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Robins

Linn County · How cities work

$2,730 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($32.36 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$820 a yearof that goes to the city ($9.68 per $1,000)
$2.5Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.5Mcity 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.

  • Bruce Vander SandenRobins City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Chuck HinzRobins Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Leslie HoytRobins City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Cary SmithRobins City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Leigh CookRobins City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mike FoleyRobins 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 Robins

Homes and businesses in most of Robins pay a combined $31.44 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, $9.68. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.18$7.71
FY21$31.12$7.77
FY22$31.01$7.77
FY23$29.98$7.74
FY24$28.05$5.54
FY25$29.12$7.44
FY26$32.26$9.82
FY27$32.36$9.68
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.18$7.71
FY21$31.12$7.77
FY22$31.01$7.77
FY23$29.98$7.74
FY24$28.05$5.54
FY25$29.12$7.44
FY26$32.26$9.82
FY27$32.36$9.68

Compared with places this size3

Robins’s city property tax rate of $9.68 per $1,000 is the 3rd lowest of 66 Iowa cities with 2,300–5,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.53.

Eldora: $26.87Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93West Union: $16.60Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Vinton: $16.25Colfax: $16.25Cresco: $16.13Marengo: $16.10Humboldt: $16.00Forest City: $15.77Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Waukon: $14.76Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Jesup: $14.31Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Camanche: $12.75Bellevue: $12.67Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Onawa: $12.32Hull: $11.79Huxley: $11.68Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Ely: $11.08Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37Dyersville: $10.27West Burlington: $10.15Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Robins: $9.68$8.00 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 66
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Bloomfield$20.412,773
3Belmond$19.862,405
4Sibley$19.772,787
5Albia$19.703,579
6Eagle Grove$19.323,615
7Iowa Falls$18.864,993
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Toledo$18.212,372
11La Porte City$18.082,267
12Tama$17.742,997
13Clarion$17.742,751
14Missouri Valley$17.682,638
15Madrid$16.932,824
16West Union$16.602,435
17Grundy Center$16.362,821
18Belle Plaine$16.342,335
19Vinton$16.254,962
20Colfax$16.252,305
21Cresco$16.133,890
22Marengo$16.102,415
23Humboldt$16.004,774
24Forest City$15.774,199
25Postville$15.682,418
26Tipton$15.543,059
27Harlan$15.074,898
28Shenandoah$15.024,878
29Jefferson$14.884,148
30Hampton$14.864,340
31Carlisle$14.824,381
32Waukon$14.763,799
33Rock Rapids$14.572,709
34Monticello$14.494,095
35Jesup$14.312,541
36Osage$14.293,559
37Rock Valley$13.764,024
38Emmetsburg$13.703,632
39Wilton$13.622,914
40Mount Vernon$13.504,518
41New Hampton$13.443,433
42Hudson$13.192,916
43Center Point$13.192,578
44Hawarden$13.022,630
45Garner$12.863,049
46Camanche$12.754,536
47Bellevue$12.672,321
48Le Claire$12.644,776
49Milford$12.573,258
50Onawa$12.322,795
51Hull$11.792,459
52Huxley$11.684,737
53Cascade$11.642,396
54West Branch$11.632,876
55Mitchellville$11.542,686
56Solon$11.533,284
57Williamsburg$11.113,380
58Ely$11.082,371
59Carter Lake$10.673,752
60Story City$10.393,439
61Kalona$10.372,762
62Dyersville$10.274,559
63West Burlington$10.153,249
64Robins$9.683,362
65Fairfax$8.102,937
66Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Robins’s general levy is $6.50 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $1.60 below the limit.4 876 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $6.57 · FY24 $4.63 · FY25 $4.49 · FY26 $6.57 · FY27 $6.50 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.18 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.59 · $435,729
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.06 · $275,020
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.53 · $136,089

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$15.4M of taxable value in Robins is in TIF districts’ increment (6% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $697,458 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.2M
$843,366

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 $124,712 of the city’s own.

