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Local taxes › Dallas County › Dallas Center

City

Dallas Center

Dallas County · How cities work

$3,080 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.53 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,050 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.42 per $1,000)
$1.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$4.1Mcity 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.

  • Amanda DavisonDallas Center City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bret Van De PolDallas Center Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Shellie FlockhartDallas Center City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Angie BeaudetDallas Center City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Beth M WrightDallas Center City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Bret Van De PolDallas Center 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 Dallas Center

Homes and businesses in most of Dallas Center pay a combined $36.53 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Dallas County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.42. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.92$12.68
FY21$35.38$12.68
FY22$35.51$12.68
FY23$35.95$12.59
FY24$34.73$11.91
FY25$36.22$12.18
FY26$35.17$11.76
FY27$36.53$12.42
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.92$12.68
FY21$35.38$12.68
FY22$35.51$12.68
FY23$35.95$12.59
FY24$34.73$11.91
FY25$36.22$12.18
FY26$35.17$11.76
FY27$36.53$12.42

Compared with places this size3

Dallas Center’s city property tax rate of $12.42 per $1,000 is the 31st lowest of 106 Iowa cities with 1,300–2,900 people. The middle of the group is $14.18.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Logan: $15.05Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Kalona: $10.37Walcott: $10.29Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Fairfax: $8.10Dallas Center: $12.42$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 106
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
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
14Clarion$17.742,751
15Britt$17.722,001
16Missouri Valley$17.682,638
17Madrid$16.932,824
18Manson$16.871,646
19Nashua$16.811,515
20Ackley$16.631,538
21West Union$16.602,435
22Audubon$16.522,008
23Roland$16.511,376
24Monona$16.411,462
25Grundy Center$16.362,821
26Belle Plaine$16.342,335
27Colfax$16.252,305
28Durant$16.241,798
29Lamoni$16.152,072
30Marengo$16.102,415
31Holstein$15.811,475
32State Center$15.801,403
33Pleasantville$15.801,696
34Postville$15.682,418
35Earlham$15.551,411
36Brooklyn$15.491,474
37Stuart$15.481,887
38Mount Ayr$15.321,616
39Granger$15.222,095
40Sigourney$15.201,974
41Guttenberg$15.191,804
42Logan$15.051,351
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Lenox$14.651,355
47Manning$14.621,390
48Van Meter$14.601,840
49Rock Rapids$14.572,709
50Jesup$14.312,541
51Nora Springs$14.251,330
52Kingsley$14.251,394
53Urbana$14.201,635
54Parkersburg$14.151,986
55Hartley$14.111,584
56Ida Grove$14.101,988
57Woodward$14.051,383
58Guthrie Center$14.041,579
59Lake Mills$13.822,077
60Montezuma$13.791,421
61Gilbert$13.711,397
62Wilton$13.622,914
63Avoca$13.511,685
64Wapello$13.292,026
65Hudson$13.192,916
66Center Point$13.192,578
67Greenfield$13.131,988
68Hawarden$13.022,630
69Akron$12.931,545
70Leon$12.931,779
71Slater$12.791,626
72Bellevue$12.672,321
73Sanborn$12.621,463
74New London$12.561,853
75Lisbon$12.502,238
76Dallas Center$12.421,993
77Onawa$12.322,795
78Remsen$12.321,681
79Monroe$12.282,021
80Denver$12.271,955
81Alta$12.132,039
82Reinbeck$12.101,673
83Atkins$11.992,168
84Wellman$11.881,531
85Blue Grass$11.791,707
86Hull$11.792,459
87Columbus Junction$11.711,794
88Cascade$11.642,396
89West Branch$11.632,876
90Mitchellville$11.542,686
91Palo$11.491,554
92Prairie City$11.381,722
93Northwood$11.282,047
94Mediapolis$11.271,679
95Ely$11.082,371
96Ogden$10.991,970
97Farley$10.911,723
98Oakland$10.851,519
99Moville$10.671,707
100Kalona$10.372,762
101Walcott$10.291,556
102Peosta$9.822,195
103Epworth$9.422,042
104Walford$8.721,357
105Lone Tree$8.131,341
106Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Dallas Center’s general levy is $8.13 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.03 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 222 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.37 · FY26 $8.13 · FY27 $8.13 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $4.30 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.83 · $198,518
  • Debt Service Levy$1.55 · $201,786
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.91 · $98,698

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$21.6M of taxable value in Dallas Center is in TIF districts’ increment (16% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $431,081 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$192,861

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 $235,292 of the city’s own.

