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Local taxes › Kossuth County › Burt

City

Burt

Kossuth County · How cities work

$3,020 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($35.81 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,440 a yearof that goes to the city ($17.10 per $1,000)
$157,294property taxes the city levies, FY27
$519,040city 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.

  • Christopher MyhreBurt City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Megan JahnkeBurt City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Randy WoodBurt Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Richard RichterBurt City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joseph HeyesBurt City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kenny O'LearyBurt City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Randy WoodBurt 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 Burt

Homes and businesses in most of Burt pay a combined $35.81 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Kossuth County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $17.10. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Burt$17.1048%
  • Algona schools$10.0928%
  • Kossuth County$5.7916%
  • Iowa Lakes Community College$1.274%
  • Kossuth County Hospital$1.083%
  • Kossuth County Assessor$0.32<1%
  • Kossuth County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.15<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.58$13.30
FY21$31.71$13.55
FY22$31.43$13.53
FY23$31.68$13.47
FY24$32.08$13.89
FY25$35.32$16.78
FY26$35.32$16.75
FY27$35.81$17.10
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.58$13.30
FY21$31.71$13.55
FY22$31.43$13.53
FY23$31.68$13.47
FY24$32.08$13.89
FY25$35.32$16.78
FY26$35.32$16.75
FY27$35.81$17.10

Compared with places this size3

Burt’s city property tax rate of $17.10 per $1,000 is the 23rd highest of 176 Iowa cities with 270–600 people. The middle of the group is $12.68.

