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Van Meter

Dallas County · How cities work

$3,010 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($35.75 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,230 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.60 per $1,000)
$1.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$19.3Mcity 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.

  • Jarin YoungVan Meter City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jason BarneyVan Meter City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe LakeVan Meter City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe HermanVan Meter Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Joel AkersVan Meter City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Travis BrottVan Meter 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 Van Meter

Homes and businesses in most of Van Meter pay a combined $35.75 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, $14.60. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

CombinedCity’s own
0$10$20$30$40’20’22’24’26’27CombinedCity’s own
0$10$20$30$40’20’21’22’23’24’25’26’27CombinedCity’s own
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.21$14.75
FY21$35.84$14.66
FY22$35.22$14.18
FY23$35.02$14.34
FY24$35.29$14.26
FY25$35.63$14.21
FY26$35.74$14.16
FY27$35.75$14.60
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.21$14.75
FY21$35.84$14.66
FY22$35.22$14.18
FY23$35.02$14.34
FY24$35.29$14.26
FY25$35.63$14.21
FY26$35.74$14.16
FY27$35.75$14.60

Compared with places this size3

Van Meter’s city property tax rate of $14.60 per $1,000 is the 48th highest of 106 Iowa cities with 1,200–2,800 people. The middle of the group is $14.23.

Eldora: $26.87Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Belmond: $19.86Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Dysart: $17.95Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Logan: $15.05Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Rock Rapids: $14.57Coon Rapids: $14.49Jesup: $14.31Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64Mitchellville: $11.54Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Walcott: $10.29Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Van Meter: $14.60$8.13 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 106
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Rockwell City$20.742,185
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sac City$19.691,992
7Traer$19.561,547
8Corning$19.361,509
9Lake City$19.321,656
10Corydon$18.221,563
11Toledo$18.212,372
12La Porte City$18.082,267
13Dysart$17.951,266
14Clarion$17.742,751
15Britt$17.722,001
16Missouri Valley$17.682,638
17Manson$16.871,646
18Nashua$16.811,515
19Ackley$16.631,538
20West Union$16.602,435
21Audubon$16.522,008
22Roland$16.511,376
23Monona$16.411,462
24Belle Plaine$16.342,335
25Colfax$16.252,305
26Durant$16.241,798
27Lamoni$16.152,072
28Marengo$16.102,415
29Dike$15.941,293
30Holstein$15.811,475
31State Center$15.801,403
32Pleasantville$15.801,696
33Postville$15.682,418
34Earlham$15.551,411
35Shell Rock$15.521,265
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
50Coon Rapids$14.491,258
51Jesup$14.312,541
52Nora Springs$14.251,330
53Kingsley$14.251,394
54Urbana$14.201,635
55Parkersburg$14.151,986
56Hartley$14.111,584
57Ida Grove$14.101,988
58Woodward$14.051,383
59Guthrie Center$14.041,579
60Alton$13.871,248
61Lake Mills$13.822,077
62Montezuma$13.791,421
63Gilbert$13.711,397
64Clarksville$13.531,238
65Avoca$13.511,685
66Wapello$13.292,026
67Manly$13.291,233
68Center Point$13.192,578
69Greenfield$13.131,988
70Hawarden$13.022,630
71Akron$12.931,545
72Leon$12.931,779
73New Sharon$12.801,249
74Slater$12.791,626
75Bellevue$12.672,321
76Sanborn$12.621,463
77New London$12.561,853
78Lisbon$12.502,238
79Dallas Center$12.421,993
80Remsen$12.321,681
81Monroe$12.282,021
82Denver$12.271,955
83Alta$12.132,039
84Reinbeck$12.101,673
85Atkins$11.992,168
86Wellman$11.881,531
87Blue Grass$11.791,707
88Hull$11.792,459
89Columbus Junction$11.711,794
90Cascade$11.642,396
91Mitchellville$11.542,686
92Palo$11.491,554
93Prairie City$11.381,722
94Northwood$11.282,047
95Mediapolis$11.271,679
96Ely$11.082,371
97Ogden$10.991,970
98Farley$10.911,723
99Oakland$10.851,519
100Moville$10.671,707
101Walcott$10.291,556
102Central City$10.011,254
103Peosta$9.822,195
104Epworth$9.422,042
105Walford$8.721,357
106Lone Tree$8.131,341

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$549,77452%
  • Debt Service Levy$273,89826%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$164,62015%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$74,9497%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Van Meter’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 77¢ of every dollar77¢Business Type / Enterprise: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Public Safety: 5¢ of every dollarCulture and Recreation: 2¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 2¢ of every dollarEverything else: 5¢ of every dollar

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 (1,200–2,800 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (105)
Capital Projects77¢12¢
Business Type / Enterprise8¢42¢
Public Safety5¢11¢
Culture and Recreation2¢8¢
General Government2¢6¢
Everything else5¢20¢

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.

  • Capital Projects$15.9M83%
  • Public Safety$664,3783%
  • Public Works$654,4003%
  • General Government$535,5003%
  • Debt Service$534,2003%
  • Community and Economic Development$531,0893%
  • Culture and Recreation$421,7532%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.7M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$287,350$293,307
Public Safety$327,025$614,138
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$358,100$388,958
Debt Service$244,887$174,400
Culture and Recreation$340,270$547,572
Community and Economic Development$52,000$31,444
Capital Projects$0$26,695
Business Type / Enterprise$2.0M$725,319

What it spent each year

FY24 left out4

$9.5M
’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’25

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? 5

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: $212,619 in FY25, up 51% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 21% more. Grants are below.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
0$100,000$200,000$300,000$400,000’19’21’23’25Today's $Actual
0$100,000$200,000$300,000$400,000’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Today's $Actual
Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$193,470–$209,619$210,757
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$4,653$1,862–$1,862

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.

$303,340
$15,475
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
  • State grants$15,475100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$76,181
FY20$941
FY21$1,440
FY22$1,529
FY23$303,340
FY24$3,193
FY25$15,475
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$76,181
FY20$941
FY21$1,440
FY22$1,529
FY23$303,340
FY24$3,193
FY25$15,475

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+28%$131,253 → $210,757, up 61% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 28% more
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−84%$9,314 → $1,862, down 80% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 84% 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 160% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 107% more.

$402,307
$393,924
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $2,883 in FY24.

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

Ballot measures · 1

Passed Yes 60.1% (208) · No 39.9% (138)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

City · 1

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Van Meter; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress6

Sarah Trone Garriott (Sen. 14)David E. Young (Rep. 28)

U.S. House:District 3

Dallas CountyVan Meter schools