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Manchester

Delaware County · How cities work

$3,140 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($37.27 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,260 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.96 per $1,000)
$4.0Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$10.5Mcity 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.

  • Connie BehnkenManchester Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Diane HammellManchester City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mary Ann PoynorManchester City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bryan GrayManchester City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Joseph DittrickManchester City Council Ward 1 · elected November 7, 2023
  • William ScherbringManchester City Council Ward 3 · 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 Manchester

Homes and businesses in most of Manchester pay a combined $37.34 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Delaware County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.96. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Manchester 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$36.44$15.58
FY21$36.07$15.32
FY22$37.04$15.58
FY23$37.25$15.75
FY24$37.80$15.94
FY25$38.55$15.55
FY26$38.38$15.45
FY27$37.27$14.96
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.44$15.58
FY21$36.07$15.32
FY22$37.04$15.58
FY23$37.25$15.75
FY24$37.80$15.94
FY25$38.55$15.55
FY26$38.38$15.45
FY27$37.27$14.96

Compared with places this size3

Manchester’s city property tax rate of $14.96 per $1,000 is the 29th highest of 60 Iowa cities with 3,600–7,800 people. The middle of the group is $14.87.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Webster City: $16.51Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Charles City: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Decorah: $15.52Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Creston: $14.99Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Nevada: $14.58Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Mount Vernon: $13.50Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Tiffin: $11.80Huxley: $11.68Polk City: $11.00Carter Lake: $10.67Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17Clear Lake: $9.85Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Evansdale: $8.00Manchester: $14.96$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 60
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Albia$19.703,579
4Eagle Grove$19.323,615
5Independence$19.016,266
6Iowa Falls$18.864,993
7West Liberty$18.683,724
8Chariton$18.374,278
9Atlantic$17.486,717
10Knoxville$17.467,440
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Webster City$16.517,763
15Vinton$16.254,962
16Winterset$16.155,421
17Cresco$16.133,890
18Humboldt$16.004,774
19Anamosa$15.955,845
20Charles City$15.957,081
21Forest City$15.774,199
22Decorah$15.527,454
23Sheldon$15.335,584
24Estherville$15.275,796
25Washington$15.217,281
26Harlan$15.074,898
27Shenandoah$15.024,878
28Creston$14.997,421
29Manchester$14.965,283
30Jefferson$14.884,148
31Hampton$14.864,340
32Carlisle$14.824,381
33Cherokee$14.825,186
34Glenwood$14.775,250
35Waukon$14.763,799
36Nevada$14.587,082
37Monticello$14.494,095
38Osceola$14.375,585
39Windsor Heights$14.305,106
40Osage$14.293,559
41Orange City$14.016,547
42Hiawatha$13.787,347
43Rock Valley$13.764,024
44Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
45Emmetsburg$13.703,632
46Mount Vernon$13.504,518
47Adel$13.436,763
48Maquoketa$12.856,064
49Camanche$12.754,536
50Le Claire$12.644,776
51Tiffin$11.806,695
52Huxley$11.684,737
53Polk City$11.006,430
54Carter Lake$10.673,752
55Dyersville$10.274,559
56Spirit Lake$10.175,548
57Clear Lake$9.857,602
58Asbury$8.326,051
59Eldridge$8.136,967
60Evansdale$8.004,515

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$2.0M51%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$977,35824%
  • Debt Service Levy$765,51719%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$216,7125%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Manchester’s budget goes, FY26

Public Works: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Business Type / Enterprise: 18¢ of every dollar18¢Public Safety: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Culture and Recreation: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Debt Service: 11¢ of every dollar11¢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 59 Iowa cities closest in size (3,600–7,800 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (59)
Public Works23¢8¢
Business Type / Enterprise18¢37¢
Public Safety17¢13¢
Culture and Recreation13¢8¢
Debt Service11¢7¢
Everything else19¢27¢

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$2.5M24%
  • Capital Projects$1.8M17%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.7M16%
  • Public Works$1.6M15%
  • Debt Service$1.3M13%
  • General Government$835,7098%
  • Community and Economic Development$707,7607%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.9M$1.4M
Public Safety$1.9M$1.8M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$472,545$452,155
Debt Service$1.4M$1.4M
Culture and Recreation$1.2M$1.2M
Community and Economic Development$472,108$443,607
Capital Projects$2.0M$3.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$2.0M$2.2M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out4

$16.7M
’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

$1.6M in FY25: up 66% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 32% more. Road Use Tax, the money for streets the state sends every year by formula, is up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% less; grants come and go.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M’19’21’23’25Today's $Actual
0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Today's $Actual
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$702,996$697,001$715,444$719,328
Iowa DOT projects–$244,307$11,207$11,207
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$208,428$181,202$245,822$226,700
State grants$138,976$9,420$4,309$691,791
Iowa Economic Development Authority–$189,993$134,068–
Iowa Department of Natural Resources––$219,385–
Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$702,996$697,001$715,444$719,328
Iowa DOT projects–$244,307$11,207$11,207
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$208,428$181,202$245,822$226,700
State grants$138,976$9,420$4,309$691,791
Iowa Economic Development Authority–$189,993$134,068–
Iowa Department of Natural Resources––$219,385–

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−14%$669,053 → $719,328, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−41%$305,992 → $226,700, down 26% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 41% less
  • State grants+2791%$19,072 → $691,791, up 3527% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 2791% 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 71% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 37% more.

$808,875
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $46,616 in FY24.

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 3

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress6

Dan Zumbach (Sen. 34)Craig P. Johnson (Rep. 67)

U.S. House:District 2

Delaware CountyWest Delaware Co schoolsWest Delaware County schools