Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Bev JonesEldora City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Denny BarnardEldora Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Scott SwartzEldora City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Wesley Dale LandisEldora City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Don LauchnerEldora City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Maile A. CarterEldora 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 Eldora
Homes and businesses in most of Eldora pay a combined $51.56 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, $26.87. Estimate your bill.
- City of Eldora$26.8752%
- Eldora-New Providence schools$14.0127%
- Hardin County$8.2616%
- Iowa Valley Community College$1.703%
- Hardin County Assessor$0.48<1%
- Hardin County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.24<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Eldora pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $42.36 | $20.47 |
| FY21 | $44.98 | $21.76 |
| FY22 | $45.21 | $21.49 |
| FY23 | $44.85 | $21.86 |
| FY24 | $48.88 | $25.17 |
| FY25 | $49.16 | $25.17 |
| FY26 | $51.98 | $27.42 |
| FY27 | $51.56 | $26.87 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $42.36 | $20.47 |
| FY21 | $44.98 | $21.76 |
| FY22 | $45.21 | $21.49 |
| FY23 | $44.85 | $21.86 |
| FY24 | $48.88 | $25.17 |
| FY25 | $49.16 | $25.17 |
| FY26 | $51.98 | $27.42 |
| FY27 | $51.56 | $26.87 |
Compared with places this size3
Eldora’s city property tax rate of $26.87 per $1,000 is the 1st highest of 79 Iowa cities with 1,800–3,900 people. The middle of the group is $14.10.
See all 79
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eldora | $26.87 | 2,595 |
| 2 | Pocahontas | $20.79 | 1,848 |
| 3 | Rockwell City | $20.74 | 2,185 |
| 4 | Bloomfield | $20.41 | 2,773 |
| 5 | Belmond | $19.86 | 2,405 |
| 6 | Sibley | $19.77 | 2,787 |
| 7 | Albia | $19.70 | 3,579 |
| 8 | Sac City | $19.69 | 1,992 |
| 9 | Eagle Grove | $19.32 | 3,615 |
| 10 | West Liberty | $18.68 | 3,724 |
| 11 | Toledo | $18.21 | 2,372 |
| 12 | La Porte City | $18.08 | 2,267 |
| 13 | Tama | $17.74 | 2,997 |
| 14 | Clarion | $17.74 | 2,751 |
| 15 | Britt | $17.72 | 2,001 |
| 16 | Missouri Valley | $17.68 | 2,638 |
| 17 | Madrid | $16.93 | 2,824 |
| 18 | West Union | $16.60 | 2,435 |
| 19 | Audubon | $16.52 | 2,008 |
| 20 | Grundy Center | $16.36 | 2,821 |
| 21 | Belle Plaine | $16.34 | 2,335 |
| 22 | Colfax | $16.25 | 2,305 |
| 23 | Durant | $16.24 | 1,798 |
| 24 | Lamoni | $16.15 | 2,072 |
| 25 | Cresco | $16.13 | 3,890 |
| 26 | Marengo | $16.10 | 2,415 |
| 27 | Postville | $15.68 | 2,418 |
| 28 | Tipton | $15.54 | 3,059 |
| 29 | Stuart | $15.48 | 1,887 |
| 30 | Granger | $15.22 | 2,095 |
| 31 | Sigourney | $15.20 | 1,974 |
| 32 | Guttenberg | $15.19 | 1,804 |
| 33 | Sumner | $14.83 | 2,032 |
| 34 | Waukon | $14.76 | 3,799 |
| 35 | Van Meter | $14.60 | 1,840 |
| 36 | Rock Rapids | $14.57 | 2,709 |
| 37 | Jesup | $14.31 | 2,541 |
| 38 | Osage | $14.29 | 3,559 |
| 39 | Parkersburg | $14.15 | 1,986 |
| 40 | Ida Grove | $14.10 | 1,988 |
| 41 | Lake Mills | $13.82 | 2,077 |
| 42 | Emmetsburg | $13.70 | 3,632 |
| 43 | Wilton | $13.62 | 2,914 |
| 44 | New Hampton | $13.44 | 3,433 |
| 45 | Wapello | $13.29 | 2,026 |
| 46 | Hudson | $13.19 | 2,916 |
| 47 | Center Point | $13.19 | 2,578 |
| 48 | Greenfield | $13.13 | 1,988 |
| 49 | Hawarden | $13.02 | 2,630 |
| 50 | Leon | $12.93 | 1,779 |
| 51 | Garner | $12.86 | 3,049 |
| 52 | Bellevue | $12.67 | 2,321 |
| 53 | Milford | $12.57 | 3,258 |
| 54 | New London | $12.56 | 1,853 |
| 55 | Lisbon | $12.50 | 2,238 |
| 56 | Dallas Center | $12.42 | 1,993 |
| 57 | Onawa | $12.32 | 2,795 |
| 58 | Monroe | $12.28 | 2,021 |
| 59 | Denver | $12.27 | 1,955 |
| 60 | Alta | $12.13 | 2,039 |
| 61 | Atkins | $11.99 | 2,168 |
| 62 | Hull | $11.79 | 2,459 |
