Local taxes › Dickinson County › Wahpeton

City

Wahpeton

$1,590 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($18.82 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$270 a yearof that goes to the city ($3.19 per $1,000)

$1.2Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27

$9.1Mcity 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.

Harold PriorWahpeton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Lois BensonWahpeton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Merlyn KrugerWahpeton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Phillip A JohnsonWahpeton Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
Bradley JonesWahpeton City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Holly R. MeadWahpeton 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 Wahpeton

Homes and businesses in most of Wahpeton pay a combined $18.82 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, $3.19. Estimate your bill.

Okoboji schools$9.2349%
City of Wahpeton$3.1917%
Great Lakes Sanitary Sewer$2.5013%
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 Wahpeton pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.

CombinedCity’s own

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$19.51	$3.23
FY21	$19.78	$3.14
FY22	$20.97	$4.69
FY23	$20.75	$4.84
FY24	$20.41	$3.42
FY25	$21.59	$3.32
FY26	$19.40	$3.29
FY27	$18.82	$3.19

Show the numbers

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$19.51	$3.23
FY21	$19.78	$3.14
FY22	$20.97	$4.69
FY23	$20.75	$4.84
FY24	$20.41	$3.42
FY25	$21.59	$3.32
FY26	$19.40	$3.29
FY27	$18.82	$3.19

Compared with places this size³

Wahpeton’s city property tax rate of $3.19 per $1,000 is the 2nd lowest of 200 Iowa cities with 230–510 people. The middle of the group is $12.48.

See all 200

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Stanhope	$29.10	354
2	Rolfe	$22.67	505
3	Fenton	$22.05	250
4	Elliott	$21.61	328
5	Oxford Junction	$20.84	424
6	Earling	$20.47	394
7	Fort Atkinson	$19.19	300
8	Salem	$19.15	380
9	Cumberland	$18.42	248
10	Massena	$18.23	352
11	Elma	$17.82	493
12	Callender	$17.78	361
13	Casey	$17.72	387
14	Vail	$17.66	383
15	Ringsted	$17.65	346
16	Emerson	$17.54	401
17	Thompson	$17.25	478
18	Ashton	$17.17	434
19	Pierson	$17.12	335
20	Burt	$17.10	404
21	Pisgah	$17.09	248
22	Latimer	$16.96	477
23	Lohrville	$16.95	366
24	Lakota	$16.84	261
25	Marble Rock	$16.78	258
26	Auburn	$16.65	253
27	Mccallsburg	$16.58	356
28	Whittemore	$16.54	478
29	Irwin	$16.46	320
30	Titonka	$16.45	491
31	Lewis	$16.25	358
32	Corwith	$16.22	259
33	Deep River	$16.18	243
34	Waucoma	$16.17	235
35	Duncombe	$16.10	374
36	Bayard	$16.05	402
37	Scranton	$16.01	496
38	Granville	$16.00	302
39	Minburn	$15.75	317
40	Peterson	$15.27	321
41	Russell	$15.18	475
42	Arlington	$14.98	415
43	Riverton	$14.94	243
44	Maynard	$14.85	466
45	Plainfield	$14.84	392
46	Ryan	$14.84	348
47	Otho	$14.82	417
48	Humeston	$14.80	472
49	Bagley	$14.63	230
50	Gilmore City	$14.60	484
51	Sabula	$14.38	498
52	Garrison	$14.38	345
53	Halbur	$14.37	268
54	Lorimor	$14.36	377
55	Crystal Lake	$14.36	243
56	Collins	$14.32	503
57	Kimballton	$14.27	281
58	Ocheyedan	$14.22	424
59	Steamboat Rock	$14.19	261
60	Garwin	$14.08	469
61	Farragut	$14.07	480
62	Mystic	$14.01	318
63	Lime Springs	$13.95	467
64	Dow City	$13.94	477
65	Wesley	$13.91	382
66	Diagonal	$13.91	331
67	Bussey	$13.83	378
68	Mondamin	$13.82	335
69	Livermore	$13.78	382
70	Fertile	$13.70	300
71	Stockport	$13.68	272
72	Kellerton	$13.60	241
73	Albion	$13.58	444
74	Quimby	$13.58	245
75	Lamont	$13.57	429
76	New Albin	$13.55	435
77	Persia	$13.41	292
78	Lawler	$13.39	392
79	Lacona	$13.38	336
80	Leland	$13.31	240
81	Ute	$13.26	326
82	New Market	$13.25	381
83	Plymouth	$13.21	368
84	Harcourt	$13.21	257
85	Bennett	$13.16	330
86	Ridgeway	$13.10	261
87	Farmersburg	$13.09	264
88	Little Rock	$13.03	447
89	Lehigh	$12.97	395
90	Menlo	$12.92	347
91	Templeton	$12.91	337
92	Silver City	$12.87	244
93	Martelle	$12.83	250
94	Malcom	$12.82	257
95	Galva	$12.68	416
96	Martensdale	$12.63	413
97	Williams	$12.57	299
98	Maurice	$12.56	271
99	Norway	$12.53	463
100	Clearfield	$12.50	277
101	Kensett	$12.47	256
102	Mccausland	$12.45	314
103	Spillville	$12.40	371
104	Modale	$12.34	284
105	Mingo	$12.31	314
106	Brandon	$12.29	331
107	Blakesburg	$12.21	273
108	Cushing	$12.18	225
109	Bonaparte	$12.17	357
110	Macedonia	$12.12	266
111	Hawkeye	$12.11	429
112	Kiron	$12.03	262
113	Colesburg	$11.97	379
114	Liscomb	$11.96	292
115	New Providence	$11.88	233
116	Thornton	$11.86	394
117	Runnells	$11.79	467
118	Allerton	$11.72	432
119	Atalissa	$11.71	287
120	Kelley	$11.69	312
121	Orient	$11.66	363
122	Ellsworth	$11.57	495
123	Cincinnati	$11.57	280
124	Delta	$11.52	257
125	Terril	$11.48	310
126	Westside	$11.45	283
127	Holland	$11.37	261
128	Churdan	$11.31	359
129	Mallard	$11.28	255
130	Miles	$11.28	400
131	Renwick	$11.16	228
132	Milton	$10.98	395
133	New Vienna	$10.91	384
134	Letts	$10.91	358
135	Goose Lake	$10.89	250
136	Birmingham	$10.87	371
137	Charlotte	$10.86	386
138	Yale	$10.85	265
139	Batavia	$10.77	434
140	Hornick	$10.74	255
141	Riverdale	$10.67	385
142	Bode	$10.64	304
143	Union	$10.58	378
144	Cleghorn	$10.49	235
145	Calamus	$10.47	348
146	Lovilia	$10.46	456
147	Danbury	$10.43	315
148	Lytton	$10.38	274
149	Stacyville	$10.36	436
150	Rhodes	$10.36	269
151	Deloit	$10.28	246
152	Protivin	$10.28	264
153	Andrew	$10.22	374
154	Royal	$10.20	379
155	Bronson	$10.14	294
156	Rudd	$10.13	339
157	La Motte	$10.09	235
158	Defiance	$10.05	248
159	Floyd	$10.02	297
160	Panama	$9.85	234
161	Breda	$9.80	492
162	Lynnville	$9.68	382
163	Salix	$9.63	303
164	Luxemburg	$9.58	240
165	Farnhamville	$9.18	364
166	Middletown	$9.16	365
167	Alleman	$9.12	439
168	Lester	$8.94	309
169	Harvey	$8.71	242
170	Rowley	$8.31	264
171	Fostoria	$8.10	229
172	Lost Nation	$8.10	425
173	Low Moor	$8.10	242
174	Bertram	$8.10	267
175	Grandview	$8.10	431
176	Nichols	$8.10	317
177	Luana	$7.98	303
178	Lockridge	$7.92	245
179	Delhi	$7.81	438
180	Klemme	$7.74	429
181	Pulaski	$7.58	259
182	Beacon	$7.56	434
183	Sheldahl	$7.56	312
184	Fredonia	$7.55	227
185	Worthington	$7.50	374
186	Harpers Ferry	$7.49	273
187	Marquette	$7.08	434
188	Columbus City	$6.94	385
189	Donahue	$6.83	336
190	Libertyville	$6.60	278
191	Keswick	$6.49	238
192	Crawfordsville	$6.44	278
193	New Virginia	$5.97	499
194	Holy Cross	$5.91	348
195	Conesville	$5.86	350
196	University Park	$5.27	476
197	Orleans	$4.13	503
198	Maharishi Vedic City	$3.87	290
199	Wahpeton	$3.19	337
200	West Okoboji	$2.92	311

