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Local taxes › Jasper County › Newton

City

Newton

Jasper County · How cities work

$3,330 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($39.53 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,440 a yearof that goes to the city ($17.10 per $1,000)
$10.5Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$33.2Mcity 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.

  • Amy RothNewton City Council Ward 4 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jeff HolschuhNewton City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Melissa DaltonNewton City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Randy J. ErvinNewton Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joel MillsNewton City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mark HallamNewton City Council Ward 1 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Stacy SimbroNewton City Council Ward 3 · 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.

Agendas will appear here as they’re posted. 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 Newton

Homes and businesses in most of Newton pay a combined $39.53 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, $17.10. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$42.42$17.14
FY21$41.90$17.14
FY22$41.58$17.14
FY23$41.10$17.14
FY24$40.64$17.14
FY25$40.65$17.10
FY26$39.94$17.10
FY27$39.53$17.10
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$42.42$17.14
FY21$41.90$17.14
FY22$41.58$17.14
FY23$41.10$17.14
FY24$40.64$17.14
FY25$40.65$17.10
FY26$39.94$17.10
FY27$39.53$17.10

Compared with places this size3

Newton’s city property tax rate of $17.10 per $1,000 is the 2nd highest of 16 Iowa cities with 11,000–23,000 people. The middle of the group is $13.58.

Waverly: $17.53Muscatine: $16.17Storm Lake: $15.17Boone: $15.13Norwalk: $14.89Oskaloosa: $14.47Spencer: $13.84Indianola: $13.33Pleasant Hill: $12.10North Liberty: $11.84Le Mars: $11.18Pella: $10.75Altoona: $10.75Grimes: $10.70Clive: $9.92Newton: $17.10$9.92 lowest$17.53 highestmiddle
See all 16
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Waverly$17.5310,576
2Newton$17.1015,709
3Muscatine$16.1723,298
4Storm Lake$15.1711,627
5Boone$15.1312,461
6Norwalk$14.8915,396
7Oskaloosa$14.4711,575
8Spencer$13.8411,418
9Indianola$13.3316,297
10Pleasant Hill$12.1011,942
11North Liberty$11.8421,904
12Le Mars$11.1810,674
13Pella$10.7510,965
14Altoona$10.7522,598
15Grimes$10.7017,266
16Clive$9.9219,508

The $8.10 limit

Newton’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.4 231 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: $8.97 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$6.39 · $3.9M
  • Debt Service Levy$1.70 · $1.2M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.85 · $513,238
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.04 · $22,650

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$74.9M of taxable value in Newton is in TIF districts’ increment (12% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $3.5M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$2.7M

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 $1.2M of the city’s own.

  • Newton schools$713,396
  • Jasper County$358,215
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.5M
FY17$2.0M
FY18$1.9M
FY19$2.0M
FY20$2.0M
FY21$2.3M
FY22$2.6M
FY23$2.7M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.5M
FY17$2.0M
FY18$1.9M
FY19$2.0M
FY20$2.0M
FY21$2.3M
FY22$2.6M
FY23$2.7M

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$4.9M47%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.9M37%
  • Debt Service Levy$1.2M11%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$513,2385%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$22,6500%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Newton’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 29¢ of every dollar29¢Public Safety: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Capital Projects: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Debt Service: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Public Works: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Everything else: 18¢ of every dollar18¢

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 15 Iowa cities closest in size (11,000–23,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (15)
Business Type / Enterprise29¢36¢
Public Safety20¢12¢
Capital Projects13¢25¢
Debt Service10¢8¢
Public Works9¢5¢
Everything else18¢14¢

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$9.3M28%
  • Capital Projects$6.4M19%
  • Public Works$4.9M15%
  • General Government$4.2M13%
  • Debt Service$4.1M12%
  • Culture and Recreation$2.6M8%
  • Community and Economic Development$1.7M5%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($13.0M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$4.1M$4.1M
Public Safety$8.5M$7.9M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$1.5M$1.8M
Debt Service$4.1M$4.6M
Culture and Recreation$2.9M$2.7M
Community and Economic Development$1.6M$1.4M
Capital Projects$7.1M$4.1M
Business Type / Enterprise$15.9M$10.6M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$51.4M

Newton’s own budget documents

The adopted budgets, resolutions and hearing notices the city posts, often weeks before the state publishes the figures. The city’s finance page

33 older

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Newton owes

$45.6M at June 30, 2026: $2,896 per resident. 294th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$45.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$45.6M$2,896
2025$44.2M$2,803
2024$40.6M$2,576
2023$39.6M$2,510
2022$38.1M$2,416
2021$39.8M$2,524
2020$32.9M$2,088
2019$32.6M$2,068
2018$28.4M$1,803
2017$23.7M$1,501
2016$26.7M$1,691
2015$32.1M$2,035
2014$24.9M$1,582
2013$30.5M$1,936
2012$22.9M$1,455
2011$24.3M$1,542
2010$25.6M$1,625
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$45.6M$2,896
2025$44.2M$2,803
2024$40.6M$2,576
2023$39.6M$2,510
2022$38.1M$2,416
2021$39.8M$2,524
2020$32.9M$2,088
2019$32.6M$2,068
2018$28.4M$1,803
2017$23.7M$1,501
2016$26.7M$1,691
2015$32.1M$2,035
2014$24.9M$1,582
2013$30.5M$1,936
2012$22.9M$1,455
2011$24.3M$1,542
2010$25.6M$1,625

