City

Olds

$2,920 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.70 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$660 a yearof that goes to the city ($7.86 per $1,000)

$53,161property taxes the city levies, FY27

$148,200city 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.

Jason WaterhouseOlds City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Timothy FallerOlds City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
James Lee RohdeOlds City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Sheila TharpOlds City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Theresa WilleyOlds 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

Where a property tax dollar goes in Olds

The combined rate in most of Olds is $34.70 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). The city sets only its own piece. Estimate your bill.

Waco schools$12.9237%
Henry County$9.1926%
City of Olds$7.8623%
Henry County Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Hospital$2.287%
Southeastern Community. College$1.585%
Henry County Assessor$0.582%
Henry County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.28<1%

Compared with places this size³

Olds’s city property tax rate of $7.86 per $1,000 is the 31st lowest of 202 Iowa cities with 120–260 people. The middle of the group is $11.14.

See all 202

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Brayton	$25.07	138
2	Harris	$23.13	145
3	Fenton	$22.05	250
4	Soldier	$21.92	176
5	Coulter	$21.80	220
6	Chelsea	$21.61	207
7	Smithland	$21.12	184
8	Volga	$20.23	200
9	Alta Vista	$19.88	219
10	Arthur	$19.86	218
11	Coin	$19.59	171
12	Rowan	$19.53	118
13	Chester	$19.30	134
14	Bouton	$19.25	125
15	Garden Grove	$19.20	173
16	Hastings	$18.95	157
17	Swaledale	$18.62	136
18	Cumberland	$18.42	248
19	Jamaica	$18.24	196
20	Hillsboro	$17.68	158
21	Bristow	$17.39	139
22	Woolstock	$17.26	141
23	Pisgah	$17.09	248
24	Lakota	$16.84	261
25	Marble Rock	$16.78	258
26	Auburn	$16.65	253
27	Prescott	$16.53	186
28	Monmouth	$16.41	129
29	Blockton	$16.37	123
30	Montour	$16.37	199
31	Geneva	$16.25	137
32	Corwith	$16.22	259
33	Deep River	$16.18	243
34	Waucoma	$16.17	235
35	Little Sioux	$15.74	170
36	Moorhead	$15.68	186
37	Onslow	$15.63	198
38	Linden	$15.62	206
39	Woodburn	$15.59	133
40	Kamrar	$15.47	178
41	Greeley	$15.23	216
42	Goodell	$15.16	139
43	Riverton	$14.94	243
44	Marathon	$14.89	221
45	Ladora	$14.74	223
46	Magnolia	$14.68	194
47	Bagley	$14.63	230
48	Davis City	$14.45	178
49	Lucas	$14.40	176
50	Crystal Lake	$14.36	243
51	Steamboat Rock	$14.19	261
52	Westgate	$14.05	190
53	Palmer	$13.89	137
54	Kellerton	$13.60	241
55	Quimby	$13.58	245
56	Ayrshire	$13.55	128
57	Searsboro	$13.55	129
58	Meservey	$13.43	212
59	Leland	$13.31	240
60	Harcourt	$13.21	257
61	Calumet	$13.16	144
62	Ridgeway	$13.10	261
63	Portsmouth	$13.05	187
64	Clutier	$13.03	209
65	Silver City	$12.87	244
66	Delaware	$12.86	139
67	Patterson	$12.84	176
68	Martelle	$12.83	250
69	Malcom	$12.82	257
70	Clemons	$12.69	135
71	Blencoe	$12.57	223
72	Kensett	$12.47	256
73	Millersburg	$12.40	135
74	Aurora	$12.40	165
75	Bridgewater	$12.29	145
76	Cushing	$12.18	225
77	Hanlontown	$12.17	200
78	Stout	$12.14	194
79	Webb	$12.10	139
80	Paton	$12.09	217
81	Decatur	$12.08	174
82	Rembrandt	$12.03	199
83	Shambaugh	$11.98	161
84	Lone Rock	$11.92	143
85	East Peru	$11.89	119
86	New Providence	$11.88	233
87	Henderson	$11.85	140
88	Parnell	$11.78	190
89	Reasnor	$11.76	157
90	Ledyard	$11.74	118
91	Joice	$11.72	206
92	Cantril	$11.69	224
93	Wadena	$11.65	201
94	Exline	$11.60	157
95	Beaman	$11.54	155
96	Delta	$11.52	257
97	College Springs	$11.44	172
98	Holland	$11.37	261
99	Mallard	$11.28	255
100	Renwick	$11.16	228
101	Linn Grove	$11.15	155
102	Dundee	$11.14	193
103	Randolph	$11.08	183
104	Leighton	$11.07	153
105	Rake	$11.05	179
106	Somers	$10.99	121
107	Frederika	$10.99	206
108	Havelock	$10.95	127
109	Alexander	$10.90	165
110	Goose Lake	$10.89	250
111	Lambs Grove	$10.78	174
112	Wallingford	$10.75	154
113	Hornick	$10.74	255
114	Woden	$10.68	183
115	Cleghorn	$10.49	235
116	Barnes City	$10.44	152
117	Stockton	$10.37	171
118	Randall	$10.35	156
119	Dedham	$10.28	221
120	Deloit	$10.28	246
121	Meriden	$10.28	175
122	Drakesville	$10.24	170
123	Hancock	$10.13	199
124	La Motte	$10.09	235
125	Melvin	$10.05	196
126	Defiance	$10.05	248
127	Barnum	$9.96	186
128	Panama	$9.85	234
129	Grafton	$9.83	212
130	Clare	$9.81	133
131	Tingley	$9.81	146
132	Ionia	$9.65	220
133	Rutland	$9.65	116
134	Van Wert	$9.62	175
135	Rock Falls	$9.61	143
136	Kirkville	$9.59	159
137	Luxemburg	$9.58	240
138	Superior	$9.58	127
139	Rippey	$9.42	217
140	Larrabee	$9.41	116
141	Hamilton	$9.35	125
142	Floris	$9.29	119
143	Mitchell	$9.22	118
144	Westphalia	$9.18	133
145	Elberon	$9.16	178
146	Dixon	$9.03	204
147	Blairsburg	$8.93	175
148	Prairieburg	$8.91	156
149	Oakville	$8.89	198
150	Welton	$8.86	124
151	Archer	$8.84	116
152	Luther	$8.83	147
153	Harvey	$8.71	242
154	Washta	$8.65	206
155	Moorland	$8.61	169
156	Pilot Mound	$8.54	155
157	Ollie	$8.44	196
158	Thor	$8.38	182
159	South English	$8.27	196
160	Thurman	$8.26	162
161	Boxholm	$8.11	177
162	Fostoria	$8.10	229
163	Low Moor	$8.10	242
164	Westfield	$8.10	121
165	Laurel	$8.10	214
166	Lineville	$8.10	194
167	Vincent	$8.09	125
168	Lockridge	$7.92	245
169	Mount Auburn	$7.86	162
170	Haverhill	$7.86	164
171	Grand River	$7.86	192
172	Olds	$7.86	174
173	Dickens	$7.86	146
174	Castalia	$7.86	141
175	Rose Hill	$7.86	156
176	West Chester	$7.82	147
177	Mcclelland	$7.79	147
178	Lidderdale	$7.68	162
179	Pulaski	$7.58	259
180	Bernard	$7.56	117
181	Fredonia	$7.55	227
182	Braddyville	$7.49	142
183	Alvord	$7.41	216
184	Franklin	$7.31	133
185	Weldon	$7.18	134
186	Brunsville	$6.95	128
187	Packwood	$6.77	186
188	Houghton	$6.73	129
189	Williamson	$6.72	126
190	Keswick	$6.49	238
191	Lincoln	$6.32	119
192	Gravity	$6.18	149
193	Ackworth	$5.90	117
194	Oakland Acres	$5.88	178
195	Springbrook	$5.79	145
196	Maysville	$5.77	155
197	Harper	$5.29	117
198	Panorama Park	$4.62	142
199	Sherrill	$2.66	176
200	Centralia	$2.41	117
201	Rickardsville	$2.27	204
202	New Liberty	$2.27	141