  • Dallas Center-Grimes schools$110,069
  • Dallas County$70,157
YearTIF revenue
FY16$85,000
FY17$47,376
FY18$15,101
FY19$65,147
FY20$77,390
FY21$151,596
FY22$154,660
FY23$192,861
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$85,000
FY17$47,376
FY18$15,101
FY19$65,147
FY20$77,390
FY21$151,596
FY22$154,660
FY23$192,861

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$880,06164%
  • Debt Service Levy$201,78615%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$198,51814%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$98,6987%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Dallas Center’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 49¢ of every dollar49¢Public Works: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Culture and Recreation: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Public Safety: 7¢ of every dollarEverything else: 7¢ of every dollar7¢

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 (1,300–2,900 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (105)
Business Type / Enterprise49¢41¢
Public Works15¢11¢
Debt Service13¢6¢
Culture and Recreation8¢8¢
Public Safety7¢11¢
Everything else7¢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 Works$1.1M28%
  • Debt Service$850,37221%
  • Capital Projects$560,00014%
  • Culture and Recreation$542,45513%
  • General Government$487,66612%
  • Public Safety$461,72511%
  • Community and Economic Development$73,9002%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($3.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$981,446$802,554
Public Safety$364,876$349,110
Health and Social Services$8,500$8,335
General Government$287,619$323,884
Debt Service$587,783$450,305
Culture and Recreation$584,739$508,349
Community and Economic Development$123,800$62,556
Capital Projects$4.2M$4.8M
Business Type / Enterprise$1.3M$1.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$8.6M
$6.4M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Dallas Center owes

$10.0M at June 30, 2026: $5,257 per resident. 113th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$11.5M
$10.0M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$10.0M$5,257
2025$10.8M$5,674
2024$11.5M$6,063
2023$10.2M$5,347
2022$7.8M$4,082
2021$8.3M$4,369
2020$8.2M$4,290
2019$4.3M$2,254
2018$4.6M$2,403
2017$4.8M$2,543
2016$2.0M$1,055
2015$2.2M$1,178
2014$2.5M$1,307
2013$2.8M$1,492
2012$3.2M$1,658
2011$3.4M$1,814
2010$2.5M$1,289
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$10.0M$5,257
2025$10.8M$5,674
2024$11.5M$6,063
2023$10.2M$5,347
2022$7.8M$4,082
2021$8.3M$4,369
2020$8.2M$4,290
2019$4.3M$2,254
2018$4.6M$2,403
2017$4.8M$2,543
2016$2.0M$1,055
2015$2.2M$1,178
2014$2.5M$1,307
2013$2.8M$1,492
2012$3.2M$1,658
2011$3.4M$1,814
2010$2.5M$1,289

Up 308% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $7.3M, 60% of the limit of about $12.1M (5% of $242.7M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

7 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2022 Swimming Pool Project2037$2.5M
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Project2040$2.4M
General Obligation2016 SW Stormwater Project2036$1.8M
General Obligation2024 GO Cross Streets2036$1.8M
General ObligationWastewater Treatment Project2040$754,000
General ObligationGO Refunding Capital Loan Notes, Series 2020 (2011 refinance)2031$433,000
Revenue BondsWater Revenue and Refunding Capital Loan Notes, Series 20212029$353,000

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. Dallas Center’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Thursday, January 16, 2025, by the Auditor of State.

12 earlier reports for Dallas Center

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: $280,425 in FY25, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$255,851$261,599$268,521$269,979
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$26,097$20,882$15,662$10,446

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.

$37,714
$1,566
  • State grants$1,566100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$37,714
FY20$2,221
FY21$2,153
FY22$1,905
FY23$15,264
FY24$9,423
FY25$1,566
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$37,714
FY20$2,221
FY21$2,153
FY22$1,905
FY23$15,264
FY24$9,423
FY25$1,566

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+3%$209,668 → $269,979, up 29% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% more
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−71%$29,024 → $10,446, 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 119% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 74% more.

$604,769
$594,274

Federal grants, for comparison: $237,500 in FY24.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2019 worth $170K, for 33 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 · 2

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Dallas Center; 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.

  • Dallas Center City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Bret Van De Pol, Beth M Wright, Angie Beaudet

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

Jesse Green (Sen. 24)Carter F. Nordman (Rep. 47)

U.S. House:District 3

Dallas CountyDallas Center-Grimes schools