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Local taxes › Dickinson County › Milford

City

Milford

Dickinson County · How cities work

$2,380 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($28.24 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,060 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.57 per $1,000)
$2.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$9.0Mcity 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.

  • Bob ClarkMilford Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Chris HinshawMilford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jantina CarneyMilford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • McIntyre ArndtMilford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • C. Shane HoffmanMilford City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kyle MohniMilford 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 Milford

Homes and businesses in most of Milford pay a combined $28.24 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Dickinson County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.57. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Milford$12.5745%
  • Okoboji schools$9.2333%
  • Great Lakes Sanitary Sewer$2.509%
  • Dickinson County$1.907%
  • Iowa Lakes Community College$1.275%
  • Dickinson County Hospital$0.482%
  • Dickinson County Assessor$0.18<1%
  • Dickinson County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.07<1%
  • Milford-Milford Cemetery$0.04<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$29.36$13.08
FY21$29.73$13.08
FY22$29.30$13.01
FY23$28.93$13.01
FY24$30.00$12.99
FY25$29.63$12.58
FY26$28.71$12.57
FY27$28.24$12.57
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$29.36$13.08
FY21$29.73$13.08
FY22$29.30$13.01
FY23$28.93$13.01
FY24$30.00$12.99
FY25$29.63$12.58
FY26$28.71$12.57
FY27$28.24$12.57

Compared with places this size3

Milford’s city property tax rate of $12.57 per $1,000 is the 20th lowest of 66 Iowa cities with 2,200–4,900 people. The middle of the group is $14.30.

Eldora: $26.87Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93West Union: $16.60Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Cresco: $16.13Marengo: $16.10Humboldt: $16.00Forest City: $15.77Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Shenandoah: $15.02Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Waukon: $14.76Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Jesup: $14.31Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Camanche: $12.75Bellevue: $12.67Le Claire: $12.64Lisbon: $12.50Onawa: $12.32Hull: $11.79Huxley: $11.68Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Ely: $11.08Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37Dyersville: $10.27West Burlington: $10.15Peosta: $9.82Robins: $9.68Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Milford: $12.57$8.00 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 66
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Rockwell City$20.742,185
3Bloomfield$20.412,773
4Belmond$19.862,405
5Sibley$19.772,787
6Albia$19.703,579
7Eagle Grove$19.323,615
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Toledo$18.212,372
11La Porte City$18.082,267
12Tama$17.742,997
13Clarion$17.742,751
14Missouri Valley$17.682,638
15Madrid$16.932,824
16West Union$16.602,435
17Grundy Center$16.362,821
18Belle Plaine$16.342,335
19Colfax$16.252,305
20Cresco$16.133,890
21Marengo$16.102,415
22Humboldt$16.004,774
23Forest City$15.774,199
24Postville$15.682,418
25Tipton$15.543,059
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Jefferson$14.884,148
28Hampton$14.864,340
29Carlisle$14.824,381
30Waukon$14.763,799
31Rock Rapids$14.572,709
32Monticello$14.494,095
33Jesup$14.312,541
34Osage$14.293,559
35Rock Valley$13.764,024
36Emmetsburg$13.703,632
37Wilton$13.622,914
38Mount Vernon$13.504,518
39New Hampton$13.443,433
40Hudson$13.192,916
41Center Point$13.192,578
42Hawarden$13.022,630
43Garner$12.863,049
44Camanche$12.754,536
45Bellevue$12.672,321
46Le Claire$12.644,776
47Milford$12.573,258
48Lisbon$12.502,238
49Onawa$12.322,795
50Hull$11.792,459
51Huxley$11.684,737
52Cascade$11.642,396
53West Branch$11.632,876
54Mitchellville$11.542,686
55Solon$11.533,284
56Williamsburg$11.113,380
57Ely$11.082,371
58Carter Lake$10.673,752
59Story City$10.393,439
60Kalona$10.372,762
61Dyersville$10.274,559
62West Burlington$10.153,249
63Peosta$9.822,195
64Robins$9.683,362
65Fairfax$8.102,937
66Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Milford’s general levy is $7.56 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.54 below the limit.4 783 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.86 · FY26 $7.79 · FY27 $7.56 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $5.01 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.50 · $464,227
  • Debt Service Levy$1.78 · $434,471
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.44 · $82,363
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.19 · $34,943
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.10 · $19,257

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$58.6M of taxable value in Milford is in TIF districts’ increment (24% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $483,298 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$839,147

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 $632,629 of the city’s own.

