City

Scranton

$3,500 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($41.51 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$1,350 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.01 per $1,000)

$242,420property taxes the city levies, FY27

$608,424city 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.

Annette BrownScranton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Brenna VaubleScranton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Clayton DudleyScranton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Steve SchefflerScranton Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
Ashley SquibbScranton City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Gale G. ZellwegerScranton City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Nici Teeters ThomasScranton 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 Scranton

Homes and businesses in most of Scranton pay a combined $41.51 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, $16.01. Estimate your bill.

Everyone else$18.6745%
City of Scranton$16.0139%
Greene County$6.8316%

Rates over time

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

CombinedCity’s own

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$43.03	$15.73
FY21	$40.22	$13.56
FY22	$42.94	$16.03
FY23	$42.41	$16.11
FY24	$42.58	$16.04
FY25	$42.51	$16.04
FY26	$42.51	$16.14
FY27	$41.51	$16.01

Show the numbers

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$43.03	$15.73
FY21	$40.22	$13.56
FY22	$42.94	$16.03
FY23	$42.41	$16.11
FY24	$42.58	$16.04
FY25	$42.51	$16.04
FY26	$42.51	$16.14
FY27	$41.51	$16.01

Compared with places this size³

Scranton’s city property tax rate of $16.01 per $1,000 is the 43rd highest of 193 Iowa cities with 330–740 people. The middle of the group is $12.92.

See all 193

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Stanhope	$29.10	354
2	Rolfe	$22.67	505
3	Charter Oak	$21.32	521
4	Oxford Junction	$20.84	424
5	Earling	$20.47	394
6	Pomeroy	$19.60	511
7	Salem	$19.15	380
8	Dumont	$19.04	614
9	Seymour	$18.78	646
10	Dexter	$18.69	631
11	Fonda	$18.52	636
12	Massena	$18.23	352
13	Kanawha	$18.11	638
14	Swea City	$18.04	545
15	Alden	$17.90	738
16	Elma	$17.82	493
17	Callender	$17.78	361
18	Casey	$17.72	387
19	Dows	$17.70	509
20	New Hartford	$17.69	555
21	Vail	$17.66	383
22	Ringsted	$17.65	346
23	Emerson	$17.54	401
24	Walnut	$17.46	728
25	Murray	$17.44	609
26	Thompson	$17.25	478
27	Ashton	$17.17	434
28	Pierson	$17.12	335
29	Burt	$17.10	404
30	Latimer	$16.96	477
31	Lohrville	$16.95	366
32	Elk Horn	$16.78	631
33	Oxford	$16.70	715
34	Mccallsburg	$16.58	356
35	Whittemore	$16.54	478
36	Bancroft	$16.52	677
37	Titonka	$16.45	491
38	Early	$16.35	571
39	Truro	$16.34	515
40	Lewis	$16.25	358
41	Duncombe	$16.10	374
42	Bayard	$16.05	402
43	Scranton	$16.01	496
44	Ruthven	$15.84	710
45	Minden	$15.77	581
46	Walker	$15.74	671
47	Russell	$15.18	475
48	Stanwood	$15.12	612
49	Stratford	$15.03	688
50	Zearing	$14.99	508
51	Arlington	$14.98	415
52	Maynard	$14.85	466
53	Plainfield	$14.84	392
54	Ryan	$14.84	348
55	Otho	$14.82	417
56	Wyoming	$14.81	526
57	Humeston	$14.80	472
58	Hopkinton	$14.79	622
59	Essex	$14.76	721
60	Gilmore City	$14.60	484
61	Sabula	$14.38	498
62	Garrison	$14.38	345
63	Lorimor	$14.36	377
64	Collins	$14.32	503
65	Clermont	$14.30	571
66	Moulton	$14.25	596
67	Ocheyedan	$14.22	424
68	Mcgregor	$14.20	725
69	Olin	$14.19	652
70	Garwin	$14.08	469
71	Farragut	$14.07	480
72	Elgin	$14.05	676
73	Lime Springs	$13.95	467
74	Dow City	$13.94	477
75	Wesley	$13.91	382
76	Diagonal	$13.91	331
77	Bussey	$13.83	378
78	Mondamin	$13.82	335
79	Livermore	$13.78	382
80	Redfield	$13.73	719
81	Sioux Rapids	$13.63	722
82	Albion	$13.58	444
83	Lamont	$13.57	429
84	New Albin	$13.55	435
85	Rockford	$13.52	722
86	Boyden	$13.39	694
87	Lawler	$13.39	392
88	Lacona	$13.38	336
89	New Market	$13.25	381
90	Plymouth	$13.21	368
91	Quasqueton	$13.12	587
92	Farmington	$13.10	583
93	Anthon	$13.05	534
94	Little Rock	$13.03	447
95	Coggon	$12.99	691
96	Lehigh	$12.97	395
97	Menlo	$12.92	347
98	Templeton	$12.91	337
99	Earlville	$12.90	713
100	Brighton	$12.88	592
101	Montrose	$12.78	734
102	Goldfield	$12.73	617
103	Wellsburg	$12.68	709
104	Delmar	$12.68	541
105	Galva	$12.68	416
106	Badger	$12.67	540
107	Martensdale	$12.63	413
108	Stanton	$12.62	664
109	Hospers	$12.58	703
110	Norway	$12.53	463
111	Everly	$12.51	570
112	Hazleton	$12.48	711
113	Spillville	$12.40	371
114	Alburnett	$12.30	672
115	Brandon	$12.29	331
116	Moravia	$12.27	625
117	Hedrick	$12.22	717
118	Bonaparte	$12.17	357
119	Schaller	$12.14	702
120	Hawkeye	$12.11	429
121	Colesburg	$11.97	379
122	Albert City	$11.88	627
123	Thornton	$11.86	394
124	Runnells	$11.79	467
125	Allerton	$11.72	432
126	Orient	$11.66	363
127	Merrill	$11.64	713
128	Ellsworth	$11.57	495
129	Morning Sun	$11.50	702
130	Battle Creek	$11.49	683
131	Wall Lake	$11.43	739
132	Churdan	$11.31	359
133	Miles	$11.28	400
134	Sutherland	$11.25	628
135	Arcadia	$11.23	588
136	Whiting	$11.21	725
137	Shelby	$11.17	730
138	Blairstown	$11.04	705
139	Milton	$10.98	395
140	Ireton	$10.93	571
141	New Vienna	$10.91	384
142	Letts	$10.91	358
143	Fontanelle	$10.88	684
144	Birmingham	$10.87	371
145	Charlotte	$10.86	386
146	Richland	$10.82	532
147	Grand Mound	$10.78	608
148	Batavia	$10.77	434
149	Riverdale	$10.67	385
150	Union	$10.58	378
151	Calamus	$10.47	348
152	Lovilia	$10.46	456
153	Radcliffe	$10.37	540
154	Stacyville	$10.36	436
155	Ventura	$10.22	701
156	Andrew	$10.22	374
157	Royal	$10.20	379
158	Hartford	$10.16	729
159	Rudd	$10.13	339
160	What Cheer	$10.01	595
161	Cumming	$9.85	527
162	Breda	$9.80	492
163	Doon	$9.78	640
164	Lynnville	$9.68	382
165	Farnhamville	$9.18	364
166	Middletown	$9.16	365
167	Alleman	$9.12	439
168	Crescent	$8.72	626
169	Ainsworth	$8.62	511
170	Grand Junction	$8.57	715
171	Gilman	$8.10	530
172	Lakeside	$8.10	695
173	Lost Nation	$8.10	425
174	Kellogg	$8.10	597
175	Grandview	$8.10	431
176	Agency	$7.94	623
177	Fremont	$7.86	688
178	Delhi	$7.81	438
179	Klemme	$7.74	429
180	Beacon	$7.56	434
181	Worthington	$7.50	374
182	Marquette	$7.08	434
183	Columbus City	$6.94	385
184	Donahue	$6.83	336
185	Keystone	$6.80	616
186	Shueyville	$6.79	725
187	New Virginia	$5.97	499
188	Holy Cross	$5.91	348
189	Conesville	$5.86	350
190	University Park	$5.27	476
191	Orleans	$4.13	503
192	Okoboji	$3.83	729
193	Wahpeton	$3.19	337