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$1.2M100%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Wahpeton’s budget goes, FY26

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 198 Iowa cities closest in size (230–510 people).

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (198)
Capital Projects	73¢	3¢
Business Type / Enterprise	10¢	39¢
Public Works	6¢	20¢
Debt Service	5¢	3¢
General Government	2¢	16¢
Everything else	4¢	19¢

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$7.8M86%
Public Works$491,7995%
Debt Service$346,3304%
General Government$164,7002%
Public Safety$127,9611%
Community and Economic Development$81,3001%
Culture and Recreation$70,9351%
Health and Social Services$18,0000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($730,157 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$474,961	$341,461
Public Safety	$106,429	$105,747
Health and Social Services	$22,500	$15,405
General Government	$152,500	$125,697
Debt Service	$367,057	$344,700
Culture and Recreation	$20,874	$17,877
Community and Economic Development	$50,070	$31,516
Capital Projects	$350,000	$273,301
Business Type / Enterprise	$828,876	$644,435

What it spent each year

FY24 left out⁴

$5.6M

$3.1M

’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: $48,623 in FY25, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less. Grants are below.

In today's dollarsActual dollars

Show the numbers

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$47,207	$47,112	$48,361	$48,623
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)	–	$1,381	$1,184	–

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$43,697 → $48,623, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% 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 39% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% more.

$121,007

’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $15,996 in FY25.

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

Wahpeton City Council At-Large

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Merlyn Kruger Winner6630.0%
Lois Benson Winner5826.4%
Harold Prior Winner5022.7%
Tom Rierson 4620.9%

Wahpeton Mayor

Phillip A Johnson Unopposed70100.0%

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁶

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

U.S. House:District 4

Dickinson County Okoboji schools

Notes

For a $200,000 home with the homestead credit, at the combined rate in most of the city. Some parts of the city pay a different rate (special districts, tax increment financing districts). ↩
Cities adopt their budgets each spring for the year starting July 1. ↩
FY27 rates from the Department of Management. A higher rate isn’t always a bigger bill: it depends on how much property there is to tax. Sizes: Census Bureau 2024 estimates. ↩
The state’s FY24 spending file repeats the year before for nearly every Iowa city, so that year isn’t shown. ↩
From the city’s annual financial reports to the state (Iowa Data Hub, city actual revenues). “Today’s dollars” adjusts each year by the consumer price index for the Midwest, so a flat line in today’s dollars means the money buys the same as before. ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Wahpeton; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Wahpeton works within. ↩

Sources: City budgets and levies from the Department of Management; tax rates from the Iowa Data Hub; state payments from the Department of Revenue; prices from the consumer price index; legislative districts from Census Bureau maps.