Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Lucas County › Chariton

City

Chariton

Lucas County · How cities work

$3,690 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($43.77 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,550 a yearof that goes to the city ($18.37 per $1,000)
$2.6Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.6Mcity 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.

  • Gary ShuttChariton City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Stephen FentonChariton 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 Chariton

Homes and businesses in most of Chariton pay a combined $43.77 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Lucas County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $18.37. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Chariton$18.3742%
  • Chariton schools$14.1232%
  • Lucas County$5.4012%
  • Lucas County Hospital$3.618%
  • Indian Hills Community College$1.243%
  • Lucas County Assessor$0.732%
  • Lucas County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.30<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$45.69$18.74
FY21$43.92$17.76
FY22$43.16$17.11
FY23$43.12$17.07
FY24$44.19$17.48
FY25$44.33$17.88
FY26$45.84$19.73
FY27$43.77$18.37
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$45.69$18.74
FY21$43.92$17.76
FY22$43.16$17.11
FY23$43.12$17.07
FY24$44.19$17.48
FY25$44.33$17.88
FY26$45.84$19.73
FY27$43.77$18.37

Compared with places this size3

Chariton’s city property tax rate of $18.37 per $1,000 is the 8th highest of 59 Iowa cities with 2,900–6,300 people. The middle of the group is $14.76.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Tama: $17.74Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Tipton: $15.54Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Garner: $12.86Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Asbury: $8.32Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Chariton: $18.37$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 59
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Albia$19.703,579
4Eagle Grove$19.323,615
5Independence$19.016,266
6Iowa Falls$18.864,993
7West Liberty$18.683,724
8Chariton$18.374,278
9Tama$17.742,997
10Clarinda$17.255,334
11Centerville$16.855,345
12Algona$16.755,341
13Vinton$16.254,962
14Winterset$16.155,421
15Cresco$16.133,890
16Humboldt$16.004,774
17Anamosa$15.955,845
18Forest City$15.774,199
19Tipton$15.543,059
20Sheldon$15.335,584
21Estherville$15.275,796
22Harlan$15.074,898
23Shenandoah$15.024,878
24Manchester$14.965,283
25Jefferson$14.884,148
26Hampton$14.864,340
27Carlisle$14.824,381
28Cherokee$14.825,186
29Glenwood$14.775,250
30Waukon$14.763,799
31Monticello$14.494,095
32Osceola$14.375,585
33Windsor Heights$14.305,106
34Osage$14.293,559
35Rock Valley$13.764,024
36Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
37Emmetsburg$13.703,632
38Wilton$13.622,914
39Mount Vernon$13.504,518
40New Hampton$13.443,433
41Hudson$13.192,916
42Garner$12.863,049
43Maquoketa$12.856,064
44Camanche$12.754,536
45Le Claire$12.644,776
46Milford$12.573,258
47Huxley$11.684,737
48West Branch$11.632,876
49Solon$11.533,284
50Williamsburg$11.113,380
51Carter Lake$10.673,752
52Story City$10.393,439
53Dyersville$10.274,559
54Spirit Lake$10.175,548
55West Burlington$10.153,249
56Robins$9.683,362
57Asbury$8.326,051
58Fairfax$8.102,937
59Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Chariton’s general levy is $8.54 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.44 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 20 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.79 · FY26 $8.79 · FY27 $8.54 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $9.83 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$4.49 · $635,323
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.10 · $568,495
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.24 · $172,568

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$659,342 of taxable value in Chariton is in TIF districts’ increment (0% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $145,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$150,350
$145,768

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 $9,148 of the city’s own.

