Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- John StuelkeCenter Point City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Melissa McLaughlinCenter Point City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Nathan SchnellCenter Point City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Traer MorganCenter Point Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Alicia ThomasCenter Point City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Mike LeClereCenter Point 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 Center Point
Homes and businesses in most of Center Point pay a combined $38.77 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Linn County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $13.19. Estimate your bill.
- Center Point-Urbana schools$17.7446%
- City of Center Point$13.1934%
- Linn County$6.0516%
- Kirkwood Community College$1.434%
- Linn County Assessor$0.31<1%
- Linn County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.05<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Center Point pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $38.74 | $13.02 |
| FY21 | $39.00 | $13.01 |
| FY22 | $40.13 | $14.26 |
| FY23 | $39.70 | $14.20 |
| FY24 | $39.40 | $13.80 |
| FY25 | $39.20 | $13.64 |
| FY26 | $39.00 | $13.41 |
| FY27 | $38.77 | $13.19 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $38.74 | $13.02 |
| FY21 | $39.00 | $13.01 |
| FY22 | $40.13 | $14.26 |
| FY23 | $39.70 | $14.20 |
| FY24 | $39.40 | $13.80 |
| FY25 | $39.20 | $13.64 |
| FY26 | $39.00 | $13.41 |
| FY27 | $38.77 | $13.19 |
Compared with places this size3
Center Point’s city property tax rate of $13.19 per $1,000 is the 35th lowest of 80 Iowa cities with 1,700–3,800 people. The middle of the group is $13.76.
See all 80
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eldora | $26.87 | 2,595 |
| 2 | Pocahontas | $20.79 | 1,848 |
| 3 | Rockwell City | $20.74 | 2,185 |
| 4 | Bloomfield | $20.41 | 2,773 |
| 5 | Belmond | $19.86 | 2,405 |
| 6 | Sibley | $19.77 | 2,787 |
| 7 | Albia | $19.70 | 3,579 |
| 8 | Sac City | $19.69 | 1,992 |
| 9 | Eagle Grove | $19.32 | 3,615 |
| 10 | West Liberty | $18.68 | 3,724 |
| 11 | Toledo | $18.21 | 2,372 |
| 12 | La Porte City | $18.08 | 2,267 |
| 13 | Tama | $17.74 | 2,997 |
| 14 | Clarion | $17.74 | 2,751 |
| 15 | Britt | $17.72 | 2,001 |
| 16 | Missouri Valley | $17.68 | 2,638 |
| 17 | Madrid | $16.93 | 2,824 |
| 18 | West Union | $16.60 | 2,435 |
| 19 | Audubon | $16.52 | 2,008 |
| 20 | Grundy Center | $16.36 | 2,821 |
| 21 | Belle Plaine | $16.34 | 2,335 |
| 22 | Colfax | $16.25 | 2,305 |
| 23 | Durant | $16.24 | 1,798 |
| 24 | Lamoni | $16.15 | 2,072 |
| 25 | Marengo | $16.10 | 2,415 |
| 26 | Postville | $15.68 | 2,418 |
| 27 | Tipton | $15.54 | 3,059 |
| 28 | Stuart | $15.48 | 1,887 |
| 29 | Granger | $15.22 | 2,095 |
| 30 | Sigourney | $15.20 | 1,974 |
| 31 | Guttenberg | $15.19 | 1,804 |
| 32 | Sumner | $14.83 | 2,032 |
| 33 | Waukon | $14.76 | 3,799 |
| 34 | Van Meter | $14.60 | 1,840 |
| 35 | Rock Rapids | $14.57 | 2,709 |
| 36 | Jesup | $14.31 | 2,541 |
| 37 | Osage | $14.29 | 3,559 |
| 38 | Parkersburg | $14.15 | 1,986 |
