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Local taxes › Hardin County › Alden

City

Alden

Hardin County · How cities work

$3,330 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($39.51 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,510 a yearof that goes to the city ($17.90 per $1,000)
$385,234property taxes the city levies, FY27
$895,795city 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.

  • Janaan HardingAlden City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Robert HoverstenAlden City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Harley MourlamAlden Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jerry HartemaAlden City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mark OliverAlden City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Michael OliverAlden 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 Alden

Homes and businesses in most of Alden pay a combined $39.51 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Hardin County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $17.90. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.95$19.49
FY21$38.78$19.81
FY22$41.02$19.54
FY23$38.16$17.36
FY24$39.45$17.66
FY25$38.83$16.54
FY26$39.58$16.53
FY27$39.51$17.90
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.95$19.49
FY21$38.78$19.81
FY22$41.02$19.54
FY23$38.16$17.36
FY24$39.45$17.66
FY25$38.83$16.54
FY26$39.58$16.53
FY27$39.51$17.90

Compared with places this size3

Alden’s city property tax rate of $17.90 per $1,000 is the 16th highest of 188 Iowa cities with 490–1,100 people. The middle of the group is $12.86.

Exira: $24.81Rolfe: $22.67Dayton: $22.51Charter Oak: $21.32Correctionville: $19.84Villisca: $19.74Pomeroy: $19.60Allison: $19.06Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Greene: $17.91Elma: $17.82Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Lansing: $17.67Rockwell: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14George: $16.89Adair: $16.84Eddyville: $16.82Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Buffalo Center: $16.58Bancroft: $16.52Eldon: $16.42Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Aplington: $16.34Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Scranton: $16.01Armstrong: $15.87Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Newell: $15.49Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Gilbertville: $15.15Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Griswold: $15.01Zearing: $14.99Readlyn: $14.99Wyoming: $14.81Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Dunlap: $14.56Garnavillo: $14.52Maxwell: $14.50Sabula: $14.38Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Primghar: $14.18Elgin: $14.05Ossian: $13.88Redfield: $13.73Victor: $13.72Edgewood: $13.64Sioux Rapids: $13.63Donnellson: $13.63Gladbrook: $13.58Rockford: $13.52Janesville: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Boyden: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Anita: $13.28Van Horne: $13.27Conrad: $13.23Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Coggon: $12.99Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85Malvern: $12.79Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Wellsburg: $12.68Delmar: $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: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Afton: $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: $11.39Marcus: $11.31Dunkerton: $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: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Raymond: $6.85Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79New Virginia: $5.97Orleans: $4.13Okoboji: $3.83Alden: $17.90$3.83 lowest$24.81 highestmiddle
See all 188
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Exira$24.81766
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Dayton$22.51766
4Charter Oak$21.32521
5Correctionville$19.84759
6Villisca$19.741,106
7Pomeroy$19.60511
8Allison$19.06937
9Dumont$19.04614
10Seymour$18.78646
11Dexter$18.69631
12Fonda$18.52636
13Kanawha$18.11638
14Swea City$18.04545
15Greene$17.91971
16Alden$17.90738
17Elma$17.82493
18Dows$17.70509
19New Hartford$17.69555
20Lansing$17.67959
21Rockwell$17.541,044
22Walnut$17.46728
23Murray$17.44609
24Gowrie$17.17943
25Colo$17.14856
26George$16.891,106
27Adair$16.84792
28Eddyville$16.82965
29Elk Horn$16.78631
30Oxford$16.70715
31Buffalo Center$16.58839
32Bancroft$16.52677
33Eldon$16.42788
34Early$16.35571
35Truro$16.34515
36Aplington$16.341,088
37Panora$16.141,096
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
48Gilbertville$15.15792
49Stanwood$15.12612
50Stratford$15.03688
51Griswold$15.01975
52Zearing$14.99508
53Readlyn$14.99857
54Wyoming$14.81526
55Hopkinton$14.79622
56Essex$14.76721
57Dunlap$14.561,030
58Garnavillo$14.52751
59Maxwell$14.50862
60Sabula$14.38498
61Collins$14.32503
62Clermont$14.30571
63Moulton$14.25596
64Mcgregor$14.20725
65Olin$14.19652
66Primghar$14.18893
67Elgin$14.05676
68Ossian$13.88777
69Redfield$13.73719
70Victor$13.72852
71Edgewood$13.64908
72Sioux Rapids$13.63722
73Donnellson$13.63859
74Gladbrook$13.58775
75Rockford$13.52722
76Janesville$13.431,052
77Calmar$13.391,100
78Boyden$13.39694
79Baxter$13.32983
80Anita$13.28953
81Van Horne$13.27768
82Conrad$13.231,098
83Keota$13.21888
84Shellsburg$13.20987
85De Soto$13.18937
86Quasqueton$13.12587
87Farmington$13.10583
88Anthon$13.05534
89Treynor$13.031,104
90Odebolt$13.00967
91Coggon$12.99691
92Earlville$12.90713
93Brighton$12.88592
94Danville$12.87910
95Underwood$12.85973
96Malvern$12.791,056
97Montrose$12.78734
98Goldfield$12.73617
99Wellsburg$12.68709
100Delmar$12.68541
101Badger$12.67540
102Stanton$12.62664
103Hospers$12.58703
104Everly$12.51570
105Hazleton$12.48711
106West Point$12.39903
107Hinton$12.38959
108Preston$12.38940
109Alburnett$12.30672
110Hubbard$12.30837
111Moravia$12.27625
112Hedrick$12.22717
113Carson$12.22772
114Wheatland$12.18765
115Schaller$12.14702
116Winfield$12.041,006
117Elkhart$12.001,079
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
130Marcus$11.311,069
131Dunkerton$11.30840
132Sutherland$11.25628
133Arcadia$11.23588
134Whiting$11.21725
135Shelby$11.17730
136Blairstown$11.04705
137Manilla$11.01756
138Hamburg$10.95863
139Clarence$10.94991
140Ireton$10.93571
141Fontanelle$10.88684
142Richland$10.82532
143Grand Mound$10.78608
144Cambridge$10.53844
145Swisher$10.39909
146Schleswig$10.39820
147Melbourne$10.38771
148Radcliffe$10.37540
149Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
150Fredericksburg$10.27983
151Ventura$10.22701
152Inwood$10.22962
153Milo$10.20762
154Hartford$10.16729
155What Cheer$10.01595
156Newhall$9.99887
157Cumming$9.85527
158Graettinger$9.81810
159Breda$9.80492
160Doon$9.78640
161Long Grove$9.59849
162Paullina$9.21979
163Winthrop$8.94814
164Crescent$8.72626
165Ainsworth$8.62511
166Keosauqua$8.58944
167Grand Junction$8.57715
168Princeton$8.24917
169Gilman$8.10530
170Kellogg$8.10597
171Lakeside$8.10695
172Riverside$8.021,063
173Agency$7.94623
174Hills$7.94911
175Fremont$7.86688
176Larchwood$7.52954
177North English$7.491,030
178Sloan$7.491,078
179Sully$7.41891
180Fruitland$7.21928
181Lawton$7.10949
182Wayland$7.07935
183Raymond$6.85754
184Keystone$6.80616
185Shueyville$6.79725
186New Virginia$5.97499
187Orleans$4.13503
188Okoboji$3.83729