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$52,759100%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Olds’s budget goes, FY26

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (200)
Business Type / Enterprise	60¢	31¢
Public Works	19¢	24¢
General Government	15¢	22¢
Public Safety	4¢	9¢
Culture and Recreation	2¢	8¢
Everything else	1¢	2¢

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 200 Iowa cities closest in size (120–260 people).

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$68,00046%
General Government$54,50037%
Culture and Recreation$12,5008%
Public Safety$11,0007%
Community and Economic Development$2,0001%
Health and Social Services$2000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($182,000 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$53,600	$70,799
Public Safety	$11,000	$10,660
Health and Social Services	$200	$200
General Government	$33,800	$24,883
Debt Service	$0	$0
Culture and Recreation	$3,380	$5,753
Community and Economic Development	$100	$0
Capital Projects	$35,000	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$222,000	$174,894

What it spent each year

$287,189

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23

State money

What the state sends the city

Sales tax and property tax credits the state paid the city: up 27% since FY23; up 16% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars

Show the numbers

Program	FY27	FY26	FY25	FY24	FY23
Local option sales tax	$2,256	$30,972	$25,478	$24,499	$24,331

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 1

Olds City Council At-Large

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Jason Waterhouse Winner2646.4%
Timothy Faller Winner1730.4%
Timothy Breuer 1323.2%

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁴

Mark S. Lofgren (Sen. 48)Taylor R. Collins (Rep. 95)

U.S. House:District 1

Henry County Waco 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. ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Olds; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Olds 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.