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Columbus City

Louisa County · How cities work

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$2,290 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($27.20 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$580 a yearof that goes to the city ($6.94 per $1,000)
$51,538property taxes the city levies, FY27
$133,300city 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.

  • David D. KauffmanColumbus City Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kevin ConradColumbus City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Theren WagnerColumbus City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Devin CarrierColumbus City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Marisol MadrizColumbus City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Shelley Reed-WulfColumbus City 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

Where a property tax dollar goes in Columbus City

The combined rate in most of Columbus City is $27.20 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). The city sets only its own piece. Estimate your bill.

  • Columbus schools$9.9637%
  • Louisa County$7.8029%
  • City of Columbus City$6.9426%
  • Eastern Iowa Community. College$1.044%
  • Columbus Benefited Fire District$0.512%
  • Louisa County Assessor$0.422%
  • Louisa County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.301%
  • Colcity-Coljct-Cotter-Col City Cem$0.22<1%

Compared with places this size3

Columbus City’s city property tax rate of $6.94 per $1,000 is the 12th lowest of 187 Iowa cities with 260–570 people. The middle of the group is $12.67.

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: $17.12Burt: $17.10Latimer: $16.96Lohrville: $16.95Lakota: $16.84Marble Rock: $16.78Mccallsburg: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Irwin: $16.46Titonka: $16.45Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Lewis: $16.25Corwith: $16.22Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Scranton: $16.01Granville: $16.00Minburn: $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: $14.38Halbur: $14.37Lorimor: $14.36Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Kimballton: $14.27Ocheyedan: $14.22Steamboat Rock: $14.19Garwin: $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: $13.21Harcourt: $13.21Bennett: $13.16Ridgeway: $13.10Farmersburg: $13.09Anthon: $13.05Little Rock: $13.03Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Templeton: $12.91Malcom: $12.82Delmar: $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: $12.17Macedonia: $12.12Hawkeye: $12.11Kiron: $12.03Colesburg: $11.97Liscomb: $11.96Thornton: $11.86Runnells: $11.79Allerton: $11.72Atalissa: $11.71Kelley: $11.69Orient: $11.66Ellsworth: $11.57Cincinnati: $11.57Delta: $11.52Terril: $11.48Westside: $11.45Holland: $11.37Churdan: $11.31Miles: $11.28Milton: $10.98Ireton: $10.93New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Yale: $10.85Richland: $10.82Batavia: $10.77Riverdale: $10.67Bode: $10.64Union: $10.58Calamus: $10.47Lovilia: $10.46Danbury: $10.43Lytton: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Stacyville: $10.36Rhodes: $10.36Protivin: $10.28Andrew: $10.22Royal: $10.20Bronson: $10.14Rudd: $10.13Floyd: $10.02Cumming: $9.85Breda: $9.80Lynnville: $9.68Salix: $9.63Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Lester: $8.94Ainsworth: $8.62Rowley: $8.31Gilman: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Bertram: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Nichols: $8.10Luana: $7.98Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Pulaski: $7.58Beacon: $7.56Sheldahl: $7.56Worthington: $7.50Harpers Ferry: $7.49Marquette: $7.08Donahue: $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: $2.92Columbus City: $6.94$2.92 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 187
#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
26Lakota$16.84261
27Marble Rock$16.78258
28Mccallsburg$16.58356
29Whittemore$16.54478
30Irwin$16.46320
31Titonka$16.45491
32Early$16.35571
33Truro$16.34515
34Lewis$16.25358
35Corwith$16.22259
36Duncombe$16.10374
37Bayard$16.05402
38Scranton$16.01496
39Granville$16.00302
40Minburn$15.75317
41Peterson$15.27321
42Russell$15.18475
43Zearing$14.99508
44Arlington$14.98415
45Maynard$14.85466
46Plainfield$14.84392
47Ryan$14.84348
48Otho$14.82417
49Wyoming$14.81526
50Humeston$14.80472
51Gilmore City$14.60484
52Sabula$14.38498
53Garrison$14.38345
54Halbur$14.37268
55Lorimor$14.36377
56Collins$14.32503
57Clermont$14.30571
58Kimballton$14.27281
59Ocheyedan$14.22424
60Steamboat Rock$14.19261
61Garwin$14.08469
62Farragut$14.07480
63Mystic$14.01318
64Lime Springs$13.95467
65Dow City$13.94477
66Wesley$13.91382
67Diagonal$13.91331
68Bussey$13.83378
69Mondamin$13.82335
70Livermore$13.78382
71Fertile$13.70300
72Stockport$13.68272
73Albion$13.58444
74Lamont$13.57429
75New Albin$13.55435
76Persia$13.41292
77Lawler$13.39392
78Lacona$13.38336
79Ute$13.26326
80New Market$13.25381
81Plymouth$13.21368
82Harcourt$13.21257
83Bennett$13.16330
84Ridgeway$13.10261
85Farmersburg$13.09264
86Anthon$13.05534
87Little Rock$13.03447
88Lehigh$12.97395
89Menlo$12.92347
90Templeton$12.91337
91Malcom$12.82257
92Delmar$12.68541
93Galva$12.68416
94Badger$12.67540
95Martensdale$12.63413
96Williams$12.57299
97Maurice$12.56271
98Norway$12.53463
99Everly$12.51570
100Clearfield$12.50277
101Mccausland$12.45314
102Spillville$12.40371
103Modale$12.34284
104Mingo$12.31314
105Brandon$12.29331
106Blakesburg$12.21273
107Bonaparte$12.17357
108Macedonia$12.12266
109Hawkeye$12.11429
110Kiron$12.03262
111Colesburg$11.97379
112Liscomb$11.96292
113Thornton$11.86394
114Runnells$11.79467
115Allerton$11.72432
116Atalissa$11.71287
117Kelley$11.69312
118Orient$11.66363
119Ellsworth$11.57495
120Cincinnati$11.57280
121Delta$11.52257
122Terril$11.48310
123Westside$11.45283
124Holland$11.37261
125Churdan$11.31359
126Miles$11.28400
127Milton$10.98395
128Ireton$10.93571
129New Vienna$10.91384
130Letts$10.91358
131Birmingham$10.87371
132Charlotte$10.86386
133Yale$10.85265
134Richland$10.82532
135Batavia$10.77434
136Riverdale$10.67385
137Bode$10.64304
138Union$10.58378
139Calamus$10.47348
140Lovilia$10.46456
141Danbury$10.43315
142Lytton$10.38274
143Radcliffe$10.37540
144Stacyville$10.36436
145Rhodes$10.36269
146Protivin$10.28264
147Andrew$10.22374
148Royal$10.20379
149Bronson$10.14294
150Rudd$10.13339
151Floyd$10.02297
152Cumming$9.85527
153Breda$9.80492
154Lynnville$9.68382
155Salix$9.63303
156Farnhamville$9.18364
157Middletown$9.16365
158Alleman$9.12439
159Lester$8.94309
160Ainsworth$8.62511
161Rowley$8.31264
162Gilman$8.10530
163Lost Nation$8.10425
164Bertram$8.10267
165Grandview$8.10431
166Nichols$8.10317
167Luana$7.98303
168Delhi$7.81438
169Klemme$7.74429
170Pulaski$7.58259
171Beacon$7.56434
172Sheldahl$7.56312
173Worthington$7.50374
174Harpers Ferry$7.49273
175Marquette$7.08434
176Columbus City$6.94385
177Donahue$6.83336
178Libertyville$6.60278
179Crawfordsville$6.44278
180New Virginia$5.97499
181Holy Cross$5.91348
182Conesville$5.86350
183University Park$5.27476
184Orleans$4.13503
185Maharishi Vedic City$3.87290
186Wahpeton$3.19337
187West Okoboji$2.92311

