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Local taxes › Lyon County › George

City

George

Lyon County · How cities work

$2,850 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.87 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,420 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.89 per $1,000)
$697,602property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.0Mcity 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.

  • Bobby GruisGeorge City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe AndersonGeorge City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Billy SprockGeorge Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Byron John GerkenGeorge City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Derek StormGeorge City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kris HamiltonGeorge 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 George

Homes and businesses in most of George pay a combined $33.87 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Lyon County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $16.89. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$34.54$14.85
FY21$34.99$15.23
FY22$33.48$14.97
FY23$31.84$13.99
FY24$29.36$11.87
FY25$29.50$13.22
FY26$36.27$19.10
FY27$33.87$16.89
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$34.54$14.85
FY21$34.99$15.23
FY22$33.48$14.97
FY23$31.84$13.99
FY24$29.36$11.87
FY25$29.50$13.22
FY26$36.27$19.10
FY27$33.87$16.89

Compared with places this size3

George’s city property tax rate of $16.89 per $1,000 is the 21st highest of 155 Iowa cities with 740–1,700 people. The middle of the group is $13.39.

Elkader: $27.11Exira: $24.81Laurens: $24.16Dayton: $22.51Correctionville: $19.84Villisca: $19.74Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Allison: $19.06Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $17.95Greene: $17.91Alden: $17.90Lansing: $17.67Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14Mapleton: $16.90Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Adair: $16.84Eddyville: $16.82Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Buffalo Center: $16.58Roland: $16.51Eldon: $16.42Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Dike: $15.94Armstrong: $15.87Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Newell: $15.49Mount Ayr: $15.32Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Gilbertville: $15.15Logan: $15.05Griswold: $15.01Readlyn: $14.99Tripoli: $14.99Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Dunlap: $14.56Garnavillo: $14.52Maxwell: $14.50Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Primghar: $14.18Sheffield: $14.16Hartley: $14.11Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Ossian: $13.88Alton: $13.87Montezuma: $13.79Victor: $13.72Gilbert: $13.71Edgewood: $13.64Donnellson: $13.63Gladbrook: $13.58Clarksville: $13.53Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Manly: $13.29Anita: $13.28Van Horne: $13.27Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Akron: $12.93Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62West Point: $12.39Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Hubbard: $12.30Carson: $12.22Wheatland: $12.18Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Afton: $11.96Lowden: $11.93Tabor: $11.88Wellman: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Palo: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43West Bend: $11.42Dakota City: $11.39Marcus: $11.31Dunkerton: $11.30Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Manilla: $11.01Hamburg: $10.95Clarence: $10.94Oakland: $10.85Cambridge: $10.53Swisher: $10.39Schleswig: $10.39Melbourne: $10.38Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Inwood: $10.22Milo: $10.20Central City: $10.01Newhall: $9.99Graettinger: $9.81Long Grove: $9.59Lake View: $9.39Paullina: $9.21Fairbank: $9.00Winthrop: $8.94Walford: $8.72Keosauqua: $8.58Princeton: $8.24Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Hills: $7.94Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Raymond: $6.85Arnolds Park: $4.95George: $16.89$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 155