Up 78% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $35.8M, 58% of the limit of about $61.4M (5% of $1.23B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

24 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2026A - Capital Equip & Projects/ Park Improvements, Cemetery Street repair, Airport Improvements, Police/Fire Training Site, DT Grants2045$5.5M
General Obligation2023A - Capital Equipment and Projects/ Golf Clubhouse, Dog Park, Maytag Pool, Pickleball Courts2042$4.8M
Revenue Bonds2021C - Sewer Improvements2041$4.6M
General Obligation2025A - Capital Equipment & Projects/ Park Improvements, Golf Clubhouse, Airport Improvements, Animal Control Facility, Police/Fire Training Site2044$4.3M
General Obligation2024A - Capital Equipment & Projects/ Park Improvements, Golf Clubhouse, Airport Improvements, Tennis Court Improvements2043$3.3M
General Obligation2019A - Capital Equipment and Projects/SW Sewer Force Main reconstruction/Fairmeadows North Infrastructure2038$3.1M
General Obligation2021A - Equipment & road projects.2040$2.7M
General Obligation2019B - D&D Expenses/Snow Plow Truck/Hotel Maytag Grants/DMACC Improvements/Downtown Facade Grants2034$2.6M
Revenue Bonds2024C - Water Infastructure2038$2.4M
General Obligation2020A - Equipment and Projects/Fairmeadows North infrastructure2039$2.1M
General Obligation2022A - Road Improvements, Gas Plant Improvements, Airport Taxiway, City Hall Improvements2041$1.4M
General Obligation2019C - Capital Equipment and Projects/Infrastructure Fairmeadows North2038$1.3M
General Obligation2017C - DMACC Capital Needs/Hotel Maytag/Lincoln St/2nd Story Housing Grants2032$1.2M
General Obligation2020B - D&D program2039$1.1M
Revenue Bonds2021D - Road Improvements2033$1.0M
Revenue Bonds2024B - Road Improvements2033$985,000
General Obligation2017B - Capital Equipment/Infrastructure/Library Renovations2028$739,000
General Obligation2017A - D&D Program/DMACC Campus/Building Incentives2028$644,000
Revenue BondsSRF 2021 - Water Infrastructure2040$510,000
General Obligation2021B - D & D Program2040$430,000
General Obligation2020D - Hotel Maytag Grant, Equipment and Streets2040$370,000
General Obligation2022B - D&D Program, Downtown Grants (N Central TIF)2041$340,000
Revenue BondsSRF 2007 - Sewer Improvements2027$170,000
Revenue Bonds2010 Sewer - Sewer Improvements2030$118,000

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. Newton’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Thursday, May 14, 2026, by a CPA firm.

The report has no Schedule of Findings Iowa Funnel could read.

16 earlier reports for Newton

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: $2.7M in FY25, up 20% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$2.2M$2.2M$2.2M$2.2M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$275,263$244,234$501,999$487,499

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.

$3.0M
$14,252
  • State grants$14,252100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$59,039
FY20$46,529
FY21$919,321
FY22$74,550
FY23$374,564
FY24$3.0M
FY25$14,252
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$59,039
FY20$46,529
FY21$919,321
FY22$74,550
FY23$374,564
FY24$3.0M
FY25$14,252

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−9%$2.0M → $2.2M, up 14% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 9% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+32%$293,517 → $487,499, up 66% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 32% more

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 48% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% more.

$2.1M
$2.1M

Federal grants, for comparison: $1.4M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

1 business has state awards in NEWTON: $500K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 320 jobs.14

  • TPI IOWA, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY25 · Under contract: Building · 320 jobs required
    $500K
  • TPI Iowa, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Not going ahead: Declined or withdrawn · 351 jobs required
    $1.6M
  • Global Fiberglass Solutions, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Not going ahead: Contract ended · 57 jobs required
    $208K

Community college new jobs training: 23 contracts since 2006 worth $9.6M, for 1,464 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

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Newton; 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.

  • Newton City Council At-Large
    Now held by Joel Mills
  • Newton City Council Ward 1
    Now held by Mark Hallam
  • Newton City Council Ward 3
    Now held by Stacy Simbro
  • Newton Mayor
    Now held by Randy J. Ervin

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

Ken Rozenboom (Sen. 19)House District 38 (vacant)

U.S. House:District 1

Jasper CountyNewton schools