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Local taxes › Greene County › Jefferson

City

Jefferson

Greene County · How cities work

$3,380 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($40.13 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,250 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.88 per $1,000)
$2.5Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$7.4Mcity 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.

  • Darren JacksonJefferson City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Harry AhrenholtzJefferson City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Luke D. WinkelmanJefferson City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Chad SloanJefferson City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Craig J. BerryJefferson Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Matt WetrichJefferson 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.

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

Show 5 more meetings
City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

Property taxes

How the bill is collected · What each levy is for

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Jefferson

Homes and businesses in most of Jefferson pay a combined $40.13 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Greene County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.88. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.21$14.60
FY21$41.10$15.10
FY22$41.02$14.90
FY23$41.12$15.32
FY24$41.53$15.25
FY25$41.11$14.89
FY26$41.00$14.89
FY27$40.13$14.88
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.21$14.60
FY21$41.10$15.10
FY22$41.02$14.90
FY23$41.12$15.32
FY24$41.53$15.25
FY25$41.11$14.89
FY26$41.00$14.89
FY27$40.13$14.88

Compared with places this size3

Jefferson’s city property tax rate of $14.88 per $1,000 is the 28th highest of 63 Iowa cities with 2,800–6,100 people. The middle of the group is $14.77.

Red Oak: $20.65Bloomfield: $20.41Oelwein: $20.16Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Tama: $17.74Clarinda: $17.25Madrid: $16.93Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Grundy Center: $16.36Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Tipton: $15.54Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Garner: $12.86Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Onawa: $12.32Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Asbury: $8.32Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Jefferson: $14.88$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 63
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Bloomfield$20.412,773
3Oelwein$20.165,788
4Sibley$19.772,787
5Albia$19.703,579
6Eagle Grove$19.323,615
7Iowa Falls$18.864,993
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Tama$17.742,997
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Madrid$16.932,824
13Centerville$16.855,345
14Algona$16.755,341
15Grundy Center$16.362,821
16Vinton$16.254,962
17Winterset$16.155,421
18Cresco$16.133,890
19Humboldt$16.004,774
20Anamosa$15.955,845
21Forest City$15.774,199
22Tipton$15.543,059
23Sheldon$15.335,584
24Estherville$15.275,796
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Manchester$14.965,283
28Jefferson$14.884,148
29Hampton$14.864,340
30Carlisle$14.824,381
31Cherokee$14.825,186
32Glenwood$14.775,250
33Waukon$14.763,799
34Monticello$14.494,095
35Osceola$14.375,585
36Windsor Heights$14.305,106
37Osage$14.293,559
38Rock Valley$13.764,024
39Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
40Emmetsburg$13.703,632
41Wilton$13.622,914
42Mount Vernon$13.504,518
43New Hampton$13.443,433
44Hudson$13.192,916
45Garner$12.863,049
46Maquoketa$12.856,064
47Camanche$12.754,536
48Le Claire$12.644,776
49Milford$12.573,258
50Onawa$12.322,795
51Huxley$11.684,737
52West Branch$11.632,876
53Solon$11.533,284
54Williamsburg$11.113,380
55Carter Lake$10.673,752
56Story City$10.393,439
57Dyersville$10.274,559
58Spirit Lake$10.175,548
59West Burlington$10.153,249
60Robins$9.683,362
61Asbury$8.326,051
62Fairfax$8.102,937
63Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Jefferson’s general levy is $7.97 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.13 below the limit.4 462 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $8.13 · FY27 $7.97 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.92 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.66 · $594,501
  • Debt Service Levy$2.70 · $535,794
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.55 · $89,933

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$35.9M of taxable value in Jefferson is in TIF districts’ increment (18% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $1.2M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.2M

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 $437,904 of the city’s own.

