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Local taxes › Dickinson County › Orleans

City

Orleans

Dickinson County · How cities work

$1,540 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($18.34 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$350 a yearof that goes to the city ($4.13 per $1,000)
$788,121property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.0Mcity budget, all funds, FY272

Who runs it

The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.

  • Ben RadcliffeOrleans City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bill MaasOrleans Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Denda EvansOrleans City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Gary KilpatrickOrleans City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Dean MadaganOrleans City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Peggy K. RickOrleans 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 Orleans

Homes and businesses in most of Orleans pay a combined $18.34 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, $4.13. Estimate your bill.

  • Spirit Lake schools$7.8143%
  • City of Orleans$4.1323%
  • Great Lakes Sanitary Sewer$2.5014%
  • Dickinson County$1.9010%
  • Iowa Lakes Community College$1.277%
  • Dickinson County Hospital$0.483%
  • Dickinson County Assessor$0.18<1%
  • Dickinson County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.07<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$18.41$3.25
FY21$18.51$3.25
FY22$28.44$3.25
FY23$28.00$3.25
FY24$19.06$3.25
FY25$28.69$3.06
FY26$17.87$3.02
FY27$18.34$4.13
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$18.41$3.25
FY21$18.51$3.25
FY22$28.44$3.25
FY23$28.00$3.25
FY24$19.06$3.25
FY25$28.69$3.06
FY26$17.87$3.02
FY27$18.34$4.13

Compared with places this size3

Orleans’s city property tax rate of $4.13 per $1,000 is the 3rd lowest of 191 Iowa cities with 340–750 people. The middle of the group is $12.91.