| 63 | Columbus Junction | $11.71 | 1,794 |
| 64 | Cascade | $11.64 | 2,396 |
| 65 | West Branch | $11.63 | 2,876 |
| 66 | Mitchellville | $11.54 | 2,686 |
| 67 | Solon | $11.53 | 3,284 |
| 68 | Northwood | $11.28 | 2,047 |
| 69 | Williamsburg | $11.11 | 3,380 |
| 70 | Ely | $11.08 | 2,371 |
| 71 | Ogden | $10.99 | 1,970 |
| 72 | Carter Lake | $10.67 | 3,752 |
| 73 | Story City | $10.39 | 3,439 |
| 74 | Kalona | $10.37 | 2,762 |
| 75 | West Burlington | $10.15 | 3,249 |
| 76 | Peosta | $9.82 | 2,195 |
| 77 | Robins | $9.68 | 3,362 |
| 78 | Epworth | $9.42 | 2,042 |
| 79 | Fairfax | $8.10 | 2,937 |
The $8.10 limit
Eldora’s general levy is $8.13 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.03 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 222 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.37 · FY26 $8.37 · FY27 $8.13 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $18.75 more5
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$9.41 · $611,968
- Debt Service Levy$6.20 · $404,662
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$3.14 · $203,989
Tax increment financing (TIF)
$284,504 of taxable value in Eldora is in TIF districts’ increment (0% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $12,674 in TIF revenue for FY25.
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 $5,883 of the city’s own.
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $8,957 |
| FY17 | $254,442 |
| FY18 | $226,603 |
| FY19 | $15,807 |
| FY20 | $5,722 |
| FY23 | $28,076 |
Show the numbers
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $8,957 |
| FY17 | $254,442 |
| FY18 | $226,603 |
| FY19 | $15,807 |
| FY20 | $5,722 |
| FY23 | $28,076 |
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.
Budget and spending
Where each dollar of Eldora’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 78 Iowa cities closest in size (1,800–3,900 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (78) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 35¢ | 39¢ |
| Public Safety | 34¢ | 12¢ |
| Public Works | 8¢ | 10¢ |
| Debt Service | 7¢ | 7¢ |
| General Government | 6¢ | 6¢ |
| Everything else | 10¢ | 25¢ |
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.
The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.7M in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $2.4M | $486,803 |
| Public Safety | $1.3M | $1.7M |
| Health and Social Services | $44,650 | $37,948 |
| General Government | $429,631 | $507,473 |
| Debt Service | $569,032 | $563,000 |
| Culture and Recreation | $383,122 | $416,877 |
| Community and Economic Development | $12,279 | $40,410 |
| Capital Projects | $6,200 | $2.0M |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $1.4M | $1.4M |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out8
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Eldora owes
$4.2M at June 30, 2026: $1,588 per resident. 443rd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $4.2M | $1,588 |
| 2025 | $5.2M | $1,948 |
| 2024 | $5.2M | $1,965 |
| 2023 | $5.9M | $2,221 |
| 2022 | $6.6M | $2,495 |
| 2021 | $4.6M | $1,737 |
| 2020 | $5.7M | $2,142 |
| 2019 | $6.6M | $2,475 |
| 2018 | $7.4M | $2,785 |
| 2017 | $7.3M | $2,748 |
| 2016 | $8.0M | $2,997 |
| 2015 | $7.4M | $2,766 |
| 2014 | $8.3M | $3,124 |
| 2013 | $8.9M | $3,340 |
| 2012 | $8.8M | $3,294 |
| 2011 | $7.8M | $2,914 |
| 2010 | $7.7M | $2,909 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $4.2M | $1,588 |
| 2025 | $5.2M | $1,948 |
| 2024 | $5.2M | $1,965 |
| 2023 | $5.9M | $2,221 |
| 2022 | $6.6M | $2,495 |
| 2021 | $4.6M | $1,737 |
| 2020 | $5.7M | $2,142 |
| 2019 | $6.6M | $2,475 |
| 2018 | $7.4M | $2,785 |
| 2017 | $7.3M | $2,748 |
| 2016 | $8.0M | $2,997 |
| 2015 | $7.4M | $2,766 |
| 2014 | $8.3M | $3,124 |
| 2013 | $8.9M | $3,340 |
| 2012 | $8.8M | $3,294 |
| 2011 | $7.8M | $2,914 |
| 2010 | $7.7M | $2,909 |
Down 45% since 2010.