The $8.10 limit

Alden’s general levy is $9.18 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $1.08 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 1 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $9.18 · FY26 $9.18 · FY27 $9.18 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $8.72 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.40 · $93,998
  • Debt Service Levy$2.48 · $52,994
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.83 · $39,150

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$195,97451%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$93,99825%
  • Debt Service Levy$52,99414%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$39,15010%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Alden’s budget goes, FY26

Culture and Recreation: 28¢ of every dollar28¢Business Type / Enterprise: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Public Works: 24¢ of every dollar24¢Public Safety: 8¢ of every dollar8¢General Government: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Everything else: 8¢ of every dollar8¢

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 187 Iowa cities closest in size (490–1,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (187)
Culture and Recreation28¢9¢
Business Type / Enterprise26¢40¢
Public Works24¢16¢
Public Safety8¢9¢
General Government7¢10¢
Everything else8¢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.

  • Culture and Recreation$387,98943%
  • Public Works$267,87330%
  • Public Safety$90,93410%
  • General Government$82,0139%
  • Debt Service$54,0856%
  • Health and Social Services$10,9011%
  • Community and Economic Development$2,0000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($286,631 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$302,267$296,006
Public Safety$137,129$102,826
Health and Social Services$8,820$9,193
General Government$64,642$78,720
Debt Service$104,576$104,576
Culture and Recreation$274,628$295,448
Community and Economic Development$0$0
Capital Projects$0$43,898
Business Type / Enterprise$255,607$248,948

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$1.7M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Alden owes

$369,000 at June 30, 2026: $484 per resident. 641st most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$1.3M
$369,000
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$369,000$484
2025$427,000$560
2024$484,000$634
2023$588,000$771
2022$690,000$904
2021$818,000$1,072
2020$942,000$1,235
2019$1.1M$1,392
2018$1.2M$1,545
2017$1.1M$1,383
2016$1.1M$1,453
2015$1.2M$1,621
2014$1.3M$1,700
2013$945,096$1,239
2012$994,096$1,303
2011$693,000$908
2010$315,000$413
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$369,000$484
2025$427,000$560
2024$484,000$634
2023$588,000$771
2022$690,000$904
2021$818,000$1,072
2020$942,000$1,235
2019$1.1M$1,392
2018$1.2M$1,545
2017$1.1M$1,383
2016$1.1M$1,453
2015$1.2M$1,621
2014$1.3M$1,700
2013$945,096$1,239
2012$994,096$1,303
2011$693,000$908
2010$315,000$413

Up 17% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $157,000, 8% of the limit of about $2.0M (5% of $40.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

4 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsCity Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation Project2041$212,000
General ObligationCity Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation2030$106,000
General ObligationCORPORATE PURPOSE-WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES IMPROVEMENT2028$39,000
General ObligationCORPORATE PURPOSE-PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING IMPROVEMENT2028$12,000

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. Alden’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 Tuesday, November 18, 2025, by a CPA firm.

8 earlier reports for Alden

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: $116,084 in FY25, up 14% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 9% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$106,071$104,997$107,776$108,361
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–$10,812$9,268$7,723

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.

$485,166
$16,798
  • CEBA grants$15,59893%
  • State grants$1,2007%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$8,318
FY20$10,750
FY21$0
FY22$59,899
FY23$17,442
FY24$485,166
FY25$16,798
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$8,318
FY20$10,750
FY21$0
FY22$59,899
FY23$17,442
FY24$485,166
FY25$16,798

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−15%$101,669 → $108,361, up 7% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% 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 34% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% more.

$126,643

Federal grants, for comparison: $55,174 in FY23.

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 · 1

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Alden; 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.

  • Alden City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Jerry Hartema, Michael Oliver, Mark Oliver
  • Alden Mayor
    Now held by Harley Mourlam

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

Hardin CountyAlden schools