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Local taxes › Hardin County › Iowa Falls

City

Iowa Falls

Hardin County · How cities work

$3,570 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($42.36 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,590 a yearof that goes to the city ($18.86 per $1,000)
$3.6Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$10.4Mcity 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.

  • Gumaro ValenciaIowa Falls City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Michael R. EmersonIowa Falls Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Steven L. KleinIowa Falls City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bruce ThiesIowa Falls City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • David HenryIowa Falls City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Roger V. NisslyIowa Falls City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Bernal F Koehrsen IIIIowa Falls Park Board Board At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Keith R. CarsonIowa Falls Park Board Board At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kinsey AldingerIowa Falls Hospital Board At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark A HauserIowa Falls Park Board Board At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Prentice LofstedtIowa Falls Hospital Board At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Adam NederhoffIowa Falls Hospital Board · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jim HerzogIowa Falls Park Board · elected November 7, 2023
  • Marianne JonesIowa Falls Hospital Board · elected November 7, 2023
  • Quinn A. HoverstenIowa Falls Hospital Board · elected November 7, 2023
  • Thomas WatersIowa Falls Park Board · 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.3

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • The Board will discuss a contract request from McClure Engineering regarding expenses for a parallel taxiway project.
  • Discussions include moving the airport phone to cellular service, authorizing Mediacom to study bringing cable or fiber to the airport, and ordering a Fuelmaster unit through Acterra.
  • The Board will address several hangar matters, including moving tenants between T-Hangars, a year-round lease for Midwest Custom Ag, and a request for a new lock in Hangar 4.
  • Items on the agenda include discussing the termination of a farming lease, planning events like Fly Iowa 2020, and responding to an anonymous letter.
  • The Board will consider making meeting minutes available on the city website and using first and last names in monthly minutes per City Council request.
City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • McClure Engineering is requesting a contract review and approval for expenses related to a parallel taxiway project and a Categorical Exclusion.
  • The Board will discuss ending the current farming lease and the possibility of subleasing a hangar to the Fixed Base Operator (FBO).
  • Several facility updates are on the table, including installing a programmable thermostat, a new bathroom light, a credit card chip reader for FuelMaster, replacing a hangar door switch, and moving the airport phone line to VOIP service.
  • Other topics include making meeting minutes more detailed and available on the city website, addressing an anonymous letter, and discussing apartment usage.
City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • The board will discuss a new design contract with McClure Engineering for the taxiway and a project involving trees.
  • Updates will be provided on several maintenance and technology items, including a new thermostat, bathroom lighting, a fuel card reader, a hangar door switch, and moving the airport phone line to VOIP service.
  • The board will consider renting Hangar 6 to a new tenant and a notice regarding the vacation of that same hangar.
  • Other topics include LED office lighting replacement, a flight training opportunity from Iowa Flight Training, a high school yearbook advertisement, and upcoming aircraft training with the local fire department.
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 Iowa Falls

Homes and businesses in most of Iowa Falls pay a combined $42.36 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, $18.86. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.72$17.82
FY21$39.19$18.05
FY22$39.61$17.95
FY23$38.91$17.95
FY24$40.12$18.24
FY25$40.97$18.87
FY26$42.00$18.87
FY27$42.36$18.86
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$37.72$17.82
FY21$39.19$18.05
FY22$39.61$17.95
FY23$38.91$17.95
FY24$40.12$18.24
FY25$40.97$18.87
FY26$42.00$18.87
FY27$42.36$18.86

Compared with places this size4

Iowa Falls’s city property tax rate of $18.86 per $1,000 is the 6th highest of 62 Iowa cities with 3,400–7,500 people. The middle of the group is $14.82.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Independence: $19.01West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Charles City: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Decorah: $15.52Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Creston: $14.99Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Nevada: $14.58Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Tiffin: $11.80Huxley: $11.68Williamsburg: $11.11Polk City: $11.00Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17Robins: $9.68Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Evansdale: $8.00Iowa Falls: $18.86$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 62
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Albia$19.703,579
4Eagle Grove$19.323,615
5Independence$19.016,266
6Iowa Falls$18.864,993
7West Liberty$18.683,724
8Chariton$18.374,278
9Atlantic$17.486,717
10Knoxville$17.467,440
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Vinton$16.254,962
15Winterset$16.155,421
16Cresco$16.133,890
17Humboldt$16.004,774
18Anamosa$15.955,845
19Charles City$15.957,081
20Forest City$15.774,199
21Decorah$15.527,454
22Sheldon$15.335,584
23Estherville$15.275,796
24Washington$15.217,281
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Creston$14.997,421
28Manchester$14.965,283
29Jefferson$14.884,148
30Hampton$14.864,340
31Carlisle$14.824,381
32Cherokee$14.825,186
33Glenwood$14.775,250
34Waukon$14.763,799
35Nevada$14.587,082
36Monticello$14.494,095
37Osceola$14.375,585
38Windsor Heights$14.305,106
39Osage$14.293,559
40Orange City$14.016,547
41Hiawatha$13.787,347
42Rock Valley$13.764,024
43Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
44Emmetsburg$13.703,632
45Mount Vernon$13.504,518
46New Hampton$13.443,433
47Adel$13.436,763
48Maquoketa$12.856,064
49Camanche$12.754,536
50Le Claire$12.644,776
51Tiffin$11.806,695
52Huxley$11.684,737
53Williamsburg$11.113,380
54Polk City$11.006,430
55Carter Lake$10.673,752
56Story City$10.393,439
57Dyersville$10.274,559
58Spirit Lake$10.175,548
59Robins$9.683,362
60Asbury$8.326,051
61Eldridge$8.136,967
62Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Iowa Falls’s general levy is $7.89 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 below the limit.5 553 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $8.13 · FY27 $7.89 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $10.97 more6

  • Debt Service Levy$4.99 · $1.1M
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.43 · $811,273
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.28 · $234,586
  • Aviation Authority$0.27 · $49,404

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$31.5M of taxable value in Iowa Falls is in TIF districts’ increment (16% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.7 It budgeted $1.1M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.2M
$1.1M

What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY278

Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $437,269 of the city’s own.

