Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Jasper County › Monroe

City

Monroe

Jasper County · How cities work

$2,800 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.22 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,030 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.28 per $1,000)
$1.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.2Mcity 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.

  • Andrea SteenhoekMonroe City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Douglas P. DuininkMonroe Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Hayden Buck JohnstonMonroe City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jennifer St. PeterMonroe City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Andy AlgreenMonroe City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Earl Butch UmbleMonroe 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 Monroe

Homes and businesses in most of Monroe pay a combined $33.22 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Jasper County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.28. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.59$13.10
FY21$37.99$13.10
FY22$37.00$12.50
FY23$35.11$12.28
FY24$34.71$12.37
FY25$34.70$12.40
FY26$33.91$12.40
FY27$33.22$12.28
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.59$13.10
FY21$37.99$13.10
FY22$37.00$12.50
FY23$35.11$12.28
FY24$34.71$12.37
FY25$34.70$12.40
FY26$33.91$12.40
FY27$33.22$12.28

Compared with places this size3

Monroe’s city property tax rate of $12.28 per $1,000 is the 27th lowest of 105 Iowa cities with 1,400–3,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.20.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Logan: $15.05Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Kalona: $10.37Walcott: $10.29Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Walford: $8.72Fairfax: $8.10Monroe: $12.28$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 105
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Traer$19.561,547
9Corning$19.361,509
10Lake City$19.321,656
11Corydon$18.221,563
12Toledo$18.212,372
13La Porte City$18.082,267
14Tama$17.742,997
15Clarion$17.742,751
16Britt$17.722,001
17Missouri Valley$17.682,638
18Madrid$16.932,824
19Manson$16.871,646
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22West Union$16.602,435
23Audubon$16.522,008
24Roland$16.511,376
25Monona$16.411,462
26Grundy Center$16.362,821
27Belle Plaine$16.342,335
28Colfax$16.252,305
29Durant$16.241,798
30Lamoni$16.152,072
31Marengo$16.102,415
32Holstein$15.811,475
33State Center$15.801,403
34Pleasantville$15.801,696
35Postville$15.682,418
36Earlham$15.551,411
37Brooklyn$15.491,474
38Stuart$15.481,887
39Mount Ayr$15.321,616
40Granger$15.222,095
41Sigourney$15.201,974
42Guttenberg$15.191,804
43Logan$15.051,351
44Sumner$14.832,032
45Woodbine$14.801,707
46Bedford$14.661,474
47Lenox$14.651,355
48Manning$14.621,390
49Van Meter$14.601,840
50Rock Rapids$14.572,709
51Jesup$14.312,541
52Kingsley$14.251,394
53Urbana$14.201,635
54Parkersburg$14.151,986
55Hartley$14.111,584
56Ida Grove$14.101,988
57Woodward$14.051,383
58Guthrie Center$14.041,579
59Lake Mills$13.822,077
60Montezuma$13.791,421
61Gilbert$13.711,397
62Wilton$13.622,914
63Avoca$13.511,685
64Wapello$13.292,026
65Hudson$13.192,916
66Center Point$13.192,578
67Greenfield$13.131,988
68Hawarden$13.022,630
69Akron$12.931,545
70Leon$12.931,779
71Slater$12.791,626
72Bellevue$12.672,321
73Sanborn$12.621,463
74New London$12.561,853
75Lisbon$12.502,238
76Dallas Center$12.421,993
77Onawa$12.322,795
78Remsen$12.321,681
79Monroe$12.282,021
80Denver$12.271,955
81Alta$12.132,039
82Reinbeck$12.101,673
83Atkins$11.992,168
84Wellman$11.881,531
85Blue Grass$11.791,707
86Hull$11.792,459
87Columbus Junction$11.711,794
88Cascade$11.642,396
89West Branch$11.632,876
90Mitchellville$11.542,686
91Palo$11.491,554
92Prairie City$11.381,722
93Northwood$11.282,047
94Mediapolis$11.271,679
95Ely$11.082,371
96Ogden$10.991,970
97Farley$10.911,723
98Oakland$10.851,519
99Moville$10.671,707
100Kalona$10.372,762
101Walcott$10.291,556
102Peosta$9.822,195
103Epworth$9.422,042
104Walford$8.721,357
105Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Monroe’s general levy is $7.81 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.29 below the limit.4 700 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $7.97 · FY27 $7.81 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $4.47 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.06 · $178,374
  • Debt Service Levy$1.02 · $93,005
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.69 · $59,458
  • Capital Projects (Capital Improv. Reserve)$0.68 · $58,417
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.03 · $2,923

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$4.9M of taxable value in Monroe is in TIF districts’ increment (5% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $206,109 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$282,145
$165,810

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 $55,415 of the city’s own.