Stanhope: $29.10Rolfe: $22.67Charter Oak: $21.32Oxford Junction: $20.84Earling: $20.47Pomeroy: $19.60Salem: $19.15Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Massena: $18.23Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Alden: $17.90Elma: $17.82Callender: $17.78Casey: $17.72Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Vail: $17.66Ringsted: $17.65Emerson: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Thompson: $17.25Ashton: $17.17Burt: $17.10Latimer: $16.96Lohrville: $16.95Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Mccallsburg: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Bancroft: $16.52Titonka: $16.45Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Lewis: $16.25Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Scranton: $16.01Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Russell: $15.18Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Zearing: $14.99Arlington: $14.98Maynard: $14.85Plainfield: $14.84Ryan: $14.84Otho: $14.82Wyoming: $14.81Humeston: $14.80Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Gilmore City: $14.60Garnavillo: $14.52Sabula: $14.38Garrison: $14.38Lorimor: $14.36Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Ocheyedan: $14.22Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Garwin: $14.08Farragut: $14.07Elgin: $14.05Lime Springs: $13.95Dow City: $13.94Wesley: $13.91Bussey: $13.83Livermore: $13.78Redfield: $13.73Sioux Rapids: $13.63Albion: $13.58Lamont: $13.57New Albin: $13.55Rockford: $13.52Boyden: $13.39Lawler: $13.39Lacona: $13.38New Market: $13.25Plymouth: $13.21Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Little Rock: $13.03Coggon: $12.99Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Templeton: $12.91Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Wellsburg: $12.68Delmar: $12.68Galva: $12.68Badger: $12.67Martensdale: $12.63Stanton: $12.62Hospers: $12.58Norway: $12.53Everly: $12.51Hazleton: $12.48Spillville: $12.40Alburnett: $12.30Moravia: $12.27Hedrick: $12.22Bonaparte: $12.17Schaller: $12.14Hawkeye: $12.11Colesburg: $11.97Albert City: $11.88Thornton: $11.86Runnells: $11.79Allerton: $11.72Orient: $11.66Merrill: $11.64Ellsworth: $11.57Morning Sun: $11.50Battle Creek: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43Churdan: $11.31Miles: $11.28Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Whiting: $11.21Shelby: $11.17Blairstown: $11.04Milton: $10.98Ireton: $10.93New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Fontanelle: $10.88Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Batavia: $10.77Riverdale: $10.67Union: $10.58Calamus: $10.47Lovilia: $10.46Radcliffe: $10.37Stacyville: $10.36Ventura: $10.22Andrew: $10.22Royal: $10.20Hartford: $10.16Rudd: $10.13What Cheer: $10.01Cumming: $9.85Breda: $9.80Doon: $9.78Lynnville: $9.68Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Crescent: $8.72Ainsworth: $8.62Grand Junction: $8.57Gilman: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lakeside: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Agency: $7.94Fremont: $7.86Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Beacon: $7.56Worthington: $7.50Marquette: $7.08Columbus City: $6.94Raymond: $6.85Donahue: $6.83Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79New Virginia: $5.97Holy Cross: $5.91Conesville: $5.86University Park: $5.27Okoboji: $3.83Wahpeton: $3.19Orleans: $4.13$3.19 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 191
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Stanhope$29.10354
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Charter Oak$21.32521
4Oxford Junction$20.84424
5Earling$20.47394
6Pomeroy$19.60511
7Salem$19.15380
8Dumont$19.04614
9Seymour$18.78646
10Dexter$18.69631
11Fonda$18.52636
12Massena$18.23352
13Kanawha$18.11638
14Swea City$18.04545
15Alden$17.90738
16Elma$17.82493
17Callender$17.78361
18Casey$17.72387
19Dows$17.70509
20New Hartford$17.69555
21Vail$17.66383
22Ringsted$17.65346
23Emerson$17.54401
24Walnut$17.46728
25Murray$17.44609
26Thompson$17.25478
27Ashton$17.17434
28Burt$17.10404
29Latimer$16.96477
30Lohrville$16.95366
31Elk Horn$16.78631
32Oxford$16.70715
33Mccallsburg$16.58356
34Whittemore$16.54478
35Bancroft$16.52677
36Titonka$16.45491
37Early$16.35571
38Truro$16.34515
39Lewis$16.25358
40Duncombe$16.10374
41Bayard$16.05402
42Scranton$16.01496
43Ruthven$15.84710
44Minden$15.77581
45Walker$15.74671
46Russell$15.18475
47Stanwood$15.12612
48Stratford$15.03688
49Zearing$14.99508
50Arlington$14.98415
51Maynard$14.85466
52Plainfield$14.84392
53Ryan$14.84348
54Otho$14.82417
55Wyoming$14.81526
56Humeston$14.80472
57Hopkinton$14.79622
58Essex$14.76721
59Gilmore City$14.60484
60Garnavillo$14.52751
61Sabula$14.38498
62Garrison$14.38345
63Lorimor$14.36377
64Collins$14.32503
65Clermont$14.30571
66Moulton$14.25596
67Ocheyedan$14.22424
68Mcgregor$14.20725
69Olin$14.19652
70Garwin$14.08469
71Farragut$14.07480
72Elgin$14.05676
73Lime Springs$13.95467
74Dow City$13.94477
75Wesley$13.91382
76Bussey$13.83378
77Livermore$13.78382
78Redfield$13.73719
79Sioux Rapids$13.63722
80Albion$13.58444
81Lamont$13.57429
82New Albin$13.55435
83Rockford$13.52722
84Boyden$13.39694
85Lawler$13.39392
86Lacona$13.38336
87New Market$13.25381
88Plymouth$13.21368
89Quasqueton$13.12587
90Farmington$13.10583
91Anthon$13.05534
92Little Rock$13.03447
93Coggon$12.99691
94Lehigh$12.97395
95Menlo$12.92347
96Templeton$12.91337
97Earlville$12.90713
98Brighton$12.88592
99Montrose$12.78734
100Goldfield$12.73617
101Wellsburg$12.68709
102Delmar$12.68541
103Galva$12.68416
104Badger$12.67540
105Martensdale$12.63413
106Stanton$12.62664
107Hospers$12.58703
108Norway$12.53463
109Everly$12.51570
110Hazleton$12.48711
111Spillville$12.40371
112Alburnett$12.30672
113Moravia$12.27625
114Hedrick$12.22717
115Bonaparte$12.17357
116Schaller$12.14702
117Hawkeye$12.11429
118Colesburg$11.97379
119Albert City$11.88627
120Thornton$11.86394
121Runnells$11.79467
122Allerton$11.72432
123Orient$11.66363
124Merrill$11.64713
125Ellsworth$11.57495
126Morning Sun$11.50702
127Battle Creek$11.49683
128Wall Lake$11.43739
129Churdan$11.31359
130Miles$11.28400
131Sutherland$11.25628
132Arcadia$11.23588
133Whiting$11.21725
134Shelby$11.17730
135Blairstown$11.04705
136Milton$10.98395
137Ireton$10.93571
138New Vienna$10.91384
139Letts$10.91358
140Fontanelle$10.88684
141Birmingham$10.87371
142Charlotte$10.86386
143Richland$10.82532
144Grand Mound$10.78608
145Batavia$10.77434
146Riverdale$10.67385
147Union$10.58378
148Calamus$10.47348
149Lovilia$10.46456
150Radcliffe$10.37540
151Stacyville$10.36436
152Ventura$10.22701
153Andrew$10.22374
154Royal$10.20379
155Hartford$10.16729
156Rudd$10.13339
157What Cheer$10.01595
158Cumming$9.85527
159Breda$9.80492
160Doon$9.78640
161Lynnville$9.68382
162Farnhamville$9.18364
163Middletown$9.16365
164Alleman$9.12439
165Crescent$8.72626
166Ainsworth$8.62511
167Grand Junction$8.57715
168Gilman$8.10530
169Grandview$8.10431
170Kellogg$8.10597
171Lakeside$8.10695
172Lost Nation$8.10425
173Agency$7.94623
174Fremont$7.86688
175Delhi$7.81438
176Klemme$7.74429
177Beacon$7.56434
178Worthington$7.50374
179Marquette$7.08434
180Columbus City$6.94385
181Raymond$6.85754
182Donahue$6.83336
183Keystone$6.80616
184Shueyville$6.79725
185New Virginia$5.97499
186Holy Cross$5.91348
187Conesville$5.86350
188University Park$5.27476
189Orleans$4.13503
190Okoboji$3.83729
191Wahpeton$3.19337