  • Greene County$208,876
  • Greene County schools$65,597
YearTIF revenue
FY16$118,310
FY17$176,770
FY18$596,709
FY19$748,773
FY20$646,195
FY21$976,970
FY22$982,072
FY23$1.2M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$118,310
FY17$176,770
FY18$596,709
FY19$748,773
FY20$646,195
FY21$976,970
FY22$982,072
FY23$1.2M

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$1.3M51%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$594,50124%
  • Debt Service Levy$535,79421%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$89,9334%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Jefferson’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 42¢ of every dollar42¢Capital Projects: 22¢ of every dollar22¢Culture and Recreation: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Public Safety: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Public Works: 4¢ of every dollarEverything else: 12¢ of every dollar12¢

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 62 Iowa cities closest in size (2,800–6,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (62)
Business Type / Enterprise42¢37¢
Capital Projects22¢17¢
Culture and Recreation11¢8¢
Public Safety9¢13¢
Public Works4¢9¢
Everything else12¢16¢

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$1.7M23%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.7M23%
  • Capital Projects$1.7M23%
  • Debt Service$726,63410%
  • Public Works$699,7229%
  • General Government$608,3848%
  • Community and Economic Development$276,7504%
  • Health and Social Services$45,5001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($6.8M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$841,852$890,867
Public Safety$1.0M$1.7M
Health and Social Services$5,000$37,930
General Government$383,200$602,572
Debt Service$1.0M$1.0M
Culture and Recreation$1.4M$1.6M
Community and Economic Development$1.5M$729,877
Capital Projects$631,500$2.3M
Business Type / Enterprise$2.5M$7.1M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$19.8M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Jefferson owes

$25.0M at June 30, 2026: $5,975 per resident. 85th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$26.4M
$25.0M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$25.0M$5,975
2025$25.2M$6,014
2024$26.4M$6,324
2023$5.5M$1,316
2022$7.8M$1,857
2021$9.0M$2,152
2020$7.8M$1,854
2019$6.8M$1,638
2018$7.3M$1,752
2017$6.3M$1,512
2016$6.9M$1,639
2015$7.6M$1,821
2014$5.7M$1,353
2013$6.2M$1,491
2012$6.7M$1,603
2011$4.8M$1,149
2010$5.5M$1,323
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$25.0M$5,975
2025$25.2M$6,014
2024$26.4M$6,324
2023$5.5M$1,316
2022$7.8M$1,857
2021$9.0M$2,152
2020$7.8M$1,854
2019$6.8M$1,638
2018$7.3M$1,752
2017$6.3M$1,512
2016$6.9M$1,639
2015$7.6M$1,821
2014$5.7M$1,353
2013$6.2M$1,491
2012$6.7M$1,603
2011$4.8M$1,149
2010$5.5M$1,323

Up 352% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $7.8M, 45% of the limit of about $17.6M (5% of $352.3M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

6 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Facility Upgrades2043$17.1M
General Obligation2026 G.O. Corporate Purpose Bond Series2041$1.9M
General Obligation2019 G.O. Bond Series2039$1.9M
General Obligation2021A G.O. Corporate Purpose Bond Series2035$1.6M
General Obligation2024 East Lincoln Way Resurfacing and Recycling Equipment Upgrade2034$1.5M
General Obligation2021B Taxable G.O. Urban Renewal Series2030$955,000

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. Jefferson’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, February 19, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Jefferson

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: $593,925 in FY25, up 6% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$582,157$575,490$590,718$593,925

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.

$443,749
  • Other$388,15187%
  • State grants$55,59813%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$147,041
FY20$135,382
FY21$7,569
FY22$3,190
FY23$310,246
FY24$162,046
FY25$443,749
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$147,041
FY20$135,382
FY21$7,569
FY22$3,190
FY23$310,246
FY24$162,046
FY25$443,749

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−16%$561,313 → $593,925, up 6% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% 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 27% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 2% more.

$649,655
$591,208

Federal grants, for comparison: $245,745 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 2 contracts since 2006 worth $1.2M, for 191 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)14.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Most recent: November 3, 2026

Ballot measures · 1

Passed Yes 53.3% (906) · No 46.7% (793)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Jefferson; 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.

  • Jefferson City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Chad Sloan, Matt Wetrich
  • Jefferson Mayor
    Now held by Craig J. Berry

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.

Past ballot measures

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 ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

Jesse Green (Sen. 24)Carter F. Nordman (Rep. 47)

U.S. House:District 3

Greene CountyJefferson-Scranton schools