Stanhope: $29.10Rolfe: $22.67Elliott: $21.61Charter Oak: $21.32Oxford Junction: $20.84Earling: $20.47Pomeroy: $19.60Fort Atkinson: $19.19Salem: $19.15Massena: $18.23Swea City: $18.04Elma: $17.82Callender: $17.78Casey: $17.72Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Vail: $17.66Ringsted: $17.65Emerson: $17.54Thompson: $17.25Ashton: $17.17Pierson: $17.12Latimer: $16.96Lohrville: $16.95Mccallsburg: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Irwin: $16.46Titonka: $16.45Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Lewis: $16.25Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Scranton: $16.01Granville: $16.00Minden: $15.77Minburn: $15.75Peterson: $15.27Russell: $15.18Zearing: $14.99Arlington: $14.98Maynard: $14.85Plainfield: $14.84Ryan: $14.84Otho: $14.82Wyoming: $14.81Humeston: $14.80Gilmore City: $14.60Sabula: $14.38Garrison: $14.38Lorimor: $14.36Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Kimballton: $14.27Moulton: $14.25Ocheyedan: $14.22Garwin: $14.08Farragut: $14.07Mystic: $14.01Lime Springs: $13.95Dow City: $13.94Wesley: $13.91Diagonal: $13.91Bussey: $13.83Mondamin: $13.82Livermore: $13.78Fertile: $13.70Stockport: $13.68Albion: $13.58Lamont: $13.57New Albin: $13.55Persia: $13.41Lawler: $13.39Lacona: $13.38Ute: $13.26New Market: $13.25Plymouth: $13.21Bennett: $13.16Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Little Rock: $13.03Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Templeton: $12.91Brighton: $12.88Delmar: $12.68Galva: $12.68Badger: $12.67Martensdale: $12.63Williams: $12.57Maurice: $12.56Norway: $12.53Everly: $12.51Clearfield: $12.50Mccausland: $12.45Spillville: $12.40Modale: $12.34Mingo: $12.31Brandon: $12.29Blakesburg: $12.21Bonaparte: $12.17Hawkeye: $12.11Colesburg: $11.97Liscomb: $11.96Thornton: $11.86Runnells: $11.79Allerton: $11.72Atalissa: $11.71Kelley: $11.69Orient: $11.66Ellsworth: $11.57Cincinnati: $11.57Terril: $11.48Westside: $11.45Churdan: $11.31Miles: $11.28Arcadia: $11.23Milton: $10.98Ireton: $10.93New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Richland: $10.82Batavia: $10.77Riverdale: $10.67Bode: $10.64Union: $10.58Calamus: $10.47Lovilia: $10.46Danbury: $10.43Lytton: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Stacyville: $10.36Andrew: $10.22Royal: $10.20Bronson: $10.14Rudd: $10.13Floyd: $10.02What Cheer: $10.01Cumming: $9.85Breda: $9.80Lynnville: $9.68Salix: $9.63Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Lester: $8.94Ainsworth: $8.62Gilman: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Nichols: $8.10Luana: $7.98Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Beacon: $7.56Sheldahl: $7.56Worthington: $7.50Harpers Ferry: $7.49Marquette: $7.08Columbus City: $6.94Donahue: $6.83Libertyville: $6.60Crawfordsville: $6.44New Virginia: $5.97Holy Cross: $5.91Conesville: $5.86University Park: $5.27Orleans: $4.13Maharishi Vedic City: $3.87Wahpeton: $3.19West Okoboji: $2.92Burt: $17.10$2.92 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 176
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Stanhope$29.10354
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Elliott$21.61328
4Charter Oak$21.32521
5Oxford Junction$20.84424
6Earling$20.47394
7Pomeroy$19.60511
8Fort Atkinson$19.19300
9Salem$19.15380
10Massena$18.23352
11Swea City$18.04545
12Elma$17.82493
13Callender$17.78361
14Casey$17.72387
15Dows$17.70509
16New Hartford$17.69555
17Vail$17.66383
18Ringsted$17.65346
19Emerson$17.54401
20Thompson$17.25478
21Ashton$17.17434
22Pierson$17.12335
23Burt$17.10404
24Latimer$16.96477
25Lohrville$16.95366
26Mccallsburg$16.58356
27Whittemore$16.54478
28Irwin$16.46320
29Titonka$16.45491
30Early$16.35571
31Truro$16.34515
32Lewis$16.25358
33Duncombe$16.10374
34Bayard$16.05402
35Scranton$16.01496
36Granville$16.00302
37Minden$15.77581
38Minburn$15.75317
39Peterson$15.27321
40Russell$15.18475
41Zearing$14.99508
42Arlington$14.98415
43Maynard$14.85466
44Plainfield$14.84392
45Ryan$14.84348
46Otho$14.82417
47Wyoming$14.81526
48Humeston$14.80472
49Gilmore City$14.60484
50Sabula$14.38498
51Garrison$14.38345
52Lorimor$14.36377
53Collins$14.32503
54Clermont$14.30571
55Kimballton$14.27281
56Moulton$14.25596
57Ocheyedan$14.22424
58Garwin$14.08469
59Farragut$14.07480
60Mystic$14.01318
61Lime Springs$13.95467
62Dow City$13.94477
63Wesley$13.91382
64Diagonal$13.91331
65Bussey$13.83378
66Mondamin$13.82335
67Livermore$13.78382
68Fertile$13.70300
69Stockport$13.68272
70Albion$13.58444
71Lamont$13.57429
72New Albin$13.55435
73Persia$13.41292
74Lawler$13.39392
75Lacona$13.38336
76Ute$13.26326
77New Market$13.25381
78Plymouth$13.21368
79Bennett$13.16330
80Quasqueton$13.12587
81Farmington$13.10583
82Anthon$13.05534
83Little Rock$13.03447
84Lehigh$12.97395
85Menlo$12.92347
86Templeton$12.91337
87Brighton$12.88592
88Delmar$12.68541
89Galva$12.68416
90Badger$12.67540
91Martensdale$12.63413
92Williams$12.57299
93Maurice$12.56271
94Norway$12.53463
95Everly$12.51570
96Clearfield$12.50277
97Mccausland$12.45314
98Spillville$12.40371
99Modale$12.34284
100Mingo$12.31314
101Brandon$12.29331
102Blakesburg$12.21273
103Bonaparte$12.17357
104Hawkeye$12.11429
105Colesburg$11.97379
106Liscomb$11.96292
107Thornton$11.86394
108Runnells$11.79467
109Allerton$11.72432
110Atalissa$11.71287
111Kelley$11.69312
112Orient$11.66363
113Ellsworth$11.57495
114Cincinnati$11.57280
115Terril$11.48310
116Westside$11.45283
117Churdan$11.31359
118Miles$11.28400
119Arcadia$11.23588
120Milton$10.98395
121Ireton$10.93571
122New Vienna$10.91384
123Letts$10.91358
124Birmingham$10.87371
125Charlotte$10.86386
126Richland$10.82532
127Batavia$10.77434
128Riverdale$10.67385
129Bode$10.64304
130Union$10.58378
131Calamus$10.47348
132Lovilia$10.46456
133Danbury$10.43315
134Lytton$10.38274
135Radcliffe$10.37540
136Stacyville$10.36436
137Andrew$10.22374
138Royal$10.20379
139Bronson$10.14294
140Rudd$10.13339
141Floyd$10.02297
142What Cheer$10.01595
143Cumming$9.85527
144Breda$9.80492
145Lynnville$9.68382
146Salix$9.63303
147Farnhamville$9.18364
148Middletown$9.16365
149Alleman$9.12439
150Lester$8.94309
151Ainsworth$8.62511
152Gilman$8.10530
153Grandview$8.10431
154Kellogg$8.10597
155Lost Nation$8.10425
156Nichols$8.10317
157Luana$7.98303
158Delhi$7.81438
159Klemme$7.74429
160Beacon$7.56434
161Sheldahl$7.56312
162Worthington$7.50374
163Harpers Ferry$7.49273
164Marquette$7.08434
165Columbus City$6.94385
166Donahue$6.83336
167Libertyville$6.60278
168Crawfordsville$6.44278
169New Virginia$5.97499
170Holy Cross$5.91348
171Conesville$5.86350
172University Park$5.27476
173Orleans$4.13503
174Maharishi Vedic City$3.87290
175Wahpeton$3.19337
176West Okoboji$2.92311

