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Local taxes › Ida County › Holstein

City

Holstein

Ida County · How cities work

$2,900 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.47 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,330 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.81 per $1,000)
$1.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$3.3Mcity 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.

  • Mike JohnsonHolstein City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Steve TiefenthalerHolstein City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bonnie L. StevensonHolstein City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kathryn BreyfogleHolstein Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Marcus PrellHolstein City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Terri SchimmerHolstein 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 Holstein

Homes and businesses in most of Holstein pay a combined $34.47 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Ida County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $15.81. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.08$15.60
FY21$33.44$15.71
FY22$32.40$14.64
FY23$32.74$14.84
FY24$32.58$14.46
FY25$34.27$15.14
FY26$34.56$15.50
FY27$34.47$15.81
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.08$15.60
FY21$33.44$15.71
FY22$32.40$14.64
FY23$32.74$14.84
FY24$32.58$14.46
FY25$34.27$15.14
FY26$34.56$15.50
FY27$34.47$15.81

Compared with places this size3

Holstein’s city property tax rate of $15.81 per $1,000 is the 29th highest of 121 Iowa cities with 990–2,200 people. The middle of the group is $13.82.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $17.95Britt: $17.72Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Panora: $16.14Dike: $15.94State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sidney: $15.19Logan: $15.05Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Shellsburg: $13.20Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ogden: $10.99Clarence: $10.94Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Arnolds Park: $4.95Holstein: $15.81$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 121
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Rockwell City$20.742,185
5Villisca$19.741,106
6Sac City$19.691,992
7Traer$19.561,547
8Corning$19.361,509
9Lake City$19.321,656
10Corydon$18.221,563
11Dysart$17.951,266
12Britt$17.722,001
13Strawberry Point$17.581,141
14Rockwell$17.541,044
15Mapleton$16.901,114
16George$16.891,106
17Manson$16.871,646
18Fayette$16.851,193
19Nashua$16.811,515
20Ackley$16.631,538
21Audubon$16.522,008
22Roland$16.511,376
23Monona$16.411,462
24Aplington$16.341,088
25Durant$16.241,798
26Lamoni$16.152,072
27Panora$16.141,096
28Dike$15.941,293
29Holstein$15.811,475
30State Center$15.801,403
31Pleasantville$15.801,696
32Earlham$15.551,411
33Shell Rock$15.521,265
34Brooklyn$15.491,474
35Stuart$15.481,887
36Mount Ayr$15.321,616
37Granger$15.222,095
38Sigourney$15.201,974
39Guttenberg$15.191,804
40Sidney$15.191,048
41Logan$15.051,351
42Tripoli$14.991,208
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Lenox$14.651,355
47Manning$14.621,390
48Van Meter$14.601,840
49Dunlap$14.561,030
50Coon Rapids$14.491,258
51Nora Springs$14.251,330
52Kingsley$14.251,394
53Urbana$14.201,635
54Sheffield$14.161,123
55Parkersburg$14.151,986
56Hartley$14.111,584
57Ida Grove$14.101,988
58Woodward$14.051,383
59Guthrie Center$14.041,579
60Alton$13.871,248
61Lake Mills$13.822,077
62Montezuma$13.791,421
63Gilbert$13.711,397
64Clarksville$13.531,238
65Avoca$13.511,685
66Janesville$13.431,052
67Glidden$13.431,140
68Calmar$13.391,100
69Wapello$13.292,026
70Manly$13.291,233
71Conrad$13.231,098
72Springville$13.221,161
73Shellsburg$13.20987
74Greenfield$13.131,988
75Treynor$13.031,104
76Akron$12.931,545
77Leon$12.931,779
78New Sharon$12.801,249
79Slater$12.791,626
80Malvern$12.791,056
81Buffalo$12.681,163
82Sanborn$12.621,463
83New London$12.561,853
84Dallas Center$12.421,993
85Remsen$12.321,681
86Monroe$12.282,021
87Denver$12.271,955
88Alta$12.132,039
89Reinbeck$12.101,673
90Winfield$12.041,006
91Elkhart$12.001,079
92Atkins$11.992,168
93Wellman$11.881,531
94Blue Grass$11.791,707
95Columbus Junction$11.711,794
96Palo$11.491,554
97Prairie City$11.381,722
98Marcus$11.311,069
99Northwood$11.282,047
100Mediapolis$11.271,679
101Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
102University Heights$11.121,188
103Ogden$10.991,970
104Clarence$10.94991
105Farley$10.911,723
106Oakland$10.851,519
107Moville$10.671,707
108Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
109Walcott$10.291,556
110Lake Park$10.251,155
111Central City$10.011,254
112Peosta$9.822,195
113Epworth$9.422,042
114Lake View$9.391,120
115Fairbank$9.001,133
116Walford$8.721,357
117Lone Tree$8.131,341
118Riverside$8.021,063
119North English$7.491,030
120Sloan$7.491,078
121Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Holstein’s general levy is $7.89 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 below the limit.4 549 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: $7.92 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.98 · $202,880
  • Debt Service Levy$1.52 · $116,013
  • Unified Law Enforcement$1.50 · $102,091
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.95 · $64,658
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.82 · $55,474
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.16 · $10,897

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$8.4M of taxable value in Holstein is in TIF districts’ increment (11% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $246,798 in TIF revenue for FY24.