  • Chariton schools$7,661
  • Lucas County$3,561
YearTIF revenue
FY16$140,776
FY17$150,350
FY18$149,255
FY19$147,942
FY20$141,018
FY21$142,079
FY22$145,236
FY23$145,768
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$140,776
FY17$150,350
FY18$149,255
FY19$147,942
FY20$141,018
FY21$142,079
FY22$145,236
FY23$145,768

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$1.2M46%
  • Debt Service Levy$635,32325%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$568,49522%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$172,5687%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Chariton’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 47¢ of every dollar47¢Public Safety: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Works: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Culture and Recreation: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Debt Service: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 7¢ of every dollar7¢

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 58 Iowa cities closest in size (2,900–6,300 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (58)
Business Type / Enterprise47¢36¢
Public Safety16¢13¢
Public Works12¢9¢
Culture and Recreation10¢8¢
Debt Service8¢8¢
Everything else7¢8¢

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$1.6M24%
  • Public Safety$1.5M23%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.1M17%
  • Public Works$1.1M16%
  • Debt Service$654,89310%
  • General Government$538,4908%
  • Community and Economic Development$94,0001%
  • Health and Social Services$9,0000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($4.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$3.4M$2.9M
Public Safety$1.6M$1.2M
Health and Social Services$6,000$6,000
General Government$415,434$444,397
Debt Service$395,150$537,277
Culture and Recreation$893,499$1.3M
Community and Economic Development$92,000$67,887
Capital Projects$300,000$7,580
Business Type / Enterprise$11.9M$8.7M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$17.5M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Chariton owes

$15.6M at June 30, 2026: $3,731 per resident. 210th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$17.3M
$15.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$15.6M$3,731
2025$16.5M$3,931
2024$17.3M$4,131
2023$8.2M$1,964
2022$2.9M$696
2021$3.0M$715
2020$3.0M$715
2019$3.0M$715
2018$3.0M$715
2017$4.1M$978
2016$4.0M$958
2015$4.6M$1,092
2014$6.2M$1,479
2013$6.6M$1,584
2012$4.9M$1,176
2011$5.5M$1,308
2010$5.7M$1,369
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$15.6M$3,731
2025$16.5M$3,931
2024$17.3M$4,131
2023$8.2M$1,964
2022$2.9M$696
2021$3.0M$715
2020$3.0M$715
2019$3.0M$715
2018$3.0M$715
2017$4.1M$978
2016$4.0M$958
2015$4.6M$1,092
2014$6.2M$1,479
2013$6.6M$1,584
2012$4.9M$1,176
2011$5.5M$1,308
2010$5.7M$1,369

Up 172% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $4.6M, 38% of the limit of about $12.1M (5% of $241.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

7 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWater main project from west tower towards east side of town2058$4.8M
Revenue BondsWater line connection fee to Rathbun Rural Water2051$3.1M
Revenue BondsSewer Plant Upgrades2042$2.6M
General ObligationStreet, sidewalk, splash pad.2040$2.3M
General ObligationTownsquare Project, Fire Truck, Dump Truck, and salt storage building.2035$2.3M
Revenue BondsUsed as a partial funding source for 2016 CDBG Sewer Project2036$330,000
Revenue BondsSewer2030$206,000

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. Chariton’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 Tuesday, February 17, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Chariton

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: $622,192 in FY25, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$582,805$577,004$592,272$595,486
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$33,336$16,112$3,240$26,706

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.

$389,815
$106,208
  • Other$60,00056%
  • State grants$46,20844%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$83,221
FY20$33,322
FY21$6,985
FY22$136,289
FY23$389,815
FY24$0
FY25$106,208
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$83,221
FY20$33,322
FY21$6,985
FY22$136,289
FY23$389,815
FY24$0
FY25$106,208

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−15%$558,212 → $595,486, 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 46% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% more.

$546,507
$542,372

Federal grants, for comparison: $529,425 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

1 business has state awards in CHARITON: $222K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 64 jobs. Closed projects promised 64 jobs; 51 were there at the end.14

  • Nordic Group of Companies, LLC and its Subsidiaries Seats Incorporated and Nordic Equity, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY20 · Closed: Met its contract · 64 jobs required, 51 at the end
    $222K

Community college new jobs training: 5 contracts since 2006 worth $4.0M, for 460 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)15.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Most recent: November 7, 2023

City · 1

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Chariton; 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.

  • Chariton City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Gary Shutt, Stephen Fenton

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

Amy Sinclair (Sen. 12)Sam Wengryn (Rep. 24)

U.S. House:District 3

Lucas CountyChariton schools