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$121,07551%
Debt Service Levy$51,24421%
Liability, property & self insurance costs$47,26120%
Total Employee Benefit Levies$18,9798%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Scranton’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 192 Iowa cities closest in size (330–740 people).

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (192)
Business Type / Enterprise	34¢	40¢
Public Works	29¢	18¢
General Government	12¢	13¢
Culture and Recreation	10¢	9¢
Public Safety	8¢	9¢
Everything else	6¢	6¢

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 Works$212,74135%
Culture and Recreation$126,68621%
General Government$115,38919%
Public Safety$90,12815%
Debt Service$52,3809%
Community and Economic Development$7,0001%
Health and Social Services$4,1001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($335,648 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$159,930	$279,301
Public Safety	$58,550	$57,732
Health and Social Services	$2,500	$2,560
General Government	$91,736	$103,477
Debt Service	$61,980	$52,253
Culture and Recreation	$132,714	$94,143
Community and Economic Development	$1,000	$0
Capital Projects	$39,175	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$318,513	$262,211

What it spent each year

FY24 left out⁴

$2.3M

$1.0M

’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

$93,061 in FY25: down 41% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 53% less. Road Use Tax, the money for streets the state sends every year by formula, is up 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 20% less; grants come and go.

In today's dollarsActual dollars

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$71,784	$70,319	$72,180	$72,572
State grants	$6,432	$2,309	$1,737	$1,650
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)	$8,950	$7,159	–	–
Other	–	–	–	$18,839

Show the numbers

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$71,784	$70,319	$72,180	$72,572
State grants	$6,432	$2,309	$1,737	$1,650
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)	$8,950	$7,159	–	–
Other	–	–	–	$18,839

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

Road Use Tax (streets)−20%$71,956 → $72,572, up 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 20% less
State grants−98%$86,963 → $1,650, down 98% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 98% 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 22% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% less.

$78,616

$70,805

’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $39,175 in FY23.

Elections

Most recent: November 3, 2026

Ballot measures · 1

City of Scranton Public Measure GY

Passed Yes 57.2% (91) · No 42.8% (68)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁶

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

U.S. House:District 3

Greene CountyJefferson-Scranton 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 Scranton; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Scranton 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.