  • Cedar Rapids schools$146,358
  • Linn County$86,949
  • Linn Mar schools$25,241
  • Alburnett schools$5,374
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.2M
FY17$1.2M
FY18$1.2M
FY19$1.2M
FY20$909,915
FY21$766,010
FY22$886,220
FY23$843,366
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.2M
FY17$1.2M
FY18$1.2M
FY19$1.2M
FY20$909,915
FY21$766,010
FY22$886,220
FY23$843,366

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$1.7M67%
  • Debt Service Levy$435,72917%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$275,02011%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$136,0895%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Robins’s budget goes, FY26

Public Works: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Public Safety: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Debt Service: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Community and Economic Development: 12¢ of every dollar12¢General Government: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Everything else: 16¢ of every dollar16¢

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 65 Iowa cities closest in size (2,300–5,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (65)
Public Works26¢9¢
Public Safety20¢13¢
Debt Service15¢8¢
Community and Economic Development12¢3¢
General Government11¢5¢
Everything else16¢63¢

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$1.9M29%
  • Public Safety$1.0M16%
  • Debt Service$939,83614%
  • General Government$773,16812%
  • Community and Economic Development$702,30611%
  • Public Works$648,75310%
  • Culture and Recreation$558,6309%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($591,591 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$2.0M$1.5M
Public Safety$477,038$440,595
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$455,783$375,823
Debt Service$1.2M$1.2M
Culture and Recreation$261,169$162,187
Community and Economic Development$110,534$97,621
Capital Projects$2.1M$766,744
Business Type / Enterprise$1.1M$409,018

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$10.3M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Robins owes

$3.4M at June 30, 2026: $1,002 per resident. 545th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$8.3M
$3.4M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.4M$1,002
2025$4.1M$1,224
2024$5.1M$1,533
2023$3.9M$1,174
2022$5.0M$1,499
2021$6.1M$1,816
2020$4.2M$1,265
2019$5.2M$1,555
2018$6.4M$1,919
2017$7.3M$2,173
2016$5.8M$1,736
2015$7.0M$2,080
2014$8.1M$2,417
2013$6.2M$1,855
2012$7.3M$2,174
2011$8.3M$2,477
2010$6.7M$1,994
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.4M$1,002
2025$4.1M$1,224
2024$5.1M$1,533
2023$3.9M$1,174
2022$5.0M$1,499
2021$6.1M$1,816
2020$4.2M$1,265
2019$5.2M$1,555
2018$6.4M$1,919
2017$7.3M$2,173
2016$5.8M$1,736
2015$7.0M$2,080
2014$8.1M$2,417
2013$6.2M$1,855
2012$7.3M$2,174
2011$8.3M$2,477
2010$6.7M$1,994

Down 50% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $3.4M, 12% of the limit of about $27.5M (5% of $550.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationSeries 2024 Indian Creek Sewer Upgrade2034$1.7M
General ObligationSeries 2020 Bond - Refunding Series 2011 and 2013 debt. Sewer, water, and street infrastructure2031$1.3M
General ObligationSeries 2016 Bond, East Main Street and CR sewer upgrade2027$325,000

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. Robins’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, August 31, 2026, by the Auditor of State.