  • Hardin County$257,669
  • Iowa Falls schools$231,366
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.2M
FY17$887,909
FY18$792,721
FY19$1.2M
FY20$919,058
FY21$792,677
FY22$832,251
FY23$1.1M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.2M
FY17$887,909
FY18$792,721
FY19$1.2M
FY20$919,058
FY21$792,677
FY22$832,251
FY23$1.1M

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$1.4M40%
  • Debt Service Levy$1.1M30%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$811,27322%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$234,5867%
  • Aviation Authority (under sec.330A.15)$49,4041%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Iowa Falls’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 82¢ of every dollar82¢Public Safety: 5¢ of every dollarCapital Projects: 4¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 3¢ of every dollarPublic Works: 2¢ of every dollarEverything else: 3¢ 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 61 Iowa cities closest in size (3,400–7,500 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (61)
Business Type / Enterprise82¢36¢
Public Safety5¢13¢
Capital Projects4¢19¢
Debt Service3¢8¢
Public Works2¢9¢
Everything else3¢15¢

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$3.2M31%
  • Capital Projects$2.2M21%
  • Public Works$1.8M17%
  • Debt Service$1.4M13%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.2M11%
  • General Government$564,3005%
  • Community and Economic Development$120,0001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($51.5M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.5M$1.3M
Public Safety$2.9M$3.1M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$264,766$325,880
Debt Service$1.8M$1.5M
Culture and Recreation$961,258$967,527
Community and Economic Development$110,800$201,735
Capital Projects$1.1M$3.8M
Business Type / Enterprise$32.1M$37.9M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out9

$49.8M
$27.5M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Iowa Falls owes

$20.1M at June 30, 2026: $3,933 per resident. 190th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).10

$25.6M
$20.1M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$20.1M$3,933
2025$22.1M$4,336
2024$24.2M$4,737
2023$21.6M$4,230
2022$25.6M$5,019
2021$16.8M$3,293
2020$18.7M$3,659
2019$14.5M$2,835
2018$16.3M$3,186
2017$17.7M$3,471
2016$17.9M$3,510
2015$17.7M$3,471
2014$13.9M$2,717
2013$14.1M$2,764
2012$11.1M$2,172
2011$6.7M$1,314
2010$7.8M$1,524
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$20.1M$3,933
2025$22.1M$4,336
2024$24.2M$4,737
2023$21.6M$4,230
2022$25.6M$5,019
2021$16.8M$3,293
2020$18.7M$3,659
2019$14.5M$2,835
2018$16.3M$3,186
2017$17.7M$3,471
2016$17.9M$3,510
2015$17.7M$3,471
2014$13.9M$2,717
2013$14.1M$2,764
2012$11.1M$2,172
2011$6.7M$1,314
2010$7.8M$1,524

Up 158% since 2010.

The 5% limit11

General obligation debt is $11.0M, 62% of the limit of about $17.7M (5% of $353.7M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

9 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2024 GO BOND-Roads, curbs, gutters, trails, bridge, sidewalks2037$4.3M
General Obligation2019 GO-STREET IMPROVEMENT2034$4.3M
Revenue Bonds2022D SEWER REV BOND Refunding 2017, 2015 and 2012 issues2037$4.0M
Revenue Bonds2022C WATER REV BOND Refunding 2015 issue2037$3.8M
General Obligation2022A STREET IMPROVEMENT Refunding 2011A issue2033$1.6M
General ObligationHospital GO Bonds2032$860,000
Revenue BondsRV bonds for hospital - ASB2032$635,000
Revenue BondsRV Bonds for Hospital - GBBT2032$635,000
LoansSTREET REPAIR2027$34,206

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 balances12. Iowa Falls’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).

Audits13

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Thursday, February 19, 2026, by a CPA firm.

15 earlier reports for Iowa Falls

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: $800,141 in FY25, down 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$709,112$702,643$721,236$725,150
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$119,985$104,987$89,989$74,991

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.

$920,544
$48,277
  • Other$42,57888%
  • State grants$5,69912%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$6,785
FY20$920,544
FY21$54,439
FY22$50,961
FY23$70,529
FY24$907,599
FY25$48,277
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$6,785
FY20$920,544
FY21$54,439
FY22$50,961
FY23$70,529
FY24$907,599
FY25$48,277

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−15%$676,675 → $725,150, up 7% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−63%$161,992 → $74,991, down 54% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 63% 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 35% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% more.

$878,392

Federal grants, for comparison: $90,352 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2005 worth $595K, for 92 pledged jobs.

Awards 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)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 · 4

2 seats: the top 2 win.

2 seats: the top 2 win.

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Iowa Falls; 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.

  • Iowa Falls City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Roger V. Nissly, Bruce Thies, David Henry
  • Iowa Falls Hospital Board (5 seats)
    Now held by Quinn A. Hoversten, Marianne Jones, Adam Nederhoff, Thomas Waters, Jim Herzog
  • Iowa Falls Mayor
    Now held by Michael R. Emerson

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

Hardin CountyIowa Falls schools