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Local taxes › Lee County › Keokuk

City

Keokuk

Lee County · How cities work

$4,090 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($48.59 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,660 a yearof that goes to the city ($19.68 per $1,000)
$5.7Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$27.1Mcity 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.

  • Doug MatlickKeokuk City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kathie MahoneyKeokuk City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark S. SmidtKeokuk Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Matt VanBerkumKeokuk City Council Ward 5 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Michael GreenwaldKeokuk City Council Ward 7 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Todd A. MarshallKeokuk City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Devon DadeKeokuk City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Roger BryantKeokuk City Council Ward 6 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Steve AndrewsKeokuk City Council Ward 4 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Tyler WalkerKeokuk City Council Ward 2 · 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 Keokuk

Homes and businesses in most of Keokuk pay a combined $48.59 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Lee County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $19.68. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$46.80$18.37
FY21$43.43$17.70
FY22$43.75$18.55
FY23$44.10$18.95
FY24$51.25$22.97
FY25$52.71$25.06
FY26$54.16$26.26
FY27$48.59$19.68
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$46.80$18.37
FY21$43.43$17.70
FY22$43.75$18.55
FY23$44.10$18.95
FY24$51.25$22.97
FY25$52.71$25.06
FY26$54.16$26.26
FY27$48.59$19.68

Compared with places this size3

Keokuk’s city property tax rate of $19.68 per $1,000 is the 1st highest of 33 Iowa cities with 6,400–12,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.58.

Fort Madison: $18.84Denison: $18.69Perry: $17.91Waverly: $17.53Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Fairfield: $16.69Webster City: $16.51Charles City: $15.95Grinnell: $15.60Decorah: $15.52Washington: $15.21Storm Lake: $15.17Boone: $15.13Creston: $14.99Nevada: $14.58Oskaloosa: $14.47Orange City: $14.01Spencer: $13.84Hiawatha: $13.78Adel: $13.43Pleasant Hill: $12.10Mount Pleasant: $11.94Tiffin: $11.80Carroll: $11.25Le Mars: $11.18Sioux Center: $11.05Polk City: $11.00Bondurant: $10.82Pella: $10.75Clear Lake: $9.85Eldridge: $8.13Keokuk: $19.68$8.13 lowest$19.68 highestmiddle
See all 33
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Keokuk$19.689,462
2Fort Madison$18.849,983
3Denison$18.698,302
4Perry$17.918,046
5Waverly$17.5310,576
6Atlantic$17.486,717
7Knoxville$17.467,440
8Fairfield$16.699,511
9Webster City$16.517,763
10Charles City$15.957,081
11Grinnell$15.609,495
12Decorah$15.527,454
13Washington$15.217,281
14Storm Lake$15.1711,627
15Boone$15.1312,461
16Creston$14.997,421
17Nevada$14.587,082
18Oskaloosa$14.4711,575
19Orange City$14.016,547
20Spencer$13.8411,418
21Hiawatha$13.787,347
22Adel$13.436,763
23Pleasant Hill$12.1011,942
24Mount Pleasant$11.948,509
25Tiffin$11.806,695
26Carroll$11.2510,125
27Le Mars$11.1810,674
28Sioux Center$11.058,675
29Polk City$11.006,430
30Bondurant$10.829,511
31Pella$10.7510,965
32Clear Lake$9.857,602
33Eldridge$8.136,967

The $8.10 limit

Keokuk’s general levy is $8.21 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.11 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 157 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.37 · FY26 $8.37 · FY27 $8.21 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $11.47 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$7.11 · $2.0M
  • Debt Service Levy$3.00 · $979,427
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.34 · $377,058
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.03 · $7,403

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$32.9M of taxable value in Keokuk is in TIF districts’ increment (11% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $1.6M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.3M
$1.1M

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 $547,865 of the city’s own.

  • Keokuk schools$456,679
  • Lee County$297,079
YearTIF revenue
FY16$831,825
FY17$1.1M
FY18$1.3M
FY19$1.3M
FY20$1.3M
FY21$1.2M
FY22$1.2M
FY23$1.1M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$831,825
FY17$1.1M
FY18$1.3M
FY19$1.3M
FY20$1.3M
FY21$1.2M
FY22$1.2M
FY23$1.1M

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$2.3M41%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.0M35%
  • Debt Service Levy$979,42717%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$377,0587%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$7,4030%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Keokuk’s budget goes, FY26

Public Safety: 24¢ of every dollar24¢Business Type / Enterprise: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Capital Projects: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Debt Service: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Public Works: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Everything else: 21¢ of every dollar21¢