AI summary13

  • The City's bank reconciliations contained duplicate transactions from previous years that materially overstated the ending cash balance, and several reconciliations were not reviewed on time.
  • The City and the Robins Firefighters Association have weaknesses in how they handle money because too few employees are assigned to different parts of the financial process, such as handling cash, recording payroll, and managing investments.
  • The City spent more money than was allowed in the general government, debt service, and capital projects budgets before making a budget amendment.
  • The City stated it will remove duplicate transactions, ensure the City Council Financial Coordinator reviews bank reconciliations monthly, use new software to require multiple approvals for journal entries, and complete budget amendments before spending exceeds budgeted amounts.
The findings, as the report states them
Schedule of Findings ### Page 47 Findings Related to the Financial Statements: INTERNAL CONTROL DEFICIENCIES: 2025-001 Segregation of Duties Criteria – Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal control.A good system of internal control provides for adequate segregation of duties so no one individual handles a transaction from its inception to completion. In order to maintain proper internal control, duties should be segregated so the authorization, custody and recording of transactions are not under the control of the same employee. This segregation of duties helps prevent losses from employee error or dishonesty and maximizes the accuracy of the City’s financial statements. Condition – Generally, one or two individuals in the offices identified may have controlover the following areas for which no compensating controls exist: | Applicable Offices | | - | | (1) Cash – reconciling bank accounts, opening mail, initiating cash receipts, handling and recording cash. | City and the Robins Firefighters Association | | (2) Investments – record keeping, investing and reconciling earnings. | City | | (3) Receipts – opening mail, collecting, depositing, posting and reconciling. | City and the Robins Firefighters Association | | (4) Utility receipts – billing, collecting, depositing, posting, entering utility rates and maintaining detailed accounts receivable records. | City | | (5) Disbursements – voucher preparation, check preparation, check signing, recording and reconciling. | City and the Robins Firefighters Association | | (6) Payroll – entering payroll rates and recording vacation/sick leave. | City | | (7) Accounting system – performing all computer systems. | City | Cause – The City and the Robins Firefighters Association have a limited number ofemployees and procedures have not been designed to adequately segregate duties or provide compensating controls through additional oversight of transactions and processes. Effect – Inadequate segregation of duties could adversely affect the City’s and RobinsFirefighters Association’s ability to prevent or detect and correct misstatements, errors or misappropriation on a timely basis by employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions. ### Page 48 Recommendation – Each official should review the control activities of their office toobtain the maximum internal control possible under the circumstances. The official should utilize current personnel, including elected officials, to provide additional control through independent review of financial transactions, reconciliations and reports. The independent reviews should be documented by the signature or initials of the reviewer and the date of the review. Bank reconciliation reviews should include independent verification of bank balances and reconciling items. Responses – City – We will continue to work on this comment. Robins Firefighters Association – The Robins Firefighters Association is a very smallorganization with only 19 members and a handful of officers and, therefore, it is difficult to segregate the duties of the secretary and the management of our financial records. The Robins Firefighters Association conducts a meeting almost every month and a financial report is given to the membership at each meeting that includes our current checkbook balance and any outstanding bills that are known at that time. The Robins Firefighters Association continues the practice of reconciling our checking account using the back of the monthly statements and reviewing our bank statements with the Association President and Vice President at each association meeting. All three of these officers, Secretary/Treasurer, President and Vice President, review and initial all of the monthly bank statements. Also, any expenditure of more than $200 requires approval from our membership and the minutes of our meetings reflect these actions. Conclusion – Response acknowledged. Each office should continue to review the controlactivities of their office to obtain the maximum internal control possible under the circumstances. 2025-002 Bank Reconciliations Criteria – An effective internal control system provides for internal controls related toensuring proper accounting for all funds by maintaining appropriate accounting records and reconciling bank and book balances. Independent review of bank reconciliations can help ensure the accuracy of recorded amounts. Condition – The City’s bank reconciliation included material amounts of outstandingdeposits that were due to duplicate transactions in the City’s accounting software. These duplicate transactions were from previous fiscal years and materially overstated the City’s ending cash balance. In addition, six of twelve bank reconciliations were not reviewed timely. Adjustments were subsequently made by the City to properly report these amounts in the City’s financial statements. Cause – Procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure all accounts arereconciled and the amounts recorded in the City’s accounting records are complete and accurate. Nor have they been designed and implemented to ensure the monthly bank reconciliations are independently reviewed timely. ### Page 49 Effect – Lack of policies and procedures resulted in City employees not detecting errorsin the normal course of performing their assigned functions and material adjustments to the City’s financial statements were necessary. Recommendation – The City should establish procedures to ensure bank accounts arereconciled and the amounts recorded in the City’s accounting records are accurate. An independent person should review the bank reconciliations in a timely manner and document their review by signing or initialing and dating the monthly reconciliations. Response – The bank reconciliation will be completed in a timely manner with reviewbeing performed by the City Council Financial Coordinator on a monthly basis. In addition, the duplicate transactions will be removed from our accounting system. Conclusion – Response accepted. 