| 39 | Ida Grove | $14.10 | 1,988 |
| 40 | Lake Mills | $13.82 | 2,077 |
| 41 | Emmetsburg | $13.70 | 3,632 |
| 42 | Wilton | $13.62 | 2,914 |
| 43 | New Hampton | $13.44 | 3,433 |
| 44 | Wapello | $13.29 | 2,026 |
| 45 | Hudson | $13.19 | 2,916 |
| 46 | Center Point | $13.19 | 2,578 |
| 47 | Greenfield | $13.13 | 1,988 |
| 48 | Hawarden | $13.02 | 2,630 |
| 49 | Leon | $12.93 | 1,779 |
| 50 | Garner | $12.86 | 3,049 |
| 51 | Bellevue | $12.67 | 2,321 |
| 52 | Milford | $12.57 | 3,258 |
| 53 | New London | $12.56 | 1,853 |
| 54 | Lisbon | $12.50 | 2,238 |
| 55 | Dallas Center | $12.42 | 1,993 |
| 56 | Onawa | $12.32 | 2,795 |
| 57 | Monroe | $12.28 | 2,021 |
| 58 | Denver | $12.27 | 1,955 |
| 59 | Alta | $12.13 | 2,039 |
| 60 | Atkins | $11.99 | 2,168 |
| 61 | Hull | $11.79 | 2,459 |
| 62 | Columbus Junction | $11.71 | 1,794 |
| 63 | Cascade | $11.64 | 2,396 |
| 64 | West Branch | $11.63 | 2,876 |
| 65 | Mitchellville | $11.54 | 2,686 |
| 66 | Solon | $11.53 | 3,284 |
| 67 | Prairie City | $11.38 | 1,722 |
| 68 | Northwood | $11.28 | 2,047 |
| 69 | Williamsburg | $11.11 | 3,380 |
| 70 | Ely | $11.08 | 2,371 |
| 71 | Ogden | $10.99 | 1,970 |
| 72 | Farley | $10.91 | 1,723 |
| 73 | Carter Lake | $10.67 | 3,752 |
| 74 | Story City | $10.39 | 3,439 |
| 75 | Kalona | $10.37 | 2,762 |
| 76 | West Burlington | $10.15 | 3,249 |
| 77 | Peosta | $9.82 | 2,195 |
| 78 | Robins | $9.68 | 3,362 |
| 79 | Epworth | $9.42 | 2,042 |
| 80 | Fairfax | $8.10 | 2,937 |
The $8.10 limit
Center Point’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.4 676 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.26 · FY26 $8.02 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $5.33 more5
- Debt Service Levy$2.48 · $333,084
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.71 · $222,689
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.14 · $148,981
Tax increment financing (TIF)
$3.8M of taxable value in Center Point is in TIF districts’ increment (4% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $230,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.
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 $41,051 of the city’s own.
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $196,246 |
| FY17 | $195,693 |
| FY18 | $196,374 |
| FY19 | $252,978 |
| FY20 | $236,535 |
| FY21 | $230,113 |
| FY22 | $238,994 |
| FY23 | $227,338 |
Show the numbers
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $196,246 |
| FY17 | $195,693 |
| FY18 | $196,374 |
| FY19 | $252,978 |
| FY20 | $236,535 |
| FY21 | $230,113 |
| FY22 | $238,994 |
| FY23 | $227,338 |
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.
Budget and spending
Where each dollar of Center Point’s budget goes, FY26
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 79 Iowa cities closest in size (1,700–3,800 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (79) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 36¢ | 39¢ |
| Capital Projects | 20¢ | 15¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 12¢ | 7¢ |
| General Government | 11¢ | 6¢ |
| Public Works | 10¢ | 10¢ |
| Everything else | 13¢ | 23¢ |
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.
