinbeck | $12.10 | 1,673 |
| 84 | Atkins | $11.99 | 2,168 |
| 85 | Wellman | $11.88 | 1,531 |
| 86 | Blue Grass | $11.79 | 1,707 |
| 87 | Hull | $11.79 | 2,459 |
| 88 | Columbus Junction | $11.71 | 1,794 |
| 89 | Cascade | $11.64 | 2,396 |
| 90 | Mitchellville | $11.54 | 2,686 |
| 91 | Palo | $11.49 | 1,554 |
| 92 | Prairie City | $11.38 | 1,722 |
| 93 | Northwood | $11.28 | 2,047 |
| 94 | Mediapolis | $11.27 | 1,679 |
| 95 | Ely | $11.08 | 2,371 |
| 96 | Ogden | $10.99 | 1,970 |
| 97 | Farley | $10.91 | 1,723 |
| 98 | Oakland | $10.85 | 1,519 |
| 99 | Moville | $10.67 | 1,707 |
| 100 | Walcott | $10.29 | 1,556 |
| 101 | Central City | $10.01 | 1,254 |
| 102 | Peosta | $9.82 | 2,195 |
| 103 | Epworth | $9.42 | 2,042 |
| 104 | Walford | $8.72 | 1,357 |
| 105 | Lone Tree | $8.13 | 1,341 |
| 106 | Arnolds Park | $4.95 | 1,214 |
The $8.10 limit
Durant’s general levy is $7.65 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.45 below the limit.4 757 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.86 · FY26 $7.64 · FY27 $7.65 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $8.59 more5
- Debt Service Levy$5.09 · $488,831
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.68 · $254,622
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.70 · $66,657
- Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.13 · $12,135
Tax increment financing (TIF)
$980,680 of taxable value in Durant is in TIF districts’ increment (1% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $25,126 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 $10,941 of the city’s own.
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $161,776 |
| FY17 | $143,893 |
| FY18 | $90,521 |
| FY19 | $68,658 |
| FY21 | $25,355 |
| FY22 | $27,806 |
| FY23 | $26,094 |
Show the numbers
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $161,776 |
| FY17 | $143,893 |
| FY18 | $90,521 |
| FY19 | $68,658 |
| FY21 | $25,355 |
| FY22 | $27,806 |
| FY23 | $26,094 |
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 Durant’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 105 Iowa cities closest in size (1,200–2,700 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (105) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 34¢ | 41¢ |
| Public Safety | 23¢ | 11¢ |
| Public Works | 15¢ | 11¢ |
| Debt Service | 11¢ | 6¢ |
| General Government | 7¢ | 6¢ |
| Everything else | 11¢ | 11¢ |
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 ($1.4M in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $524,092 | $593,862 |
| Public Safety | $729,012 | $1.1M |
| Health and Social Services | $0 | $0 |
| General Government | $229,800 | $233,713 |
| Debt Service | $431,081 | $430,865 |
| Culture and Recreation | $407,607 | $369,246 |
| Community and Economic Development | $91,600 | $411,917 |
| Capital Projects | $0 | $15,293 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $1.1M | $1.2M |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out8
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Durant owes
$6.4M at June 30, 2026: $3,429 per resident. 236th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6.4M | $3,429 |
| 2025 | $7.2M | $3,842 |
| 2024 | $8.2M | $4,402 |
| 2023 | $6.3M | $3,373 |
| 2022 | $7.1M | $3,779 |
| 2021 | $7.8M | $4,186 |
| 2020 | $8.6M | $4,585 |
| 2019 | $9.2M | $4,927 |
| 2018 | $10.0M | $5,338 |
| 2017 | $10.7M | $5,699 |
| 2016 | $747,000 | $399 |
| 2015 | $1.5M | $803 |
| 2014 | $1.5M | $802 |
| 2013 | $1.8M | $973 |
| 2012 | $2.4M | $1,290 |
| 2011 | $2.9M | $1,540 |
| 2010 | $3.0M | $1,579 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6.4M | $3,429 |
| 2025 | $7.2M | $3,842 |
| 2024 | $8.2M | $4,402 |
| 2023 | $6.3M | $3,373 |
| 2022 | $7.1M | $3,779 |
| 2021 | $7.8M | $4,186 |
| 2020 | $8.6M | $4,585 |
| 2019 | $9.2M | $4,927 |
| 2018 | $10.0M | $5,338 |
| 2017 | $10.7M | $5,699 |
| 2016 | $747,000 | $399 |
| 2015 | $1.5M | $803 |
| 2014 | $1.5M | $802 |
| 2013 | $1.8M | $973 |
| 2012 | $2.4M | $1,290 |
| 2011 | $2.9M | $1,540 |
| 2010 | $3.0M | $1,579 |
Up 117% since 2010.
The 5% limit10
General obligation debt is $2.9M, 30% of the limit of about $9.7M (5% of $193.6M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).
6 obligations at June 30, 2026
| Kind | For | Paid off by | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Bonds | Improvements and additions to Waste Water Treatment Facility and adding bioswale, Ag land to nature land, and pavers to 6th Avenue with Sponsored proj | 2036 | $3.4M |
| General Obligation | 9th Avenue Storm Sewer replacement and enlargement | 2036 | $1.5M |
| General Obligation | Street Reconstruction loan | 2031 | $915,000 |
| General Obligation | 2nd St Water Main replacement and replace lead service line to curb | 2043 | $525,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | Loan from local bank for partial cost of construction of new water tower. | 2027 | $81,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | WA REVENUE FOR NEW REMOTE METER PROGRAM 2011 | 2031 | $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. Durant’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).
Audits12
The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Wednesday, January 21, 2026, by the Auditor of State.
13 earlier reports for Durant
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024Thursday, October 3, 2024
- Annual Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023Wednesday, May 8, 2024
- Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022Thursday, July 6, 2023
- Annual Examination, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2021Monday, November 8, 2021
- Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2020Wednesday, October 21, 2020
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2019Monday, March 9, 2020
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2018Friday, June 28, 2019
- Annual Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2017Monday, December 11, 2017
- Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2016Monday, February 13, 2017
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Wednesday, December 23, 2015
- Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2014Tuesday, January 6, 2015
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2013Wednesday, January 15, 2014
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Friday, January 18, 2013
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: $285,725 in FY25, down 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 22% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $257,663 | $257,470 | $264,283 | $265,718 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | $53,543 | $70,488 | $24,008 | $20,007 |
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 | $13,540 |
| FY20 | $49,376 |
| FY21 | $49,270 |
| FY22 | $66,286 |
| FY23 | $421,575 |
| FY24 | $18,568 |
| FY25 | $374,021 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $13,540 |
| FY20 | $49,376 |
| FY21 | $49,270 |
| FY22 | $66,286 |
| FY23 | $421,575 |
| FY24 | $18,568 |
| FY25 | $374,021 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$236,668 → $265,718, up 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less
- Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−71%$55,745 → $20,007, down 64% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 71% 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 45% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $49,855 in FY25.
Business awards
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 · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- Melissa Hendrych Winner25634.4%
- Samantha Parsons Winner25033.6%
- Dennis Edwards Winner23932.1%
- Thomas J. Daufeldt Winner17756.4%
- Daniel Sterner 13743.6%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Durant; 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.
- Durant City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Kevin Mundt, Marcus L. Ostofi
- Durant MayorNow held by Thomas J. Daufeldt
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
Kerry Gruenhagen (Sen. 41)Bobby Kaufmann (Rep. 82)
U.S. House:District 1