The $8.10 limit

Orleans’s general levy is $1.94 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $6.16 below the limit.4 930 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $2.06 · FY24 $2.08 · FY25 $2.02 · FY26 $2.00 · FY27 $1.94 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $2.19 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$2.19 · $417,322

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.

  • Debt Service Levy$417,32253%
  • Consolidate General Fund$369,95047%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Orleans’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 77¢ of every dollar77¢Public Works: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Debt Service: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Public Safety: 2¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 2¢ of every dollarEverything else: 1¢ 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 190 Iowa cities closest in size (340–750 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (190)
Capital Projects77¢4¢
Public Works10¢19¢
Debt Service8¢5¢
Public Safety2¢9¢
General Government2¢13¢
Everything else1¢10¢

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$807,78941%
  • Public Works$475,00024%
  • Debt Service$418,08321%
  • General Government$109,5006%
  • Public Safety$89,1745%
  • Culture and Recreation$45,8712%
  • Community and Economic Development$26,5001%
  • Health and Social Services$5,0000%
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$463,500$385,735
Public Safety$54,000$48,667
Health and Social Services$19,000$9,300
General Government$61,500$72,727
Debt Service$168,975$168,975
Culture and Recreation$24,000$15,424
Community and Economic Development$10,500$10,454
Capital Projects$690,000$898,166
Business Type / Enterprise$0$0

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$2.7M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Orleans owes

$5.3M at June 30, 2026: $10,106 per resident. 14th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$5.5M
$5.3M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.3M$10,106
2025$5.5M$10,470
2024$1.7M$3,263
2023$1.8M$3,503
2022$1.9M$3,743
2021$804,749$1,545
2020$917,749$1,762
2019$1.0M$2,002
2018$1.2M$2,209
2017$1.3M$2,411
2016$1.5M$2,810
2015$1.7M$3,200
2014$300,000$576
2013$390,000$749
2012$406,365$780
2011$630,000$1,209
2010$406,365$780
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.3M$10,106
2025$5.5M$10,470
2024$1.7M$3,263
2023$1.8M$3,503
2022$1.9M$3,743
2021$804,749$1,545
2020$917,749$1,762
2019$1.0M$2,002
2018$1.2M$2,209
2017$1.3M$2,411
2016$1.5M$2,810
2015$1.7M$3,200
2014$300,000$576
2013$390,000$749
2012$406,365$780
2011$630,000$1,209
2010$406,365$780

Up 1196% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $5.3M, 31% of the limit of about $17.1M (5% of $342.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

2 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation140th St Utility and Street Project, Phase 12044$3.8M
General Obligation2021 Sunset Drive Street & Utility project AND rolled balance of 2014 252nd Ave outstanding debt into one debt obligation2035$1.4M

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 balances9. Orleans’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Friday, June 30, 2023 (PDF), released Friday, February 14, 2025, by a CPA firm.

1 earlier report for Orleans

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? 11

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: $0 in FY25, down 100% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 100% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$74,189$71,695$73,593–
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)––$722–

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.

$75,196
  • Iowa DOT projects$73,99298%
  • Other$1,2042%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$25,000
FY20$12,516
FY21$57,237
FY22$0
FY23$0
FY24$0
FY25$75,196
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$25,000
FY20$12,516
FY21$57,237
FY22$0
FY23$0
FY24$0
FY25$75,196

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 20% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 5% less.

$179,183
$162,884

Federal grants, for comparison: $43,885 in FY23.

Business awards

Every award statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 285 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)12.

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 Orleans; 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.

  • Orleans City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Dean Madagan, Peggy K. Rick
  • Orleans Mayor
    Now held by Bill Maas

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

Past ballot measures

  • Public Measure GUNovember 7, 2023

    Passed Yes 68.7% (138) · No 31.3% (63)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

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 ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

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

U.S. House:District 4

Dickinson CountySpirit Lake schools