The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.2M in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $467,425 | $426,424 |
| Public Safety | $313,600 | $755,827 |
| Health and Social Services | $5,000 | $85 |
| General Government | $576,900 | $445,141 |
| Debt Service | $659,670 | $671,269 |
| Culture and Recreation | $787,065 | $592,838 |
| Community and Economic Development | $45,000 | $31,370 |
| Capital Projects | $0 | $0 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $7.7M | $4.1M |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out8
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Center Point owes
$11.2M at June 30, 2026: $4,323 per resident. 159th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $11.2M | $4,323 |
| 2025 | $12.1M | $4,706 |
| 2024 | $13.0M | $5,045 |
| 2023 | $14.0M | $5,428 |
| 2022 | $15.1M | $5,847 |
| 2021 | $6.6M | $2,574 |
| 2020 | $4.2M | $1,623 |
| 2019 | $4.6M | $1,801 |
| 2018 | $4.6M | $1,801 |
| 2017 | $4.3M | $1,652 |
| 2016 | $4.6M | $1,796 |
| 2015 | $5.0M | $1,926 |
| 2014 | $5.4M | $2,081 |
| 2013 | $5.8M | $2,233 |
| 2012 | $6.1M | $2,378 |
| 2011 | $3.4M | $1,333 |
| 2010 | $2.1M | $804 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $11.2M | $4,323 |
| 2025 | $12.1M | $4,706 |
| 2024 | $13.0M | $5,045 |
| 2023 | $14.0M | $5,428 |
| 2022 | $15.1M | $5,847 |
| 2021 | $6.6M | $2,574 |
| 2020 | $4.2M | $1,623 |
| 2019 | $4.6M | $1,801 |
| 2018 | $4.6M | $1,801 |
| 2017 | $4.3M | $1,652 |
| 2016 | $4.6M | $1,796 |
| 2015 | $5.0M | $1,926 |
| 2014 | $5.4M | $2,081 |
| 2013 | $5.8M | $2,233 |
| 2012 | $6.1M | $2,378 |
| 2011 | $3.4M | $1,333 |
| 2010 | $2.1M | $804 |
Up 438% since 2010.
The 5% limit10
General obligation debt is $2.6M, 20% of the limit of about $12.9M (5% of $257.2M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).
5 obligations at June 30, 2026
| Kind | For | Paid off by | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Bonds | 2021 Wastewwater Treatment Facility loan. | 2041 | $8.2M |
| General Obligation | $2 Million of the bond is for the Fire Station Project. $700,000 of the bond is for coroporate purpose | 2036 | $1.7M |
| General Obligation | Street Construction Lewis Access Road Iowa Street | 2030 | $730,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | Water Tower | 2031 | $395,000 |
| General Obligation | GENERAL OBLIGATION CORP. PURPOSE AND REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2018 | 2028 | $160,000 |
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. Center Point’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF).
Audits12
The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF), released Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by a CPA firm.
AI summary13
- The city has weaknesses in how it handles money because the city clerk and deputy clerk have too much control over different parts of the accounting process without enough oversight, which led to one instance where the city paid the same invoice twice for $4,030.
- The city acknowledged the response and noted that while limited staff makes it difficult, they could use elected officials to help review financial transactions and reports.
The findings, as the report states them
16 earlier reports for Center Point
- Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025Thursday, February 12, 2026
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024Monday, March 31, 2025
- Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023Thursday, December 14, 2023
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022Friday, February 17, 2023
- Financial Statement, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2021Thursday, March 3, 2022
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2020Wednesday, January 6, 2021
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2019Friday, February 21, 2020
- Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2017Monday, December 11, 2017
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2016Tuesday, December 27, 2016
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Monday, March 7, 2016
- Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2014Thursday, August 20, 2015
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2013Thursday, March 20, 2014
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Thursday, March 28, 2013
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2011Friday, February 17, 2012
- Financial Statement, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2010Friday, February 11, 2011
- Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2009Friday, February 19, 2010
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? 14
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: $376,696 in FY25, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $352,565 | $354,899 | $364,290 | $366,268 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | $26,071 | $20,831 | $15,642 | $10,428 |
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.
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $1,789 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $6,021 |
| FY22 | $2,392 |
| FY23 | $3,266 |
| FY24 | $34,751 |
| FY25 | $5,943 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $1,789 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $6,021 |
| FY22 | $2,392 |
| FY23 | $3,266 |
| FY24 | $34,751 |
| FY25 | $5,943 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−7%$312,759 → $366,268, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% less
- Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−67%$25,170 → $10,428, down 59% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 67% 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 42% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 13% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $3.5M in FY25.
Business awards
Elections
Running for mayor and city council
Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 285 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 · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- John Stuelke Winner33935.9%
- Nathan Schnell Winner32334.2%
- Melissa McLaughlin Winner28229.9%
- Traer Morgan Unopposed383100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Center Point; 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.
- Center Point City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Alicia Thomas, Mike LeClere
- Center Point MayorNow held by Traer Morgan
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
Charlie McClintock (Sen. 42)Cindy Golding (Rep. 83)
U.S. House:District 2