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Local taxes › Cerro Gordo County › Clear Lake

City

Clear Lake

Cerro Gordo County · How cities work

$2,390 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($28.41 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$830 a yearof that goes to the city ($9.85 per $1,000)
$8.3Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$19.2Mcity 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.

  • Bennett SmithClear Lake City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark EbelingClear Lake Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tony NelsonClear Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Beth Ann SchumacherClear Lake City Council Ward 3 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Creighton SchmidtClear Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mark EbelingClear Lake City Council Ward 1 · 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 Clear Lake

Homes and businesses in most of Clear Lake pay a combined $28.41 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Cerro Gordo County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $9.85. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$28.05$9.70
FY21$28.15$9.70
FY22$27.92$9.70
FY23$28.68$9.70
FY24$28.66$9.65
FY25$28.53$9.85
FY26$28.69$9.85
FY27$28.41$9.85
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$28.05$9.70
FY21$28.15$9.70
FY22$27.92$9.70
FY23$28.68$9.70
FY24$28.66$9.65
FY25$28.53$9.85
FY26$28.69$9.85
FY27$28.41$9.85

Compared with places this size3

Clear Lake’s city property tax rate of $9.85 per $1,000 is the 3rd lowest of 47 Iowa cities with 5,100–11,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.99.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Keokuk: $19.68Independence: $19.01Fort Madison: $18.84Denison: $18.69Perry: $17.91Waverly: $17.53Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Fairfield: $16.69Webster City: $16.51Winterset: $16.15Anamosa: $15.95Charles City: $15.95Grinnell: $15.60Decorah: $15.52Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Creston: $14.99Manchester: $14.96Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Nevada: $14.58Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Mount Pleasant: $11.94Tiffin: $11.80Carroll: $11.25Le Mars: $11.18Sioux Center: $11.05Polk City: $11.00Bondurant: $10.82Pella: $10.75Spirit Lake: $10.17Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Clear Lake: $9.85$8.13 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 47
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Keokuk$19.689,462
4Independence$19.016,266
5Fort Madison$18.849,983
6Denison$18.698,302
7Perry$17.918,046
8Waverly$17.5310,576
9Atlantic$17.486,717
10Knoxville$17.467,440
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Fairfield$16.699,511
15Webster City$16.517,763
16Winterset$16.155,421
17Anamosa$15.955,845
18Charles City$15.957,081
19Grinnell$15.609,495
20Decorah$15.527,454
21Sheldon$15.335,584
22Estherville$15.275,796
23Washington$15.217,281
24Creston$14.997,421
25Manchester$14.965,283
26Cherokee$14.825,186
27Glenwood$14.775,250
28Nevada$14.587,082
29Osceola$14.375,585
30Windsor Heights$14.305,106
31Orange City$14.016,547
32Hiawatha$13.787,347
33Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
34Adel$13.436,763
35Maquoketa$12.856,064
36Mount Pleasant$11.948,509
37Tiffin$11.806,695
38Carroll$11.2510,125
39Le Mars$11.1810,674
40Sioux Center$11.058,675
41Polk City$11.006,430
42Bondurant$10.829,511
43Pella$10.7510,965
44Spirit Lake$10.175,548
45Clear Lake$9.857,602
46Asbury$8.326,051
47Eldridge$8.136,967

The $8.10 limit

Clear Lake’s general levy is $7.59 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.51 below the limit.4 773 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $7.45 · FY24 $7.40 · FY25 $7.18 · FY26 $7.81 · FY27 $7.59 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $2.26 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.22 · $1.0M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.56 · $472,824
  • Debt Service Levy$0.48 · $462,357

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$114.0M of taxable value in Clear Lake is in TIF districts’ increment (12% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $2.0M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$2.8M
$2.8M

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 $1.1M of the city’s own.

