Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Laurel L. ReinkeInwood City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Mark D. TimmermanInwood City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Rick RozeboomInwood City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Jordan HuyserInwood City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Rebecca BixlerInwood Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
- Shannon FaberInwood 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 Inwood
Homes and businesses in most of Inwood pay a combined $28.16 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, $10.22. Estimate your bill.
- West Lyon schools$11.9943%
- City of Inwood$10.2236%
- Lyon County$3.9614%
- Northwest Iowa Community College$1.315%
- Lyon County Assessor$0.472%
- Lyon County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.22<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Inwood pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $26.11 | $9.38 |
| FY21 | $26.28 | $9.30 |
| FY22 | $25.14 | $9.27 |
| FY23 | $24.98 | $9.20 |
| FY24 | $24.96 | $9.22 |
| FY25 | $28.11 | $10.42 |
| FY26 | $29.11 | $10.81 |
| FY27 | $28.16 | $10.22 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $26.11 | $9.38 |
| FY21 | $26.28 | $9.30 |
| FY22 | $25.14 | $9.27 |
| FY23 | $24.98 | $9.20 |
| FY24 | $24.96 | $9.22 |
| FY25 | $28.11 | $10.42 |
| FY26 | $29.11 | $10.81 |
| FY27 | $28.16 | $10.22 |
Compared with places this size3
Inwood’s city property tax rate of $10.22 per $1,000 is the 31st lowest of 172 Iowa cities with 650–1,400 people. The middle of the group is $13.19.
See all 172
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elkader | $27.11 | 1,192 |
| 2 | Exira | $24.81 | 766 |
| 3 | Laurens | $24.16 | 1,253 |
| 4 | Dayton | $22.51 | 766 |
| 5 | Correctionville | $19.84 | 759 |
| 6 | Villisca | $19.74 | 1,106 |
| 7 | Allison | $19.06 | 937 |
| 8 | Seymour | $18.78 | 646 |
| 9 | Dysart | $17.95 | 1,266 |
| 10 | Greene | $17.91 | 971 |
| 11 | Alden | $17.90 | 738 |
| 12 | Lansing | $17.67 | 959 |
| 13 | Strawberry Point | $17.58 | 1,141 |
| 14 | Rockwell | $17.54 | 1,044 |
| 15 | Walnut | $17.46 | 728 |
| 16 | Gowrie | $17.17 | 943 |
| 17 | Colo | $17.14 | 856 |
| 18 | Mapleton | $16.90 | 1,114 |
| 19 | George | $16.89 | 1,106 |
| 20 | Fayette | $16.85 | 1,193 |
| 21 | Adair | $16.84 | 792 |
| 22 | Eddyville | $16.82 | 965 |
| 23 | Oxford | $16.70 | 715 |
| 24 | Buffalo Center | $16.58 | 839 |
| 25 | Bancroft | $16.52 | 677 |
| 26 | Roland | $16.51 | 1,376 |
| 27 | Eldon | $16.42 | 788 |
| 28 | Aplington | $16.34 | 1,088 |
| 29 | Panora | $16.14 | 1,096 |
| 30 | Mechanicsville | $16.12 | 974 |
| 31 | Dike | $15.94 | 1,293 |
| 32 | Armstrong | $15.87 | 847 |
| 33 | Ruthven | $15.84 | 710 |
| 34 | State Center | $15.80 | 1,403 |
| 35 | Walker | $15.74 | 671 |
| 36 | Earlham | $15.55 | 1,411 |
| 37 | Shell Rock | $15.52 | 1,265 |
| 38 | Newell | $15.49 | 850 |
| 39 | Riceville | $15.31 | 807 |
| 40 | Neola | $15.30 | 917 |
| 41 | Sidney | $15.19 | 1,048 |
| 42 | Gilbertville | $15.15 | 792 |