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$49,81197%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1,6763%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Columbus City’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 58¢ of every dollar58¢Public Works: 21¢ of every dollar21¢General Government: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Safety: 5¢ of every dollarCulture and Recreation: <1¢ of every dollar$1$1
Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (186)
Business Type / Enterprise58¢39¢
Public Works21¢19¢
General Government16¢15¢
Public Safety5¢8¢
Culture and Recreation<1¢8¢

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 186 Iowa cities closest in size (260–570 people).

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 Works$59,00044%
  • General Government$55,80042%
  • Public Safety$15,80012%
  • Culture and Recreation$2,7002%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($175,985 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$63,400$66,155
Public Safety$15,500$15,250
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$32,300$43,545
Debt Service$0$0
Culture and Recreation$5,175$1,158
Community and Economic Development$0$0
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$157,067$151,268

What it spent each year

$323,187
$277,376
’17’18’19’20’21’22’23

State money

What the state sends the city

Sales tax and property tax credits the state paid the city: down 13% since FY23; down 20% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$15,000$26,250$37,500$48,750$60,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
$15,000$26,250$37,500$48,750$60,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
Show the numbers
ProgramFY27FY26FY25FY24FY23
Local option sales tax$2,750$33,719$33,025$33,651$38,629

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Columbus City; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress4

Mark S. Lofgren (Sen. 48)Taylor R. Collins (Rep. 95)

U.S. House:District 1

Louisa CountyColumbus schools