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Local taxes › Floyd County › Charles City

City

Charles City

Floyd County · How cities work

$3,120 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($37.00 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,340 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.95 per $1,000)
$4.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$11.9Mcity 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.

  • Dean AndrewsCharles City Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jeff OttoCharles City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Krista NoahCharles City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Patrick LumleyCharles City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Keith S. StarrCharles City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Phillip KnightenCharles City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Phoebe PittmanCharles City 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 Charles City

Homes and businesses in most of Charles City pay a combined $37.00 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Floyd County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $15.95. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Charles City$15.9543%
  • Charles City schools$12.2833%
  • Floyd County$6.1617%
  • North Iowa Area Community College$1.243%
  • Floyd County Assessor$0.501%
  • Floyd County Hospital$0.441%
  • Floyd County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.26<1%
  • Saint Charles-Charles City Cemetery$0.16<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.40$15.90
FY21$38.04$16.02
FY22$37.47$15.98
FY23$38.80$16.20
FY24$38.58$16.51
FY25$38.30$15.97
FY26$37.53$15.95
FY27$37.00$15.95
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.40$15.90
FY21$38.04$16.02
FY22$37.47$15.98
FY23$38.80$16.20
FY24$38.58$16.51
FY25$38.30$15.97
FY26$37.53$15.95
FY27$37.00$15.95

Compared with places this size3

Charles City’s city property tax rate of $15.95 per $1,000 is the 21st highest of 52 Iowa cities with 4,700–11,000 people. The middle of the group is $15.14.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Keokuk: $19.68Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86Fort Madison: $18.84Denison: $18.69Perry: $17.91Waverly: $17.53Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Fairfield: $16.69Webster City: $16.51Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Grinnell: $15.60Decorah: $15.52Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Creston: $14.99Manchester: $14.96Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Nevada: $14.58Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Le Claire: $12.64Mount Pleasant: $11.94Tiffin: $11.80Huxley: $11.68Carroll: $11.25Sioux Center: $11.05Polk City: $11.00Bondurant: $10.82Spirit Lake: $10.17Clear Lake: $9.85Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Charles City: $15.95$8.13 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 52
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Keokuk$19.689,462
4Independence$19.016,266
5Iowa Falls$18.864,993
6Fort Madison$18.849,983
7Denison$18.698,302
8Perry$17.918,046
9Waverly$17.5310,576
10Atlantic$17.486,717
11Knoxville$17.467,440
12Clarinda$17.255,334
13Centerville$16.855,345
14Algona$16.755,341
15Fairfield$16.699,511
16Webster City$16.517,763
17Vinton$16.254,962
18Winterset$16.155,421
19Humboldt$16.004,774
20Anamosa$15.955,845
21Charles City$15.957,081
22Grinnell$15.609,495
23Decorah$15.527,454
24Sheldon$15.335,584
25Estherville$15.275,796
26Washington$15.217,281
27Harlan$15.074,898
28Shenandoah$15.024,878
29Creston$14.997,421
30Manchester$14.965,283
31Cherokee$14.825,186
32Glenwood$14.775,250
33Nevada$14.587,082
34Osceola$14.375,585
35Windsor Heights$14.305,106
36Orange City$14.016,547
37Hiawatha$13.787,347
38Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
39Adel$13.436,763
40Maquoketa$12.856,064
41Le Claire$12.644,776
42Mount Pleasant$11.948,509
43Tiffin$11.806,695
44Huxley$11.684,737
45Carroll$11.2510,125
46Sioux Center$11.058,675
47Polk City$11.006,430
48Bondurant$10.829,511
49Spirit Lake$10.175,548
50Clear Lake$9.857,602
51Asbury$8.326,051
52Eldridge$8.136,967

The $8.10 limit

Charles City’s general levy is $8.31 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 88 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.39 · FY26 $8.31 · FY27 $8.31 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $7.64 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.88 · $1.1M
  • Debt Service Levy$1.96 · $618,049
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.98 · $267,194
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.53 · $145,622
  • Aviation Authority$0.27 · $73,578
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.01 · $3,878

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$42.6M of taxable value in Charles City is in TIF districts’ increment (13% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $947,182 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$887,439

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 $595,858 of the city’s own.

