Sign in

Local taxes › Fayette County › Fayette

City

Fayette

Fayette County · How cities work

Get an email when a new agenda is posted, with what’s on it.

$3,040 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.06 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,420 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.85 per $1,000)
$511,068property taxes the city levies, FY27
$1.4Mcity 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.

  • Janice LarsonFayette City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Karla K. GavinFayette Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Marshall RichardsFayette City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • James B. LoweryFayette City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patricia L. PotratzFayette City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Scott LuchsingerFayette City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Susan ScottFayette 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

Where a property tax dollar goes in Fayette

The combined rate in most of Fayette is $36.06 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). The city sets only its own piece. Estimate your bill.

Compared with places this size3

Fayette’s city property tax rate of $16.85 per $1,000 is the 19th highest of 145 Iowa cities with 810–1,800 people. The middle of the group is $13.29.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Villisca: $19.74Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Allison: $19.06Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $17.95Greene: $17.91Lansing: $17.67Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Eddyville: $16.82Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Buffalo Center: $16.58Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Dike: $15.94Armstrong: $15.87Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Newell: $15.49Mount Ayr: $15.32Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Logan: $15.05Griswold: $15.01Readlyn: $14.99Tripoli: $14.99Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Dunlap: $14.56Maxwell: $14.50Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Primghar: $14.18Sheffield: $14.16Hartley: $14.11Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Montezuma: $13.79Victor: $13.72Gilbert: $13.71Edgewood: $13.64Donnellson: $13.63Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Manly: $13.29Anita: $13.28Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62West Point: $12.39Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Remsen: $12.32Hubbard: $12.30Reinbeck: $12.10Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Afton: $11.96Tabor: $11.88Wellman: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Blue Grass: $11.79Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Dunkerton: $11.30Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Hamburg: $10.95Clarence: $10.94Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Cambridge: $10.53Swisher: $10.39Schleswig: $10.39Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Inwood: $10.22Central City: $10.01Newhall: $9.99Graettinger: $9.81Long Grove: $9.59Lake View: $9.39Paullina: $9.21Fairbank: $9.00Winthrop: $8.94Walford: $8.72Keosauqua: $8.58Princeton: $8.24Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Hills: $7.94Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Arnolds Park: $4.95Fayette: $16.85$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 145
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Villisca$19.741,106
4Traer$19.561,547
5Corning$19.361,509
6Lake City$19.321,656
7Allison$19.06937
8Corydon$18.221,563
9Dysart$17.951,266
10Greene$17.91971
11Lansing$17.67959
12Strawberry Point$17.581,141
13Rockwell$17.541,044
14Gowrie$17.17943
15Colo$17.14856
16Mapleton$16.901,114
17George$16.891,106
18Manson$16.871,646
19Fayette$16.851,193
20Eddyville$16.82965
21Nashua$16.811,515
22Ackley$16.631,538
23Buffalo Center$16.58839
24Roland$16.511,376
25Monona$16.411,462
26Aplington$16.341,088
27Panora$16.141,096
28Mechanicsville$16.12974
29Dike$15.941,293
30Armstrong$15.87847
31Holstein$15.811,475
32State Center$15.801,403
33Pleasantville$15.801,696
34Earlham$15.551,411
35Shell Rock$15.521,265
36Brooklyn$15.491,474
37Newell$15.49850
38Mount Ayr$15.321,616
39Riceville$15.31807
40Neola$15.30917
41Sidney$15.191,048
42Logan$15.051,351
43Griswold$15.01975
44Readlyn$14.99857
45Tripoli$14.991,208
46Woodbine$14.801,707
47Bedford$14.661,474
48Lenox$14.651,355
49Manning$14.621,390
50Dunlap$14.561,030
51Maxwell$14.50862
52Coon Rapids$14.491,258
53Nora Springs$14.251,330
54Kingsley$14.251,394
55Urbana$14.201,635
56Primghar$14.18893
57Sheffield$14.161,123
58Hartley$14.111,584
59Woodward$14.051,383
60Guthrie Center$14.041,579
61Alton$13.871,248
62Montezuma$13.791,421
63Victor$13.72852
64Gilbert$13.711,397
65Edgewood$13.64908
66Donnellson$13.63859
67Clarksville$13.531,238
68Avoca$13.511,685
69Janesville$13.431,052
70Glidden$13.431,140
71Calmar$13.391,100
72Baxter$13.32983
73Manly$13.291,233
74Anita$13.28953
75Conrad$13.231,098
76Springville$13.221,161
77Keota$13.21888
78Shellsburg$13.20987
79De Soto$13.18937
80Treynor$13.031,104
81Odebolt$13.00967
82Akron$12.931,545
83Leon$12.931,779
84Danville$12.87910
85Underwood$12.85973
86New Sharon$12.801,249
87Slater$12.791,626
88Malvern$12.791,056
89Buffalo$12.681,163
90Sanborn$12.621,463
91West Point$12.39903
92Hinton$12.38959
93Preston$12.38940
94Remsen$12.321,681
95Hubbard$12.30837
96Reinbeck$12.101,673
97Winfield$12.041,006
98Elkhart$12.001,079
99Afton$11.96864
100Tabor$11.88983
101Wellman$11.881,531
102Aurelia$11.84970
103Blue Grass$11.791,707
104Palo$11.491,554
105Prairie City$11.381,722
106Marcus$11.311,069
107Dunkerton$11.30840
108Mediapolis$11.271,679
109Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
110University Heights$11.121,188
111Hamburg$10.95863
112Clarence$10.94991
113Farley$10.911,723
114Oakland$10.851,519
115Moville$10.671,707
116Cambridge$10.53844
117Swisher$10.39909
118Schleswig$10.39820
119Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
120Walcott$10.291,556
121Fredericksburg$10.27983
122Lake Park$10.251,155
123Inwood$10.22962
124Central City$10.011,254
125Newhall$9.99887
126Graettinger$9.81810
127Long Grove$9.59849
128Lake View$9.391,120
129Paullina$9.21979
130Fairbank$9.001,133
131Winthrop$8.94814
132Walford$8.721,357
133Keosauqua$8.58944
134Princeton$8.24917
135Lone Tree$8.131,341
136Riverside$8.021,063
137Hills$7.94911
138Larchwood$7.52954
139North English$7.491,030
140Sloan$7.491,078
141Sully$7.41891
142Fruitland$7.21928
143Lawton$7.10949
144Wayland$7.07935
145Arnolds Park$4.951,214