2025-003 Journal Entries Criteria – Journal entries should be approved and reviewed by an independent person,and the approval and review should be evidenced by signature or initials and the date the approval or review was performed. Condition – Two of three journal entries observed had no evidence of review by anindependent person or were not reviewed timely. Cause – The City has a limited number of employees and procedures have not beendesigned to document the review and approval of journal entries Effect – Lack of independent review and approval of journal entries could adversely affectthe City’s ability to prevent or detect and correct misstatements, errors, or misappropriations on a timely basis by employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions. Recommendation – Journal entries should be reviewed and approved by an independentperson in a timely manner and evidenced by signature or initials and date of review or approval. Response – With the implementation of updated municipal accounting software, processsteps have been implemented requiring multiple levels of authorization for journal entries. Conclusion – Response accepted. INSTANCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE: No matters were noted. ### Page 50 Other Findings Related to Required Statutory Reporting: 2025-A Certified Budget – Disbursements during the year ended June 30, 2025 exceeded theamounts budgeted in the general government, debt service and capital projects functions prior to a budget amendment. Chapter 384.20 of the Code of Iowa states, in part, “Public monies may not be expended or encumbered except under an annual or continuing appropriation.” Recommendation – The budget should have been amended in accordance withChapter 384.18 of the Code of Iowa before disbursements were allowed to exceed the budget. Response – Future budget amendments will be completed prior to the budget being exceeded. Conclusion – Response accepted. 2025-B Questionable Disbursements – No disbursements that may not meet the requirements ofpublic purpose as defined in an Attorney General’s opinion dated April 25, 1979 were noted. 2025-C Travel Expense – No disbursements of City money for travel expenses of spouses of Cityofficials or employees were noted. 2025-D Business Transactions – No business transactions between City and City officials oremployees were noted. 2025-E Restricted Donor Activity – No transactions were noted between the City, City officials, Cityemployees and restricted donors in compliance with Chapter 68B of the Code of Iowa. 2025-F Bond Coverage – Surety bond coverage of City officials and employees is in accordance withstatutory provisions. The amount of coverage should be reviewed annually to ensure the coverage is adequate for current operations. 2025-G City Council Minutes – No transactions were found that we believe should have beenapproved in the City Council minutes but were not. Three meeting minutes from the year ended June 30, 2025 were not maintained, signed or published in accordance with Chapter 372.13(6) of the Code of Iowa. Recommendation – All meeting minutes should be maintained, signed and published in alocal newspaper. Response – Moving forward, City Council minutes will be compiled, submitted for review, andpublished within two weeks following a scheduled meeting. Approved minutes will be signed and filed the day following approval. Conclusion – Response accepted. 2025-H Deposits and Investments – No instances of noncompliance with the deposit and investmentprovisions of Chapters 12B and 12C of the Code of Iowa and the City’s investment policy were noted. ### Page 51 2025-I Tax Increment Financing (TIF) – The Special Revenue, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Fundproperly disbursed payments for TIF loans and rebates. Also, the City of Robins properly completed the Tax Increment Debt Certificate Forms to request TIF property taxes. 2025-J Annual Urban Renewal Report – The Annual Urban Renewal Report (AURR) was approvedand certified to the Iowa Department of Management on or before December 1 as required by Chapter 384.22(2) of the Code of Iowa. However, the TIF obligations on the AURR for the 2013 General Obligation Bond were understated by $583,050 and overstated for the 2020 General Obligation Bond by $583,050. Recommendation – The City should ensure the debt amounts reported on the Levy AuthoritySummary agree with the City’s records. Response – Moving forward, TIF Obligations will be reconciled between the AURR and theCity’s updated software to ensure accuracy. Conclusion – Response accepted. ### Page 52 City of Robins
17 earlier reports for Robins

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: $496,967 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)$465,717$461,411$473,620$476,191
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–––$20,776

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.

$689,189
$0
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$0
    FY20$0
    FY21$689,189
    FY22$0
    FY23$0
    FY24$0
    FY25$0
    Show the numbers
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$0
    FY20$0
    FY21$689,189
    FY22$0
    FY23$0
    FY24$0
    FY25$0

    Has it kept up with prices?

    Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

    • Road Use Tax (streets)−15%$444,657 → $476,191, up 7% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% 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 30% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% more.

    $618,290
    $546,739

    Federal grants, for comparison: $1.0M in FY25.

    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)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

    2 seats: the top 2 win.

    Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Robins; 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.

    • Robins City Council At-Large (3 seats)
      Now held by Cary Smith, Mike Foley, Leigh Cook

    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.

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