Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Dallas County › Granger

City

Granger

Dallas County · How cities work

$2,870 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.06 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,280 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.22 per $1,000)
$2.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$4.0Mcity 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.

  • Andrew Tyson BosGranger City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Christopher CecakGranger City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Clint DavisGranger Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Daniel HallGranger City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jerid ShryockGranger City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jodi BermelGranger City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Scott BrandtGranger 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 Granger

Homes and businesses in most of Granger pay a combined $39.18 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, $15.22. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.23$15.42
FY21$38.94$15.34
FY22$38.58$15.59
FY23$37.74$15.18
FY24$38.22$15.58
FY25$39.52$15.24
FY26$31.74$15.24
FY27$31.57$15.22
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.23$15.42
FY21$38.94$15.34
FY22$38.58$15.59
FY23$37.74$15.18
FY24$38.22$15.58
FY25$39.52$15.24
FY26$31.74$15.24
FY27$31.57$15.22

Compared with places this size3

Granger’s city property tax rate of $15.22 per $1,000 is the 40th highest of 100 Iowa cities with 1,400–3,100 people. The middle of the group is $14.13.

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: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Monona: $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: $15.55Tipton: $15.54Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Guthrie 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: $12.93Garner: $12.86Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $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: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Granger: $15.22$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 100
#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
14Tama$17.742,997
15Clarion$17.742,751
16Britt$17.722,001
17Missouri Valley$17.682,638
18Madrid$16.932,824
19Manson$16.871,646
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22West Union$16.602,435
23Audubon$16.522,008
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
36Tipton$15.543,059
37Brooklyn$15.491,474
38Stuart$15.481,887
39Mount Ayr$15.321,616
40Granger$15.222,095
41Sigourney$15.201,974
42Guttenberg$15.191,804
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Van Meter$14.601,840
47Rock Rapids$14.572,709
48Jesup$14.312,541
49Urbana$14.201,635
50Parkersburg$14.151,986
51Hartley$14.111,584
52Ida Grove$14.101,988
53Guthrie Center$14.041,579
54Lake Mills$13.822,077
55Montezuma$13.791,421
56Gilbert$13.711,397
57Wilton$13.622,914
58Avoca$13.511,685
59Wapello$13.292,026
60Hudson$13.192,916
61Center Point$13.192,578
62Greenfield$13.131,988
63Hawarden$13.022,630
64Akron$12.931,545
65Leon$12.931,779
66Garner$12.863,049
67Slater$12.791,626
68Bellevue$12.672,321
69Sanborn$12.621,463
70New London$12.561,853
71Lisbon$12.502,238
72Dallas Center$12.421,993
73Onawa$12.322,795
74Remsen$12.321,681
75Monroe$12.282,021
76Denver$12.271,955
77Alta$12.132,039
78Reinbeck$12.101,673
79Atkins$11.992,168
80Wellman$11.881,531
81Blue Grass$11.791,707
82Hull$11.792,459
83Columbus Junction$11.711,794
84Cascade$11.642,396
85West Branch$11.632,876
86Mitchellville$11.542,686
87Palo$11.491,554
88Prairie City$11.381,722
89Northwood$11.282,047
90Mediapolis$11.271,679
91Ely$11.082,371
92Ogden$10.991,970
93Farley$10.911,723
94Oakland$10.851,519
95Moville$10.671,707
96Kalona$10.372,762
97Walcott$10.291,556
98Peosta$9.822,195
99Epworth$9.422,042
100Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Granger’s general levy is $8.02 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.08 below the limit.4 436 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.26 · FY26 $8.26 · FY27 $8.02 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $7.20 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$4.73 · $666,821
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.60 · $211,295
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.87 · $114,603

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$9.0M of taxable value in Granger is in TIF districts’ increment (6% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $181,727 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$615,240
$334,114

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 $94,634 of the city’s own.