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 32 Iowa cities closest in size (6,400–12,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (32)
Public Safety24¢12¢
Business Type / Enterprise17¢35¢
Capital Projects16¢23¢
Debt Service12¢7¢
Public Works10¢7¢
Everything else21¢15¢

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$10.2M38%
  • Public Safety$6.2M23%
  • Debt Service$4.1M15%
  • Public Works$2.5M9%
  • General Government$2.0M7%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.6M6%
  • Community and Economic Development$538,1922%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($4.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$2.7M$2.9M
Public Safety$5.9M$6.0M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$1.5M$985,535
Debt Service$2.0M$2.0M
Culture and Recreation$2.9M$1.8M
Community and Economic Development$1.1M$312,458
Capital Projects$264,487$209,017
Business Type / Enterprise$8.6M$6.9M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$34.2M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Keokuk owes

$25.0M at June 30, 2026: $2,529 per resident. 324th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$29.1M
$25.0M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$25.0M$2,529
2025$27.9M$2,821
2024$25.3M$2,554
2023$27.8M$2,809
2022$25.3M$2,553
2021$26.0M$2,626
2020$24.1M$2,435
2019$26.4M$2,670
2018$26.7M$2,699
2017$29.1M$2,937
2016$28.6M$2,891
2015$26.8M$2,706
2014$25.1M$2,535
2013$25.1M$2,535
2012$20.1M$2,030
2011$22.0M$2,226
2010$22.1M$2,228
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$25.0M$2,529
2025$27.9M$2,821
2024$25.3M$2,554
2023$27.8M$2,809
2022$25.3M$2,553
2021$26.0M$2,626
2020$24.1M$2,435
2019$26.4M$2,670
2018$26.7M$2,699
2017$29.1M$2,937
2016$28.6M$2,891
2015$26.8M$2,706
2014$25.1M$2,535
2013$25.1M$2,535
2012$20.1M$2,030
2011$22.0M$2,226
2010$22.1M$2,228

Up 14% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $24.8M, 92% of the limit of about $27.0M (5% of $540.9M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

12 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationGO Series 2025- Street repairs, garbage truck, fire truck, general capital purchases2045$5.5M
General ObligationG.O. Street Repair Series 2023 D- funding to repair roads2042$4.6M
General ObligationC0661R-WRR Waste Water Treatment Plant Improvements2035$3.1M
General ObligationC0572RT-Victory Park CSO Construction2033$2.2M
General Obligation2020 Re-funding Refinance 2012, 2013B, 2013C, 2013D2033$1.9M
General Obligation2019A - Southeast Iowa Development Center & Riverfront Barge2038$1.8M
General Obligation2022 G.O. Wastewater treatment plant improvements-new belt press project2042$1.5M
General Obligation2024 G.O. Capital Loan Notes- State of Iowa Revolving Loan Fund2029$1.4M
General Obligation2016B Refinance of 2009 Series A&B Capital Loan Notes2029$1.2M
General Obligation2016A Re-Funding Refinance of GO Capital Loan Notes Series 20102030$835,000
General ObligationCS0202R-Soap Creek CSO project.2031$817,000
Revenue Bonds2020 Solid Waste-New garbage trucks2030$280,000

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. Keokuk’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 Monday, March 30, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Keokuk

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: $1.7M in FY25, up 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$1.4M$1.4M$1.4M$1.4M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$223,369$195,449$167,375$289,925

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.

$401,626
$60,834
  • State grants$60,834100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$401,626
FY20$349,770
FY21$292,481
FY22$27,348
FY23$43,962
FY24$44,745
FY25$60,834
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$401,626
FY20$349,770
FY21$292,481
FY22$27,348
FY23$43,962
FY24$44,745
FY25$60,834

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−20%$1.4M → $1.4M, up 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 20% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+4%$222,569 → $289,925, up 30% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% 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 36% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 9% more.

$1.6M
$1.5M

Federal grants, for comparison: $337,248 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2006 worth $725K, for 273 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.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Keokuk; 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.

  • Keokuk City Council At-Large
    Now held by Devon Dade
  • Keokuk City Council Ward 2
    Now held by Tyler Walker
  • Keokuk City Council Ward 4
    Now held by Steve Andrews
  • Keokuk City Council Ward 6
    Now held by Roger Bryant
  • Keokuk Mayor
    Now held by Mark S. Smidt

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

Past ballot measures

  • Public Measure MeasureNovember 7, 2023

    Failed Yes 38.2% (374) · No 61.8% (605)

    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

Jeff Reichman (Sen. 50)Blaine C. Watkins (Rep. 100)

U.S. House:District 1

Lee CountyKeokuk schools