  • Clear Lake schools$871,250
  • Cerro Gordo County$568,374
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.5M
FY17$1.7M
FY18$1.7M
FY19$1.2M
FY20$2.3M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.8M
FY23$2.8M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.5M
FY17$1.7M
FY18$1.7M
FY19$1.2M
FY20$2.3M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.8M
FY23$2.8M

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$6.4M77%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.0M12%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$472,8246%
  • Debt Service Levy$462,3576%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

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

Public Safety: 24¢ of every dollar24¢Public Works: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Business Type / Enterprise: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Culture and Recreation: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Community and Economic Development: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Everything else: 19¢ of every dollar19¢

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 46 Iowa cities closest in size (5,100–11,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (46)
Public Safety24¢13¢
Public Works17¢8¢
Business Type / Enterprise17¢37¢
Culture and Recreation13¢7¢
Community and Economic Development10¢3¢
Everything else19¢33¢

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$5.3M28%
  • Public Works$3.9M21%
  • Culture and Recreation$3.0M16%
  • Community and Economic Development$2.3M12%
  • Capital Projects$1.9M10%
  • General Government$1.5M8%
  • Debt Service$1.3M7%
  • Health and Social Services$18,3550%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($3.4M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$3.5M$2.7M
Public Safety$3.8M$4.6M
Health and Social Services$10,845$7,503
General Government$1.4M$1.2M
Debt Service$849,420$832,135
Culture and Recreation$3.1M$2.9M
Community and Economic Development$1.0M$1.7M
Capital Projects$2.8M$1.6M
Business Type / Enterprise$2.8M$2.5M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$28.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Clear Lake owes

$7.4M at June 30, 2026: $966 per resident. 552nd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$8.5M
$7.4M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$7.4M$966
2025$8.5M$1,106
2024$4.1M$540
2023$3.3M$430
2022$4.1M$531
2021$3.4M$443
2020$1.4M$177
2019$1.8M$236
2018$2.3M$295
2017$2.8M$371
2016$3.6M$473
2015$4.6M$602
2014$5.6M$734
2013$4.9M$641
2012$6.0M$782
2011$7.1M$927
2010$5.7M$747
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$7.4M$966
2025$8.5M$1,106
2024$4.1M$540
2023$3.3M$430
2022$4.1M$531
2021$3.4M$443
2020$1.4M$177
2019$1.8M$236
2018$2.3M$295
2017$2.8M$371
2016$3.6M$473
2015$4.6M$602
2014$5.6M$734
2013$4.9M$641
2012$6.0M$782
2011$7.1M$927
2010$5.7M$747

Up 29% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $7.4M, 9% of the limit of about $84.7M (5% of $1.69B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

7 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2024B Surf District Projects2035$4.8M
General Obligation2024A Bandshell Reno & Housing Development2034$1.4M
General Obligation2022A S 15th Street Park2030$676,000
General Obligation2021A Marriott Project Funding2028$347,000
General ObligationLand Acquisition - Park and Library2028$174,000
General ObligationLake Dredging2028$70,500
General ObligationLake Dredging2029$50,000

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. Clear 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, February 17, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Clear 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: $1.1M in FY25, down 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$1.0M$1.1M$1.2M$1.1M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)––––

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.

$3.2M
  • State grants$3.2M100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$97,770
FY20$325,413
FY21$191,947
FY22$220,380
FY23$139,306
FY24$872,404
FY25$3.2M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$97,770
FY20$325,413
FY21$191,947
FY22$220,380
FY23$139,306
FY24$872,404
FY25$3.2M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−14%$1.0M → $1.1M, 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 40% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.

$1.9M
$1.8M

Federal grants, for comparison: $118,808 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 9 contracts since 2000 worth $3.1M, for 371 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

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Clear 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.

  • Clear Lake City Council At-Large
    Now held by Creighton Schmidt
  • Clear Lake City Council Ward 1
    Now held by Mark Ebeling
  • Clear Lake City Council Ward 3
    Now held by Beth Ann Schumacher

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

Doug Campbell (Sen. 30)Jane Bloomingdale (Rep. 60)

U.S. House:District 2

Cerro Gordo CountyClear Lake schoolsVentura schools