  • Woodward-Granger schools$50,260
  • Dallas County$29,250
YearTIF revenue
FY16$45,727
FY17$45,237
FY18$103,184
FY19$102,863
FY20$158,195
FY21$78,038
FY22$615,240
FY23$334,114
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$45,727
FY17$45,237
FY18$103,184
FY19$102,863
FY20$158,195
FY21$78,038
FY22$615,240
FY23$334,114

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$1.1M52%
  • Debt Service Levy$666,82133%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$211,29510%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$114,6036%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Granger’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 31¢ of every dollar31¢Capital Projects: 22¢ of every dollar22¢Public Safety: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Debt Service: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Culture and Recreation: 8¢ of every dollar8¢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 99 Iowa cities closest in size (1,400–3,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (99)
Business Type / Enterprise31¢42¢
Capital Projects22¢14¢
Public Safety11¢11¢
Debt Service8¢6¢
Culture and Recreation8¢7¢
Everything else19¢19¢

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$982,16024%
  • Debt Service$716,17718%
  • Public Works$598,69015%
  • Culture and Recreation$557,02714%
  • General Government$553,58514%
  • Capital Projects$524,56213%
  • Community and Economic Development$102,8503%
  • Health and Social Services$4,6500%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$537,701$560,785
Public Safety$679,710$576,961
Health and Social Services$4,200$4,635
General Government$409,452$630,858
Debt Service$336,081$334,660
Culture and Recreation$408,248$459,478
Community and Economic Development$218,785$270,605
Capital Projects$0$261,775
Business Type / Enterprise$1.3M$1.1M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$6.8M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Granger owes

$12.3M at June 30, 2026: $7,425 per resident. 45th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$12.3M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$12.3M$7,425
2025$9.3M$5,611
2024$9.3M$5,644
2023$10.3M$6,255
2022$8.0M$4,823
2021$7.1M$4,289
2020$7.6M$4,601
2019$8.1M$4,869
2018$8.8M$5,329
2017$9.3M$5,650
2016$9.1M$5,493
2015$7.9M$4,768
2014$3.2M$1,906
2013$3.4M$2,070
2012$3.7M$2,256
2011$4.2M$2,529
2010$3.7M$2,267
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$12.3M$7,425
2025$9.3M$5,611
2024$9.3M$5,644
2023$10.3M$6,255
2022$8.0M$4,823
2021$7.1M$4,289
2020$7.6M$4,601
2019$8.1M$4,869
2018$8.8M$5,329
2017$9.3M$5,650
2016$9.1M$5,493
2015$7.9M$4,768
2014$3.2M$1,906
2013$3.4M$2,070
2012$3.7M$2,256
2011$4.2M$2,529
2010$3.7M$2,267

Up 228% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $5.6M, 48% of the limit of about $11.7M (5% of $234.1M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

11 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue Bonds2014 Sewer Revenue Capital Loan - WWTP2044$3.8M
General Obligation2025 GO Capital Loan Notes, Series 2025A2030$3.5M
Revenue Bonds2024 Water Revenue Capital Loan Notes, Series 2024B2045$2.4M
General Obligation2024 GO Capital Loan Notes, Series 20242034$958,000
Revenue Bonds2016 GO Capital Loan - WWTP2035$345,000
General Obligation2014 GO Capital Loan - WWTP2035$333,000
General Obligation2025 GO Capital Loan Notes, Series 2025B2030$328,000
General Obligation2010 Water Treatment Facility Improvements2029$313,000
General Obligation2022 Ford F550 AEV X-Series Ambulance Lease2029$139,386
Revenue Bonds2010 Water Revenue Capital Loan2029$131,000
General Obligation2022 Ford F-150 Police Responder2027$0

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. Granger’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 Friday, November 7, 2025, by the Auditor of State.

14 earlier reports for Granger

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: $234,900 in FY25, up 46% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$218,466$227,609$233,632$234,900

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.

$55,582
$42,831
  • State grants$32,75876%
  • CEBA grants$10,07324%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$27,841
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$14,001
FY23$6,000
FY24$55,582
FY25$42,831
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$27,841
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$14,001
FY23$6,000
FY24$55,582
FY25$42,831

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+16%$160,965 → $234,900, up 46% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% more

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 172% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 117% more.

$418,047
$410,437

Federal grants, for comparison: $112,740 in FY23.

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 · 3

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Granger; 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.

  • Granger City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Jodi Bermel, Scott Brandt, Jerid Shryock
  • Granger Mayor
    Now held by Clint Davis

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

Jack Whitver (Sen. 23)Dan Gehlbach (Rep. 46)

U.S. House:District 3

Dallas CountyWoodward-Granger schools