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Exira$24.81766
3Laurens$24.161,253
4Dayton$22.51766
5Correctionville$19.84759
6Villisca$19.741,106
7Traer$19.561,547
8Corning$19.361,509
9Lake City$19.321,656
10Allison$19.06937
11Corydon$18.221,563
12Dysart$17.951,266
13Greene$17.91971
14Alden$17.90738
15Lansing$17.67959
16Strawberry Point$17.581,141
17Rockwell$17.541,044
18Gowrie$17.17943
19Colo$17.14856
20Mapleton$16.901,114
21George$16.891,106
22Manson$16.871,646
23Fayette$16.851,193
24Adair$16.84792
25Eddyville$16.82965
26Nashua$16.811,515
27Ackley$16.631,538
28Buffalo Center$16.58839
29Roland$16.511,376
30Eldon$16.42788
31Monona$16.411,462
32Aplington$16.341,088
33Panora$16.141,096
34Mechanicsville$16.12974
35Dike$15.941,293
36Armstrong$15.87847
37Holstein$15.811,475
38State Center$15.801,403
39Earlham$15.551,411
40Shell Rock$15.521,265
41Brooklyn$15.491,474
42Newell$15.49850
43Mount Ayr$15.321,616
44Riceville$15.31807
45Neola$15.30917
46Sidney$15.191,048
47Gilbertville$15.15792
48Logan$15.051,351
49Griswold$15.01975
50Readlyn$14.99857
51Tripoli$14.991,208
52Bedford$14.661,474
53Lenox$14.651,355
54Manning$14.621,390
55Dunlap$14.561,030
56Garnavillo$14.52751
57Maxwell$14.50862
58Coon Rapids$14.491,258
59Nora Springs$14.251,330
60Kingsley$14.251,394
61Urbana$14.201,635
62Primghar$14.18893
63Sheffield$14.161,123
64Hartley$14.111,584
65Woodward$14.051,383
66Guthrie Center$14.041,579
67Ossian$13.88777
68Alton$13.871,248
69Montezuma$13.791,421
70Victor$13.72852
71Gilbert$13.711,397
72Edgewood$13.64908
73Donnellson$13.63859
74Gladbrook$13.58775
75Clarksville$13.531,238
76Janesville$13.431,052
77Glidden$13.431,140
78Calmar$13.391,100
79Baxter$13.32983
80Manly$13.291,233
81Anita$13.28953
82Van Horne$13.27768
83Conrad$13.231,098
84Springville$13.221,161
85Keota$13.21888
86Shellsburg$13.20987
87De Soto$13.18937
88Treynor$13.031,104
89Odebolt$13.00967
90Akron$12.931,545
91Danville$12.87910
92Underwood$12.85973
93New Sharon$12.801,249
94Slater$12.791,626
95Malvern$12.791,056
96Buffalo$12.681,163
97Sanborn$12.621,463
98West Point$12.39903
99Hinton$12.38959
100Preston$12.38940
101Hubbard$12.30837
102Carson$12.22772
103Wheatland$12.18765
104Winfield$12.041,006
105Elkhart$12.001,079
106Afton$11.96864
107Lowden$11.93767
108Tabor$11.88983
109Wellman$11.881,531
110Aurelia$11.84970
111Palo$11.491,554
112Wall Lake$11.43739
113West Bend$11.42770
114Dakota City$11.39764
115Marcus$11.311,069
116Dunkerton$11.30840
117Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
118University Heights$11.121,188
119Manilla$11.01756
120Hamburg$10.95863
121Clarence$10.94991
122Oakland$10.851,519
123Cambridge$10.53844
124Swisher$10.39909
125Schleswig$10.39820
126Melbourne$10.38771
127Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
128Walcott$10.291,556
129Fredericksburg$10.27983
130Lake Park$10.251,155
131Inwood$10.22962
132Milo$10.20762
133Central City$10.011,254
134Newhall$9.99887
135Graettinger$9.81810
136Long Grove$9.59849
137Lake View$9.391,120
138Paullina$9.21979
139Fairbank$9.001,133
140Winthrop$8.94814
141Walford$8.721,357
142Keosauqua$8.58944
143Princeton$8.24917
144Lone Tree$8.131,341
145Riverside$8.021,063
146Hills$7.94911
147Larchwood$7.52954
148North English$7.491,030
149Sloan$7.491,078
150Sully$7.41891
151Fruitland$7.21928
152Lawton$7.10949
153Wayland$7.07935
154Raymond$6.85754
155Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

George’s general levy is $8.27 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.17 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 99 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.52 · FY26 $8.52 · FY27 $8.27 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $8.62 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$4.37 · $187,210
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.55 · $102,787
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.70 · $68,524

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$2.5M of taxable value in George is in TIF districts’ increment (6% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $57,026 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$71,433

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 $30,822 of the city’s own.

