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Local taxes › Grundy County › Wellsburg

City

Wellsburg

Grundy County · How cities work

$2,680 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($31.77 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,070 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.68 per $1,000)
$330,644property taxes the city levies, FY27
$717,111city 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.

  • Dale EildertsWellsburg City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Eric MinteerWellsburg Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jamie JacobsenWellsburg City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark RoderWellsburg City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • DeAnn EilersWellsburg City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • J. R. KennedyWellsburg 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 Wellsburg

Homes and businesses in most of Wellsburg pay a combined $31.77 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Grundy County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.68. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$32.19$14.66
FY21$31.69$13.86
FY22$30.64$12.52
FY23$33.61$15.60
FY24$32.67$14.45
FY25$32.52$13.47
FY26$32.91$13.82
FY27$31.77$12.68
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$32.19$14.66
FY21$31.69$13.86
FY22$30.64$12.52
FY23$33.61$15.60
FY24$32.67$14.45
FY25$32.52$13.47
FY26$32.91$13.82
FY27$31.77$12.68

Compared with places this size3

Wellsburg’s city property tax rate of $12.68 per $1,000 is the 88th lowest of 187 Iowa cities with 480–1,100 people. The middle of the group is $12.88.

Exira: $24.81Rolfe: $22.67Dayton: $22.51Charter Oak: $21.32Correctionville: $19.84Pomeroy: $19.60Allison: $19.06Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Greene: $17.91Alden: $17.90Elma: $17.82Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Lansing: $17.67Rockwell: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Thompson: $17.25Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14Latimer: $16.96Adair: $16.84Eddyville: $16.82Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Buffalo Center: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Bancroft: $16.52Titonka: $16.45Eldon: $16.42Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Mechanicsville: $16.12Scranton: $16.01Armstrong: $15.87Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Newell: $15.49Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Russell: $15.18Gilbertville: $15.15Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Griswold: $15.01Zearing: $14.99Readlyn: $14.99Wyoming: $14.81Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Gilmore City: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Garnavillo: $14.52Maxwell: $14.50Sabula: $14.38Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Primghar: $14.18Farragut: $14.07Elgin: $14.05Dow City: $13.94Ossian: $13.88Redfield: $13.73Victor: $13.72Edgewood: $13.64Sioux Rapids: $13.63Donnellson: $13.63Gladbrook: $13.58Rockford: $13.52Janesville: $13.43Boyden: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Anita: $13.28Van Horne: $13.27Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Odebolt: $13.00Coggon: $12.99Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85Malvern: $12.79Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Delmar: $12.68Badger: $12.67Stanton: $12.62Hospers: $12.58Everly: $12.51Hazleton: $12.48West Point: $12.39Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Alburnett: $12.30Hubbard: $12.30Moravia: $12.27Hedrick: $12.22Carson: $12.22Wheatland: $12.18Schaller: $12.14Winfield: $12.04Afton: $11.96Lowden: $11.93Tabor: $11.88Albert City: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Merrill: $11.64Ellsworth: $11.57Morning Sun: $11.50Battle Creek: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43West Bend: $11.42Dakota City: $11.39Dunkerton: $11.30Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Whiting: $11.21Shelby: $11.17Blairstown: $11.04Manilla: $11.01Hamburg: $10.95Clarence: $10.94Ireton: $10.93Fontanelle: $10.88Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Cambridge: $10.53Swisher: $10.39Schleswig: $10.39Melbourne: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Elk Run Heights: $10.33Fredericksburg: $10.27Ventura: $10.22Inwood: $10.22Milo: $10.20Hartford: $10.16What Cheer: $10.01Newhall: $9.99Cumming: $9.85Graettinger: $9.81Breda: $9.80Doon: $9.78Long Grove: $9.59Paullina: $9.21Winthrop: $8.94Crescent: $8.72Ainsworth: $8.62Keosauqua: $8.58Grand Junction: $8.57Princeton: $8.24Gilman: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lakeside: $8.10Riverside: $8.02Agency: $7.94Hills: $7.94Fremont: $7.86Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Raymond: $6.85Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79New Virginia: $5.97University Park: $5.27Orleans: $4.13Okoboji: $3.83Wellsburg: $12.68$3.83 lowest$24.81 highestmiddle