The 5% limit10
General obligation debt is $3.0M, 50% of the limit of about $6.1M (5% of $122.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).
10 obligations at June 30, 2026
| Kind | For | Paid off by | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Obligation | 2021A 11th ST Project | 2034 | $1.4M |
| General Obligation | 2022A HCSB 11th ST Project | 2033 | $974,815 |
| Revenue Bonds | Dump Truck, Ambulance, and Police Tasers | 2035 | $805,678 |
| General Obligation | 2017A - Washington ST project and refinance of 2011 bond | 2028 | $414,650 |
| Revenue Bonds | Sewer Revenue Bond refinance | 2027 | $280,500 |
| General Obligation | 2017B - Washington Street project | 2027 | $124,200 |
| General Obligation | 2022 USDA Ambulance | 2030 | $104,206 |
| Revenue Bonds | 2010 - SRF water series A | 2030 | $52,222 |
| General Obligation | 2023 Green Belt PD Tahoe | 2029 | $49,416 |
| Loans | 2024 Police Tahoe | 2031 | $44,868 |
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. Eldora’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).
Audits12
The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by a CPA firm.
AI summary13
- The city had deficit balances in several funds, including $411,176 in the General Fund, $70,566 in Special Revenue, Trust, and Agency accounts, and $2,914 in the Grant Fund.
- Spending exceeded the approved budget in the health and social services and community and economic development functions.
- The city lacked the internal systems and expertise to prepare required financial statements and footnotes, and failed to always publish required financial summaries in the council minutes.
- The city stated it will amend budgets correctly in the future, has corrected the publication of minutes, and is evaluating how to handle financial reporting and fund deficits.
The findings, as the report states them
15 earlier reports for Eldora
- Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023Thursday, October 10, 2024
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022Monday, September 25, 2023
- Financial Statement, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2021Monday, June 27, 2022
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2020Wednesday, August 18, 2021
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2019Wednesday, April 8, 2020
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2018Monday, April 1, 2019
- Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2017Friday, April 6, 2018
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2016Friday, May 12, 2017
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Monday, April 4, 2016
- Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2014Monday, March 30, 2015
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2013Tuesday, April 1, 2014
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Tuesday, April 2, 2013
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2011Thursday, March 29, 2012
- Financial Statement, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2010Thursday, April 21, 2011
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2009Monday, February 1, 2010
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? 14
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: $356,293 in FY25, down 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 26% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $369,837 | $366,459 | $376,156 | $336,700 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | $31,348 | $27,431 | $23,512 | $19,593 |
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.
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $6,269 |
| FY20 | $10,141 |
| FY21 | $48,637 |
| FY22 | $26,379 |
| FY23 | $434,027 |
| FY24 | $2,367 |
| FY25 | $8,649 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $6,269 |
| FY20 | $10,141 |
| FY21 | $48,637 |
| FY22 | $26,379 |
| FY23 | $434,027 |
| FY24 | $2,367 |
| FY25 | $8,649 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−24%$352,935 → $336,700, down 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% less
- Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−52%$32,285 → $19,593, down 39% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 52% 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 25% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 0% less.
Federal grants, for comparison: $232,392 in FY25.
Business awards
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)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 · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- Scott Swartz Winner33933.5%
- Wesley Dale Landis Winner26526.2%
- Bev Jones Winner23823.5%
- Carey Calloway Morton 17016.8%
- Denny Barnard Unopposed334100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Eldora; 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.
- Eldora City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Don Lauchner, Maile A. Carter
- Eldora MayorNow held by Denny Barnard
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
Annette Sweeney (Sen. 27)Joshua Meggers (Rep. 54)
U.S. House:District 2