  • Okoboji schools$263,467
  • Dickinson County$111,362
YearTIF revenue
FY16$579,466
FY17$617,753
FY18$691,865
FY19$757,313
FY20$782,898
FY21$801,720
FY22$826,648
FY23$839,147
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$579,466
FY17$617,753
FY18$691,865
FY19$757,313
FY20$782,898
FY21$801,720
FY22$826,648
FY23$839,147

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$1.4M58%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$464,22719%
  • Debt Service Levy$434,47118%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$82,3633%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$34,9431%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$19,2571%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Milford’s budget goes, FY26

Debt Service: 21¢ of every dollar21¢Public Safety: 19¢ of every dollar19¢Capital Projects: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Culture and Recreation: 10¢ of every dollar10¢General Government: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Everything else: 24¢ of every dollar24¢

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 65 Iowa cities closest in size (2,200–4,900 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (65)
Debt Service21¢8¢
Public Safety19¢13¢
Capital Projects16¢17¢
Culture and Recreation10¢8¢
General Government10¢5¢
Everything else24¢50¢

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$2.5M28%
  • Debt Service$1.6M17%
  • Public Safety$1.5M17%
  • Public Works$934,55610%
  • Community and Economic Development$914,26610%
  • Culture and Recreation$866,28810%
  • General Government$687,7828%
  • Health and Social Services$8,4500%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($391,700 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$754,168$711,437
Public Safety$973,106$911,500
Health and Social Services$3,500$3,500
General Government$489,317$467,091
Debt Service$846,935$846,935
Culture and Recreation$722,675$546,721
Community and Economic Development$645,707$425,351
Capital Projects$2.6M$3.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$400,049$423,479

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$17.5M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Milford owes

$13.3M at June 30, 2026: $4,002 per resident. 180th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$14.2M
$13.3M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$13.3M$4,002
2025$14.2M$4,286
2024$9.6M$2,891
2023$10.2M$3,076
2022$6.0M$1,817
2021$6.5M$1,947
2020$3.6M$1,078
2019$3.8M$1,129
2018$4.4M$1,320
2017$4.9M$1,468
2016$8.6M$2,588
2015$7.0M$2,115
2014$8.4M$2,520
2013$8.5M$2,568
2012$8.4M$2,529
2011$8.6M$2,579
2010$7.6M$2,275
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$13.3M$4,002
2025$14.2M$4,286
2024$9.6M$2,891
2023$10.2M$3,076
2022$6.0M$1,817
2021$6.5M$1,947
2020$3.6M$1,078
2019$3.8M$1,129
2018$4.4M$1,320
2017$4.9M$1,468
2016$8.6M$2,588
2015$7.0M$2,115
2014$8.4M$2,520
2013$8.5M$2,568
2012$8.4M$2,529
2011$8.6M$2,579
2010$7.6M$2,275

Up 76% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $13.3M, 63% of the limit of about $21.2M (5% of $424.9M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationA34/13th St. Reconstruction project2044$5.2M
General ObligationSeries 2022 A34, Helen Ave.2042$4.5M
General ObligationSeries 2021 GO Corporate Purpose and Refunding Bond2040$3.6M

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. Milford’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Monday, December 1, 2025, by a CPA firm.

17 earlier reports for Milford

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: $495,940 in FY25, up 22% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$448,527$457,007$469,100$471,646
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$59,123$48,586$36,442$24,294

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.

$1.0M
  • Iowa Economic Development Authority$1.0M100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$33,020
FY20$594,350
FY21$268,200
FY22$371
FY23$0
FY24$39,027
FY25$1.0M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$33,020
FY20$594,350
FY21$268,200
FY22$371
FY23$0
FY24$39,027
FY25$1.0M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+0%$374,380 → $471,646, up 26% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 0% more
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−39%$31,550 → $24,294, down 23% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 39% 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 60% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 28% more.

$1.0M

Federal grants, for comparison: $1.0M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

1 business has state awards in MILFORD: $515K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 100 jobs. Closed projects promised 100 jobs; 100 were there at the end.14

  • Liberty Diversified
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Met its contract · 100 jobs required, 100 at the end
    $515K

Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2018 worth $1.9M, for 160 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)15.

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

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Milford; 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.

  • Milford City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by C. Shane Hoffman, Kyle Mohni
  • Milford Mayor
    Now held by Bob Clark

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here16.

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 ballot17.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress18

David D. Rowley (Sen. 5)John H. Wills (Rep. 10)

U.S. House:District 4

Dickinson CountyOkoboji schools