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Local taxes › Des Moines County › Mediapolis

City

Mediapolis

Des Moines County · How cities work

$2,610 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($30.95 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$950 a yearof that goes to the city ($11.27 per $1,000)
$667,656property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.3Mcity 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.

  • Erika SalekMediapolis City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Nolan SchmidgallMediapolis City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Vollie RifnerMediapolis City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Chuck MassnerMediapolis Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Herschel W SmuckMediapolis City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • James ReifMediapolis 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 Mediapolis

Homes and businesses in most of Mediapolis pay a combined $30.95 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Des Moines County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $11.27. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.56$11.68
FY21$30.77$11.21
FY22$30.75$11.21
FY23$29.89$11.21
FY24$30.48$11.51
FY25$30.51$11.51
FY26$30.59$11.51
FY27$30.95$11.27
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.56$11.68
FY21$30.77$11.21
FY22$30.75$11.21
FY23$29.89$11.21
FY24$30.48$11.51
FY25$30.51$11.51
FY26$30.59$11.51
FY27$30.95$11.27

Compared with places this size3

Mediapolis’s city property tax rate of $11.27 per $1,000 is the 18th lowest of 112 Iowa cities with 1,100–2,500 people. The middle of the group is $14.10.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $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: $17.95Britt: $17.72Strawberry Point: $17.58Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Nashua: $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: $15.05Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Glidden: $13.43Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Springville: $13.22Greenfield: $13.13Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Bellevue: $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: $11.64Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Walcott: $10.29Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Arnolds Park: $4.95Mediapolis: $11.27$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 112
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
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
14Britt$17.722,001
15Strawberry Point$17.581,141
16Manson$16.871,646
17Fayette$16.851,193
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
43Tripoli$14.991,208
44Sumner$14.832,032
45Woodbine$14.801,707
46Bedford$14.661,474
47Lenox$14.651,355
48Manning$14.621,390
49Van Meter$14.601,840
50Coon Rapids$14.491,258
51Nora Springs$14.251,330
52Kingsley$14.251,394
53Urbana$14.201,635
54Sheffield$14.161,123
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
66Glidden$13.431,140
67Wapello$13.292,026
68Manly$13.291,233
69Springville$13.221,161
70Greenfield$13.131,988
71Akron$12.931,545
72Leon$12.931,779
73New Sharon$12.801,249
74Slater$12.791,626
75Buffalo$12.681,163
76Bellevue$12.672,321
77Sanborn$12.621,463
78New London$12.561,853
79Lisbon$12.502,238
80Dallas Center$12.421,993
81Remsen$12.321,681
82Monroe$12.282,021
83Denver$12.271,955
84Alta$12.132,039
85Reinbeck$12.101,673
86Atkins$11.992,168
87Wellman$11.881,531
88Blue Grass$11.791,707
89Hull$11.792,459
90Columbus Junction$11.711,794
91Cascade$11.642,396
92Palo$11.491,554
93Prairie City$11.381,722
94Northwood$11.282,047
95Mediapolis$11.271,679
96Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
97University Heights$11.121,188
98Ely$11.082,371
99Ogden$10.991,970
100Farley$10.911,723
101Oakland$10.851,519
102Moville$10.671,707
103Walcott$10.291,556
104Lake Park$10.251,155
105Central City$10.011,254
106Peosta$9.822,195
107Epworth$9.422,042
108Lake View$9.391,120
109Fairbank$9.001,133
110Walford$8.721,357
111Lone Tree$8.131,341
112Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Mediapolis’s general levy is $8.16 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.06 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 173 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.32 · FY26 $8.32 · FY27 $8.16 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.11 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.14 · $126,284
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.97 · $57,600

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$5.6M of taxable value in Mediapolis is in TIF districts’ increment (9% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $146,590 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$95,324
$90,511

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 $62,830 of the city’s own.

  • Mediapolis schools$48,439
  • Des Moines County$29,022
YearTIF revenue
FY16$20,259
FY17$19,837
FY18$31,298
FY19$63,942
FY20$73,788
FY21$86,556
FY22$95,324
FY23$90,511
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$20,259
FY17$19,837
FY18$31,298
FY19$63,942
FY20$73,788
FY21$86,556
FY22$95,324
FY23$90,511

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$482,42372%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$126,28419%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$57,6009%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Mediapolis’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 71¢ of every dollar71¢Public Works: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Culture and Recreation: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Public Safety: 5¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 3¢ of every dollarEverything else: 2¢ 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 111 Iowa cities closest in size (1,100–2,500 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (111)
Business Type / Enterprise71¢40¢
Public Works12¢11¢
Culture and Recreation7¢8¢
Public Safety5¢11¢
General Government3¢6¢
Everything else2¢3¢

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$1.3M57%
  • Culture and Recreation$402,62518%
  • Public Safety$287,96513%
  • General Government$170,3358%
  • Community and Economic Development$102,8065%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($4.0M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$998,511$1.4M
Public Safety$131,382$132,272
Health and Social Services$2,000$2,000
General Government$136,862$157,585
Debt Service$0$0
Culture and Recreation$332,730$384,292
Community and Economic Development$101,514$284,497
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$807,014$930,669

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$3.3M
$3.1M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Mediapolis owes

$1.6M at June 30, 2026: $938 per resident. 558th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$2.1M
$1.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.6M$938
2025$1.7M$1,001
2024$1.8M$1,062
2023$1.9M$1,123
2022$2.0M$1,182
2021$2.1M$1,241
2020$1.5M$897
2019$1.2M$721
2018$1.3M$772
2017$510,000$302
2016$235,000$139
2015$345,000$204
2014$450,000$267
2013$555,000$329
2012$655,000$388
2011$965,000$572
2010$1.3M$797
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.6M$938
2025$1.7M$1,001
2024$1.8M$1,062
2023$1.9M$1,123
2022$2.0M$1,182
2021$2.1M$1,241
2020$1.5M$897
2019$1.2M$721
2018$1.3M$772
2017$510,000$302
2016$235,000$139
2015$345,000$204
2014$450,000$267
2013$555,000$329
2012$655,000$388
2011$965,000$572
2010$1.3M$797

Up 18% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $0, 0% of the limit of about $6.0M (5% of $119.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

2 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsPhase 2 Lagoon Project2040$867,000
Revenue BondsPhase 1 Lagoon Project2038$716,000

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. Mediapolis’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 Monday, July 20, 2026, by a CPA firm.

The report has no Schedule of Findings Iowa Funnel could read.

13 earlier reports for Mediapolis

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: $508,911 in FY25, up 153% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 101% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$230,147$232,288$238,434$502,307
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$13,417$11,739$10,063$6,604

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.

$890,355
$45,171
  • State grants$45,171100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$890,355
FY20$0
FY21$60,000
FY22$213,413
FY23$425,899
FY24$212,343
FY25$45,171
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$890,355
FY20$0
FY21$60,000
FY22$213,413
FY23$425,899
FY24$212,343
FY25$45,171

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+99%$201,530 → $502,307, up 149% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 99% 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 58% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 26% more.

$360,970
$337,205

Federal grants, for comparison: $363,168 in FY21.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2005 worth $290K, for 60 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 · 1

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Mediapolis; 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.

  • Mediapolis City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by James Reif, Herschel W Smuck
  • Mediapolis Mayor
    Now held by Chuck Massner

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

Mark S. Lofgren (Sen. 48)Taylor R. Collins (Rep. 95)

U.S. House:District 1

Des Moines CountyMediapolis schools