$314,483
$251,799

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 $120,450 of the city’s own.

  • Ida County$40,595
YearTIF revenue
FY16$141,846
FY17$201,758
FY18$195,493
FY19$147,622
FY20$138,256
FY21$314,483
FY22$231,617
FY23$251,799
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$141,846
FY17$201,758
FY18$195,493
FY19$147,622
FY20$138,256
FY21$314,483
FY22$231,617
FY23$251,799

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$536,96849%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$202,88019%
  • Debt Service Levy$116,01311%
  • Unified Law Enforcement$102,0919%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$64,6586%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$55,4745%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$10,8971%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Holstein’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 74¢ of every dollar74¢Capital Projects: 6¢ of every dollarPublic Safety: 4¢ of every dollarCommunity and Economic Development: 4¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 3¢ of every dollarEverything else: 9¢ of every dollar9¢

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 120 Iowa cities closest in size (990–2,200 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (120)
Business Type / Enterprise74¢40¢
Capital Projects6¢13¢
Public Safety4¢11¢
Community and Economic Development4¢3¢
General Government3¢7¢
Everything else9¢27¢

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.

  • Capital Projects$740,91422%
  • Culture and Recreation$595,71218%
  • Public Safety$457,55414%
  • Public Works$416,82813%
  • General Government$403,29312%
  • Community and Economic Development$337,70010%
  • Debt Service$308,3149%
  • Health and Social Services$72,6452%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($7.6M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$301,200$305,468
Public Safety$383,513$785,719
Health and Social Services$27,250$28,873
General Government$255,330$240,792
Debt Service$351,563$353,456
Culture and Recreation$389,652$344,820
Community and Economic Development$132,883$136,126
Capital Projects$691,500$978,369
Business Type / Enterprise$653,691$540,182

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$6.1M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Holstein owes

$5.3M at June 30, 2026: $3,559 per resident. 226th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$5.3M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.3M$3,559
2025$1.9M$1,257
2024$2.0M$1,357
2023$2.3M$1,520
2022$2.2M$1,460
2021$1.5M$1,014
2020$1.6M$1,047
2019$1.8M$1,232
2018$1.9M$1,287
2017$2.2M$1,466
2016$2.4M$1,628
2015$2.3M$1,523
2014$1.3M$866
2013$1.6M$1,038
2012$1.8M$1,213
2011$2.0M$1,301
2010$2.2M$1,495
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.3M$3,559
2025$1.9M$1,257
2024$2.0M$1,357
2023$2.3M$1,520
2022$2.2M$1,460
2021$1.5M$1,014
2020$1.6M$1,047
2019$1.8M$1,232
2018$1.9M$1,287
2017$2.2M$1,466
2016$2.4M$1,628
2015$2.3M$1,523
2014$1.3M$866
2013$1.6M$1,038
2012$1.8M$1,213
2011$2.0M$1,301
2010$2.2M$1,495

Up 138% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $1.3M, 20% of the limit of about $6.4M (5% of $128.9M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWASTEWATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT2045$4.1M
General ObligationSewer Improvement and Refunding Bonds Series 20212034$725,000
General ObligationStorm Sewer Improvements, Street Sweeper, Aquatic Center, Parking Lot Series 20222037$565,000

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 balances11. Holstein’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Friday, February 14, 2025, by a CPA firm.

12 earlier reports for Holstein

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? 13

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: $228,446 in FY25, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$204,871$206,555$212,020$213,171
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$36,244$28,995$40,802$15,275

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.

$276,708
$260,000
  • Iowa Economic Development Authority$260,000100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$276,708
FY23$0
FY24$23,292
FY25$260,000
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$276,708
FY23$0
FY24$23,292
FY25$260,000

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−6%$180,343 → $213,171, up 18% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−70%$41,165 → $15,275, down 63% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 70% 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 38% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% more.

$226,127
$218,477

Federal grants, for comparison: $15,048 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2012 worth $1.5M, for 203 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)14.

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 Holstein; 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.

  • Holstein City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Terri Schimmer, Bonnie L. Stevenson, Marcus Prell
  • Holstein Mayor
    Now held by Kathryn Breyfogle

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.

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 ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

Jason Schultz (Sen. 6)Steven C. Holt (Rep. 12)

U.S. House:District 4

Ida CountyGalva-Holstein schools