See all 187
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Exira$24.81766
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Dayton$22.51766
4Charter Oak$21.32521
5Correctionville$19.84759
6Pomeroy$19.60511
7Allison$19.06937
8Dumont$19.04614
9Seymour$18.78646
10Dexter$18.69631
11Fonda$18.52636
12Kanawha$18.11638
13Swea City$18.04545
14Greene$17.91971
15Alden$17.90738
16Elma$17.82493
17Dows$17.70509
18New Hartford$17.69555
19Lansing$17.67959
20Rockwell$17.541,044
21Walnut$17.46728
22Murray$17.44609
23Thompson$17.25478
24Gowrie$17.17943
25Colo$17.14856
26Latimer$16.96477
27Adair$16.84792
28Eddyville$16.82965
29Elk Horn$16.78631
30Oxford$16.70715
31Buffalo Center$16.58839
32Whittemore$16.54478
33Bancroft$16.52677
34Titonka$16.45491
35Eldon$16.42788
36Early$16.35571
37Truro$16.34515
38Mechanicsville$16.12974
39Scranton$16.01496
40Armstrong$15.87847
41Ruthven$15.84710
42Minden$15.77581
43Walker$15.74671
44Newell$15.49850
45Riceville$15.31807
46Neola$15.30917
47Sidney$15.191,048
48Russell$15.18475
49Gilbertville$15.15792
50Stanwood$15.12612
51Stratford$15.03688
52Griswold$15.01975
53Zearing$14.99508
54Readlyn$14.99857
55Wyoming$14.81526
56Hopkinton$14.79622
57Essex$14.76721
58Gilmore City$14.60484
59Dunlap$14.561,030
60Garnavillo$14.52751
61Maxwell$14.50862
62Sabula$14.38498
63Collins$14.32503
64Clermont$14.30571
65Moulton$14.25596
66Mcgregor$14.20725
67Olin$14.19652
68Primghar$14.18893
69Farragut$14.07480
70Elgin$14.05676
71Dow City$13.94477
72Ossian$13.88777
73Redfield$13.73719
74Victor$13.72852
75Edgewood$13.64908
76Sioux Rapids$13.63722
77Donnellson$13.63859
78Gladbrook$13.58775
79Rockford$13.52722
80Janesville$13.431,052
81Boyden$13.39694
82Baxter$13.32983
83Anita$13.28953
84Van Horne$13.27768
85Keota$13.21888
86Shellsburg$13.20987
87De Soto$13.18937
88Quasqueton$13.12587
89Farmington$13.10583
90Anthon$13.05534
91Odebolt$13.00967
92Coggon$12.99691
93Earlville$12.90713
94Brighton$12.88592
95Danville$12.87910
96Underwood$12.85973
97Malvern$12.791,056
98Montrose$12.78734
99Goldfield$12.73617
100Wellsburg$12.68709
101Delmar$12.68541
102Badger$12.67540
103Stanton$12.62664
104Hospers$12.58703
105Everly$12.51570
106Hazleton$12.48711
107West Point$12.39903
108Hinton$12.38959
109Preston$12.38940
110Alburnett$12.30672
111Hubbard$12.30837
112Moravia$12.27625
113Hedrick$12.22717
114Carson$12.22772
115Wheatland$12.18765
116Schaller$12.14702
117Winfield$12.041,006
118Afton$11.96864
119Lowden$11.93767
120Tabor$11.88983
121Albert City$11.88627
122Aurelia$11.84970
123Merrill$11.64713
124Ellsworth$11.57495
125Morning Sun$11.50702
126Battle Creek$11.49683
127Wall Lake$11.43739
128West Bend$11.42770
129Dakota City$11.39764
130Dunkerton$11.30840
131Sutherland$11.25628
132Arcadia$11.23588
133Whiting$11.21725
134Shelby$11.17730
135Blairstown$11.04705
136Manilla$11.01756
137Hamburg$10.95863
138Clarence$10.94991
139Ireton$10.93571
140Fontanelle$10.88684
141Richland$10.82532
142Grand Mound$10.78608
143Cambridge$10.53844
144Swisher$10.39909
145Schleswig$10.39820
146Melbourne$10.38771
147Radcliffe$10.37540
148Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
149Fredericksburg$10.27983
150Ventura$10.22701
151Inwood$10.22962
152Milo$10.20762
153Hartford$10.16729
154What Cheer$10.01595
155Newhall$9.99887
156Cumming$9.85527
157Graettinger$9.81810
158Breda$9.80492
159Doon$9.78640
160Long Grove$9.59849
161Paullina$9.21979
162Winthrop$8.94814
163Crescent$8.72626
164Ainsworth$8.62511
165Keosauqua$8.58944
166Grand Junction$8.57715
167Princeton$8.24917
168Gilman$8.10530
169Kellogg$8.10597
170Lakeside$8.10695
171Riverside$8.021,063
172Agency$7.94623
173Hills$7.94911
174Fremont$7.86688
175Larchwood$7.52954
176North English$7.491,030
177Sully$7.41891
178Fruitland$7.21928
179Lawton$7.10949
180Wayland$7.07935
181Raymond$6.85754
182Keystone$6.80616
183Shueyville$6.79725
184New Virginia$5.97499
185University Park$5.27476
186Orleans$4.13503
187Okoboji$3.83729

The $8.10 limit

Wellsburg’s general levy is $8.26 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.16 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 130 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.34 · FY26 $8.34 · FY27 $8.26 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $4.43 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.64 · $42,429
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.47 · $37,990
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.32 · $34,328

Tax increment financing (TIF)

Wellsburg’s TIF revenue, from its reports to the state. It budgeted $16,431 in TIF revenue for FY24.