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$240,62047%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$168,02533%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$66,75413%
  • Debt Service Levy$28,5976%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$6,6031%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Fayette’s budget goes, FY26

Public Safety: 28¢ of every dollar28¢Business Type / Enterprise: 28¢ of every dollar28¢Public Works: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Community and Economic Development: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Culture and Recreation: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Everything else: 10¢ of every dollar10¢
Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (144)
Public Safety28¢10¢
Business Type / Enterprise28¢41¢
Public Works14¢13¢
Community and Economic Development12¢2¢
Culture and Recreation9¢9¢
Everything else10¢14¢

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 144 Iowa cities closest in size (810–1,800 people).

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$571,53640%
  • Public Works$351,94424%
  • General Government$225,02716%
  • Culture and Recreation$214,60915%
  • Debt Service$79,2625%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($738,907 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$344,900$211,303
Public Safety$695,397$519,168
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$102,821$86,292
Debt Service$65,130$35,730
Culture and Recreation$204,391$181,414
Community and Economic Development$277,011$154,033
Capital Projects$281,463$188,419
Business Type / Enterprise$732,921$678,535

What it spent each year

$2.7M
$2.1M
’17’18’19’20’21’22’23

State money

What the state sends the city

Sales tax and property tax credits the state paid the city: up 9% since FY23; down 0% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
$100,000$125,000$150,000$175,000$200,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
Show the numbers
ProgramFY27FY26FY25FY24FY23
Local option sales tax$11,043$143,403$143,923$137,130$131,237

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

2 seats: the top 2 win.

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress4

Dan Zumbach (Sen. 34)Chad Ingels (Rep. 68)

U.S. House:District 2

Fayette CountyNorth Fayette schools