The $8.10 limit

Burt’s general levy is $8.69 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.59 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 7 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.78 · FY26 $8.78 · FY27 $8.69 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $8.41 more5

  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$5.11 · $46,875
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.30 · $30,290

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$79,70851%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$46,87530%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$30,29019%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Burt’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 61¢ of every dollar61¢Debt Service: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Culture and Recreation: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Public Works: 6¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 6¢ of every dollarEverything else: 7¢ 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 175 Iowa cities closest in size (270–600 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (175)
Business Type / Enterprise61¢39¢
Debt Service14¢4¢
Culture and Recreation7¢9¢
Public Works6¢19¢
General Government6¢15¢
Everything else7¢10¢

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.

  • Culture and Recreation$140,53027%
  • Debt Service$125,30524%
  • General Government$95,17518%
  • Public Works$71,56014%
  • Public Safety$64,17012%
  • Community and Economic Development$22,3004%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($699,055 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$0$138,385
Public Safety$63,570$119,300
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$42,555$48,322
Debt Service$78,026$74,978
Culture and Recreation$0$114,334
Community and Economic Development$28,050$12,715
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$666,720$928,796

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$1.9M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Burt owes

$942,632 at June 30, 2026: $2,255 per resident. 355th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$1.6M
$942,632
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$942,632$2,255
2025$1.6M$3,722
2024$1.4M$3,349
2023$576,725$1,380
2022$625,000$1,495
2021$718,000$1,718
2020$109,027$261
2019$175,952$421
2018$240,397$575
2017$197,000$471
2016$237,000$567
2015$273,000$653
2014$307,000$734
2013$340,000$813
2012$372,000$890
2011$404,000$967
2010$435,000$1,041
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$942,632$2,255
2025$1.6M$3,722
2024$1.4M$3,349
2023$576,725$1,380
2022$625,000$1,495
2021$718,000$1,718
2020$109,027$261
2019$175,952$421
2018$240,397$575
2017$197,000$471
2016$237,000$567
2015$273,000$653
2014$307,000$734
2013$340,000$813
2012$372,000$890
2011$404,000$967
2010$435,000$1,041

Up 117% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $508,660, 58% of the limit of about $880,288 (5% of $17.6M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

4 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationCombined a few projects we are doing. Water, Sewer, Street Light.2032$393,500
Revenue BondsWater project2043$330,000
General ObligationNew Complex Roof & Digger Truck2030$115,160
Revenue BondsGarbage Truck2028$103,972

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 balances9. Burt’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Tuesday, June 9, 2026, by a CPA firm.

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

8 earlier reports for Burt

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? 11

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: $53,103 in FY25, down 23% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 39% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$101,145$49,353$49,960$50,231
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$2,755$2,203$1,653$2,872

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.

$14,390
$1,515
  • State grants$1,515100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$1,505
FY20$1,598
FY21$1,554
FY22$14,390
FY23$1,545
FY24$1,504
FY25$1,515
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$1,505
FY20$1,598
FY21$1,554
FY22$14,390
FY23$1,545
FY24$1,504
FY25$1,515

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−42%$69,006 → $50,231, down 27% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 42% 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 7% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% less.

$76,052
$63,804

Federal grants, for comparison: $35,409 in FY20.

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)12.

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 · 3

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Burt; 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.

  • Burt City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Randy Wood, Kenny O'Leary, Joseph Heyes

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

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 ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

David D. Rowley (Sen. 5)Henry Stone (Rep. 9)

U.S. House:District 4

Kossuth CountyAlgona schools