  • Pcm schools$55,039
  • Jasper County$23,517
YearTIF revenue
FY16$241,650
FY17$254,102
FY18$261,293
FY19$215,567
FY20$239,068
FY21$282,145
FY22$151,363
FY23$165,810
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$241,650
FY17$254,102
FY18$261,293
FY19$215,567
FY20$239,068
FY21$282,145
FY22$151,363
FY23$165,810

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$675,96963%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$178,37417%
  • Debt Service Levy$93,0059%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$59,4586%
  • Capital Projects (Capital Improv. Reserve)$58,4175%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$2,9230%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Monroe’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 22¢ of every dollar22¢Public Safety: 21¢ of every dollar21¢Capital Projects: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Public Works: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Everything else: 14¢ of every dollar14¢

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 104 Iowa cities closest in size (1,400–3,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (104)
Business Type / Enterprise22¢41¢
Public Safety21¢11¢
Capital Projects20¢14¢
Public Works15¢11¢
Debt Service7¢6¢
Everything else14¢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.

  • Public Safety$781,82936%
  • Public Works$521,61524%
  • Debt Service$337,91916%
  • Culture and Recreation$248,27411%
  • General Government$245,79511%
  • Capital Projects$25,0001%
  • Community and Economic Development$15,8001%
  • Health and Social Services$2,2000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($825,881 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$422,301$466,921
Public Safety$642,930$660,665
Health and Social Services$2,400$2,000
General Government$162,800$164,720
Debt Service$260,456$276,563
Culture and Recreation$233,830$540,405
Community and Economic Development$38,000$47,367
Capital Projects$28,428$69,051
Business Type / Enterprise$719,233$910,473

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$6.3M
$3.5M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Monroe owes

$3.6M at June 30, 2026: $1,853 per resident. 406th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$4.9M
$3.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.6M$1,853
2025$3.7M$1,870
2024$4.0M$2,039
2023$4.3M$2,207
2022$4.4M$2,218
2021$4.1M$2,069
2020$4.5M$2,264
2019$4.9M$2,488
2018$988,000$502
2017$1.2M$611
2016$1.5M$743
2015$1.8M$903
2014$1.3M$661
2013$1.6M$803
2012$1.9M$956
2011$2.1M$1,081
2010$1.2M$611
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.6M$1,853
2025$3.7M$1,870
2024$4.0M$2,039
2023$4.3M$2,207
2022$4.4M$2,218
2021$4.1M$2,069
2020$4.5M$2,264
2019$4.9M$2,488
2018$988,000$502
2017$1.2M$611
2016$1.5M$743
2015$1.8M$903
2014$1.3M$661
2013$1.6M$803
2012$1.9M$956
2011$2.1M$1,081
2010$1.2M$611

Up 203% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.6M, 29% of the limit of about $8.9M (5% of $179.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

6 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationSeries 2019A, General Obligation SRF Loan (Sewer Lagoon)2039$1.7M
Revenue BondsSeries 2019B, Sewer Revenue SRF Loan (Lagoon)2039$1.0M
General Obligation2022 York Street Watermain Project. Installation of new watermain.2042$521,000
General ObligationGO Street Improvement Bond for Westview Street2030$248,000
General Obligation2022B MRP Walking Trail2028$105,000
General ObligationSeries 2019C, Meadows Plat 2 streets2029$84,000

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. Monroe’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Wednesday, February 11, 2026, by the Auditor of State.

13 earlier reports for Monroe

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: $279,352 in FY25, up 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$268,490$270,681$277,844$279,352
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$12,695$11,110$19,811–

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.

$153,448
$56,661
  • CEBA grants$41,43973%
  • State grants$15,22227%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$1,402
FY21$47,014
FY22$149,467
FY23$153,448
FY24$12,244
FY25$56,661
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$1,402
FY21$47,014
FY22$149,467
FY23$153,448
FY24$12,244
FY25$56,661

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−6%$236,410 → $279,352, up 18% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% 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 53% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 22% more.

$242,346
$241,520

Federal grants, for comparison: $2,149 in FY24.

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)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

Ballot measures · 2

Failed Yes 22.7% (102) · No 77.3% (347)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

Passed Yes 75.1% (329) · No 24.9% (109)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

City · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Monroe; 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.

  • Monroe City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Andy Algreen, Earl Butch Umble
  • Monroe Mayor
    Now held by Douglas P. Duinink

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

Past ballot measures

  • Public Measure LMNovember 4, 2025

    Failed Yes 22.7% (102) · No 77.3% (347)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

  • Public Measure LONovember 4, 2025

    Passed Yes 75.1% (329) · No 24.9% (109)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

  • Public Measure LPNovember 7, 2023

    Passed Yes 73.4% (293) · No 26.6% (106)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

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

Ken Rozenboom (Sen. 19)Barb Kniff McCulla (Rep. 37)

U.S. House:District 1

Jasper CountyPcm schools