  • Charles City schools$413,893
  • Floyd County$204,112
YearTIF revenue
FY16$430,998
FY17$324,063
FY18$285,203
FY19$361,256
FY20$224,672
FY21$473,346
FY22$739,276
FY23$887,439
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$430,998
FY17$324,063
FY18$285,203
FY19$361,256
FY20$224,672
FY21$473,346
FY22$739,276
FY23$887,439

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$2.3M51%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.1M24%
  • Debt Service Levy$618,04914%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$267,1946%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$145,6223%
  • Aviation Authority (under sec.330A.15)$73,5782%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$3,8780%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Charles City’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 33¢ of every dollar33¢Capital Projects: 21¢ of every dollar21¢Public Safety: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Public Works: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Culture and Recreation: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Everything else: 15¢ of every dollar15¢

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 51 Iowa cities closest in size (4,700–11,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (51)
Business Type / Enterprise33¢36¢
Capital Projects21¢21¢
Public Safety15¢13¢
Public Works8¢8¢
Culture and Recreation7¢7¢
Everything else15¢15¢

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$3.5M30%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.8M15%
  • Public Works$1.6M14%
  • Debt Service$1.4M12%
  • Community and Economic Development$1.3M11%
  • Capital Projects$1.1M9%
  • General Government$767,9576%
  • Health and Social Services$438,2654%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($7.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.7M$1.5M
Public Safety$3.0M$2.6M
Health and Social Services$423,350$316,471
General Government$612,240$629,561
Debt Service$845,760$830,980
Culture and Recreation$1.3M$1.3M
Community and Economic Development$3.9M$2.9M
Capital Projects$2.1M$1.9M
Business Type / Enterprise$8.4M$7.8M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$30.2M
$29.2M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Charles City owes

$28.9M at June 30, 2026: $3,902 per resident. 193rd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$28.9M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$28.9M$3,902
2025$27.9M$3,767
2024$12.3M$1,664
2023$12.2M$1,656
2022$14.0M$1,891
2021$15.6M$2,109
2020$12.0M$1,621
2019$13.3M$1,799
2018$14.6M$1,972
2017$15.8M$2,143
2016$14.5M$1,959
2015$15.2M$2,052
2014$15.9M$2,155
2013$18.3M$2,471
2012$15.7M$2,120
2011$16.9M$2,279
2010$14.1M$1,909
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$28.9M$3,902
2025$27.9M$3,767
2024$12.3M$1,664
2023$12.2M$1,656
2022$14.0M$1,891
2021$15.6M$2,109
2020$12.0M$1,621
2019$13.3M$1,799
2018$14.6M$1,972
2017$15.8M$2,143
2016$14.5M$1,959
2015$15.2M$2,052
2014$15.9M$2,155
2013$18.3M$2,471
2012$15.7M$2,120
2011$16.9M$2,279
2010$14.1M$1,909

Up 104% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $9.0M, 34% of the limit of about $26.1M (5% of $521.2M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

12 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWastewater Resource Recovery Facility2051$12.8M
General ObligationCity Hall/PD/Pool Renovation Projects2040$4.4M
Revenue BondsClearwell Project2043$2.7M
Revenue Bondswater plant expansion2029$2.4M
General ObligationWRRF project G.O. portion2039$2.2M
General Obligationloan for CW Trail bridge2031$1.2M
Revenue BondsUV Disinfection project2036$959,000
Revenue Bondspurchase certified site property2030$952,000
General Obligationloan for tree removal2033$478,837
General Obligationrefund 2010 perm pave loan and 2015 water project2029$400,000
General ObligationPerm Pave Phase II2032$341,000
Revenue Bondswater meters2029$102,000

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. Charles City’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 Thursday, April 30, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Charles City

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: $1.1M in FY25, down 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 30% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$1.0M–$1.0M$1.1M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$162,450$60,642$236,513$99,106

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.

$1.4M
$1.1M
  • State grants$836,11979%
  • CEBA grants$171,79516%
  • Iowa DOT projects$49,5315%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$71,608
FY20$30,637
FY21$1.0M
FY22$61,245
FY23$1.4M
FY24$60,493
FY25$1.1M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$71,608
FY20$30,637
FY21$1.0M
FY22$61,245
FY23$1.4M
FY24$60,493
FY25$1.1M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−15%$988,529 → $1.1M, up 6% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−75%$318,130 → $99,106, down 69% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 75% 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 37% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 9% more.

$1.1M
$1.0M

Federal grants, for comparison: $2.5M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

4 businesses have state awards in CHARLES CITY: $3.9M in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 107 jobs. Closed projects promised 35 jobs; 35 were there at the end.14

  • Cambrex Charles City, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY23 · Under contract: Building · 40 jobs required
    $595K
  • Cambrex Charles City, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY21 · Under contract: Building · 32 jobs required
    $494K
  • Zoetis, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Met its contract · 6 jobs required, 6 at the end
    $2.5M
  • Cambrex Charles City, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Met its contract · 29 jobs required, 29 at the end
    $301K

Community college new jobs training: 15 contracts since 2002 worth $13.0M, for 1,463 pledged jobs.

Awards 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)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 · 3

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Charles City; 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.

  • Charles City City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Phillip Knighten, Phoebe Pittman, Keith S. Starr

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

Sandy Salmon (Sen. 29)Charley Thomson (Rep. 58)

U.S. House:District 2

Floyd CountyCharles City schools