  • Lyon County$9,744
YearTIF revenue
FY16$40,011
FY17$34,752
FY18$47,660
FY19$49,894
FY20$31,909
FY21$32,864
FY22$44,507
FY23$71,433
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$40,011
FY17$34,752
FY18$47,660
FY19$49,894
FY20$31,909
FY21$32,864
FY22$44,507
FY23$71,433

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$333,82348%
  • Debt Service Levy$187,21027%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$102,78715%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$68,52410%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of George’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 55¢ of every dollar55¢Business Type / Enterprise: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Public Works: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Culture and Recreation: 8¢ of every dollar8¢General Government: 6¢ of every dollarEverything else: 10¢ of every dollar10¢

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 154 Iowa cities closest in size (740–1,700 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (154)
Capital Projects55¢10¢
Business Type / Enterprise14¢41¢
Public Works8¢14¢
Culture and Recreation8¢9¢
General Government6¢8¢
Everything else10¢18¢

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$470,00023%
  • Public Works$395,01720%
  • Culture and Recreation$373,33518%
  • Public Safety$281,20614%
  • General Government$268,21913%
  • Debt Service$200,00010%
  • Community and Economic Development$32,5932%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($652,152 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$221,035$306,956
Public Safety$88,374$119,276
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$188,217$164,649
Debt Service$90,393$90,393
Culture and Recreation$315,152$275,091
Community and Economic Development$24,790$50,042
Capital Projects$85,000$65,568
Business Type / Enterprise$455,075$519,392

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$2.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What George owes

$3.1M at June 30, 2026: $2,881 per resident. 297th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$3.1M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.1M$2,881
2025$777,000$721
2024$187,000$174
2023$246,000$228
2022$390,000$362
2021$609,000$565
2020$735,000$682
2019$859,000$798
2018$1.1M$983
2017$1.2M$1,114
2016$1.5M$1,381
2015$1.7M$1,541
2014$1.8M$1,717
2013$2.0M$1,829
2012$2.1M$1,976
2011$2.3M$2,122
2010$1.3M$1,205
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.1M$2,881
2025$777,000$721
2024$187,000$174
2023$246,000$228
2022$390,000$362
2021$609,000$565
2020$735,000$682
2019$859,000$798
2018$1.1M$983
2017$1.2M$1,114
2016$1.5M$1,381
2015$1.7M$1,541
2014$1.8M$1,717
2013$2.0M$1,829
2012$2.1M$1,976
2011$2.3M$2,122
2010$1.3M$1,205

Up 139% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.4M, 64% of the limit of about $3.8M (5% of $75.4M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationVIRGINIA ST & 2 BLOCK MICHIGAN AVE RECONSTRUCTION2045$2.4M
Revenue BondsSANITARY SEWER LINING PHASE 12044$624,000
Revenue BondsSewer SRF Loan2027$64,000

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. George’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Friday, February 13, 2026, by a CPA firm.

13 earlier reports for George

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: $158,319 in FY25, up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$148,952$148,207$152,129$152,955
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$15,977$10,727$8,046$5,364

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.

$77,901
$1,399
  • State grants$1,399100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$7,102
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$77,901
FY23$0
FY24$1,429
FY25$1,399
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$7,102
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$77,901
FY23$0
FY24$1,429
FY25$1,399

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−13%$139,521 → $152,955, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 13% 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 63% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 30% more.

$186,711

Federal grants, for comparison: $49,134 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

1 business has state awards in GEORGE: $544K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 10 jobs.14

  • Diversified Technologies, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY23 · Under contract: Building · 10 jobs required
    $544K

Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2022 worth $200K, for 24 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 4, 2025

City · 1

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for George; 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.

  • George City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Byron John Gerken, Kris Hamilton, Derek Storm
  • George Mayor
    Now held by Billy Sprock

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

Jeff Taylor (Sen. 2)Skyler Wheeler (Rep. 4)

U.S. House:District 4

Lyon CountyGeorge schools