$33,757
$16,276
YearTIF revenue
FY16$32,839
FY17$30,382
FY18$33,402
FY19$33,270
FY20$31,189
FY21$33,757
FY22$16,656
FY23$16,276
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$32,839
FY17$30,382
FY18$33,402
FY19$33,270
FY20$31,189
FY21$33,757
FY22$16,656
FY23$16,276

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$213,99265%
  • Debt Service Levy$42,42913%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$37,99012%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$34,32810%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Wellsburg’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 39¢ of every dollar39¢Public Works: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Public Safety: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Culture and Recreation: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Debt Service: 7¢ of every dollarEverything else: 5¢ of every dollar

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 186 Iowa cities closest in size (480–1,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (186)
Business Type / Enterprise39¢40¢
Public Works23¢17¢
Public Safety14¢9¢
Culture and Recreation12¢9¢
Debt Service7¢6¢
Everything else5¢11¢

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$275,25738%
  • Culture and Recreation$181,06125%
  • Public Safety$147,47521%
  • General Government$70,05810%
  • Debt Service$43,2606%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($452,946 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$224,163$266,189
Public Safety$134,516$339,836
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$34,433$55,024
Debt Service$140,430$140,429
Culture and Recreation$132,656$176,506
Community and Economic Development$0$6,567
Capital Projects$0$4,000
Business Type / Enterprise$370,812$426,562

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$2.5M
$1.7M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Wellsburg owes

$1.7M at June 30, 2026: $2,344 per resident. 340th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$2.7M
$1.7M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.7M$2,344
2025$1.9M$2,586
2024$2.0M$2,818
2023$2.2M$3,089
2022$2.5M$3,404
2021$2.7M$3,788
2020$1.0M$1,406
2019$1.2M$1,610
2018$1.3M$1,813
2017$1.5M$2,015
2016$1.6M$2,210
2015$1.5M$2,022
2014$1.6M$2,182
2013$984,010$1,367
2012$1.1M$1,536
2011$1.2M$1,720
2010$1.3M$1,864
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.7M$2,344
2025$1.9M$2,586
2024$2.0M$2,818
2023$2.2M$3,089
2022$2.5M$3,404
2021$2.7M$3,788
2020$1.0M$1,406
2019$1.2M$1,610
2018$1.3M$1,813
2017$1.5M$2,015
2016$1.6M$2,210
2015$1.5M$2,022
2014$1.6M$2,182
2013$984,010$1,367
2012$1.1M$1,536
2011$1.2M$1,720
2010$1.3M$1,864

Up 26% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $240,000, 10% of the limit of about $2.5M (5% of $50.5M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

2 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsSewer Revenue Bond Sewer Project2041$1.4M
General ObligationGO Bonds for refinancing sewer debt2032$240,000

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 balances9. Wellsburg’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Monday, November 24, 2025, by a CPA firm.

4 earlier reports for Wellsburg

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? 11

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: $122,966 in FY25, up 22% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$99,204$99,080$101,702$102,254
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$7,680$6,892$14,598$20,712

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.

$59,267
$2,476
  • State grants$2,476100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$1,965
FY20$2,363
FY21$19,510
FY22$59,267
FY23$53,732
FY24$47,648
FY25$2,476
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$1,965
FY20$2,363
FY21$19,510
FY22$59,267
FY23$53,732
FY24$47,648
FY25$2,476

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$91,335 → $102,254, up 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+75%$9,453 → $20,712, up 119% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 75% more

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 41% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.

$85,418
$82,945

Federal grants, for comparison: $171,643 in FY22.

Business awards

Every award statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 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)12.

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 · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Wellsburg; 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.

  • Wellsburg City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by DeAnn Eilers, J. R. Kennedy
  • Wellsburg Mayor
    Now held by Eric Minteer

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

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 ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

Annette Sweeney (Sen. 27)Joshua Meggers (Rep. 54)

U.S. House:District 2

Grundy CountyAgwsr schools