| 43 | Logan | $15.05 | 1,351 |
| 44 | Stratford | $15.03 | 688 |
| 45 | Griswold | $15.01 | 975 |
| 46 | Readlyn | $14.99 | 857 |
| 47 | Tripoli | $14.99 | 1,208 |
| 48 | Essex | $14.76 | 721 |
| 49 | Lenox | $14.65 | 1,355 |
| 50 | Manning | $14.62 | 1,390 |
| 51 | Dunlap | $14.56 | 1,030 |
| 52 | Garnavillo | $14.52 | 751 |
| 53 | Maxwell | $14.50 | 862 |
| 54 | Coon Rapids | $14.49 | 1,258 |
| 55 | Nora Springs | $14.25 | 1,330 |
| 56 | Kingsley | $14.25 | 1,394 |
| 57 | Mcgregor | $14.20 | 725 |
| 58 | Olin | $14.19 | 652 |
| 59 | Primghar | $14.18 | 893 |
| 60 | Sheffield | $14.16 | 1,123 |
| 61 | Elgin | $14.05 | 676 |
| 62 | Woodward | $14.05 | 1,383 |
| 63 | Ossian | $13.88 | 777 |
| 64 | Alton | $13.87 | 1,248 |
| 65 | Montezuma | $13.79 | 1,421 |
| 66 | Redfield | $13.73 | 719 |
| 67 | Victor | $13.72 | 852 |
| 68 | Gilbert | $13.71 | 1,397 |
| 69 | Edgewood | $13.64 | 908 |
| 70 | Sioux Rapids | $13.63 | 722 |
| 71 | Donnellson | $13.63 | 859 |
| 72 | Gladbrook | $13.58 | 775 |
| 73 | Clarksville | $13.53 | 1,238 |
| 74 | Rockford | $13.52 | 722 |
| 75 | Janesville | $13.43 | 1,052 |
| 76 | Glidden | $13.43 | 1,140 |
| 77 | Calmar | $13.39 | 1,100 |
| 78 | Boyden | $13.39 | 694 |
| 79 | Baxter | $13.32 | 983 |
| 80 | Manly | $13.29 | 1,233 |
| 81 | Anita | $13.28 | 953 |
| 82 | Van Horne | $13.27 | 768 |
| 83 | Conrad | $13.23 | 1,098 |
| 84 | Springville | $13.22 | 1,161 |
| 85 | Keota | $13.21 | 888 |
| 86 | Shellsburg | $13.20 | 987 |
| 87 | De Soto | $13.18 | 937 |
| 88 | Treynor | $13.03 | 1,104 |
| 89 | Odebolt | $13.00 | 967 |
| 90 | Coggon | $12.99 | 691 |
| 91 | Earlville | $12.90 | 713 |
| 92 | Danville | $12.87 | 910 |
| 93 | Underwood | $12.85 | 973 |
| 94 | New Sharon | $12.80 | 1,249 |
| 95 | Malvern | $12.79 | 1,056 |
| 96 | Montrose | $12.78 | 734 |
| 97 | Wellsburg | $12.68 | 709 |
| 98 | Buffalo | $12.68 | 1,163 |
| 99 | Stanton | $12.62 | 664 |
| 100 | Hospers | $12.58 | 703 |
| 101 | Hazleton | $12.48 | 711 |
| 102 | West Point | $12.39 | 903 |
| 103 | Hinton | $12.38 | 959 |
| 104 | Preston | $12.38 | 940 |
| 105 | Alburnett | $12.30 | 672 |
| 106 | Hubbard | $12.30 | 837 |
| 107 | Hedrick | $12.22 | 717 |
| 108 | Carson | $12.22 | 772 |
| 109 | Wheatland | $12.18 | 765 |
| 110 | Schaller | $12.14 | 702 |
| 111 | Winfield | $12.04 | 1,006 |
| 112 | Elkhart | $12.00 | 1,079 |
| 113 | Afton | $11.96 | 864 |
| 114 | Lowden | $11.93 | 767 |
| 115 | Tabor | $11.88 | 983 |
| 116 | Aurelia | $11.84 | 970 |
| 117 | Merrill | $11.64 | 713 |
| 118 | Morning Sun | $11.50 | 702 |
| 119 | Battle Creek | $11.49 | 683 |
| 120 | Wall Lake | $11.43 | 739 |
| 121 | West Bend | $11.42 | 770 |
| 122 | Dakota City | $11.39 | 764 |
| 123 | Marcus | $11.31 | 1,069 |
| 124 | Dunkerton | $11.30 | 840 |
| 125 | Whiting | $11.21 | 725 |
| 126 | Melcher-Dallas | $11.21 | 1,193 |
| 127 | Shelby | $11.17 | 730 |
| 128 | University Heights | $11.12 | 1,188 |
| 129 | Blairstown | $11.04 | 705 |
| 130 | Manilla | $11.01 | 756 |
| 131 | Hamburg | $10.95 | 863 |
| 132 | Clarence | $10.94 | 991 |
| 133 | Fontanelle | $10.88 | 684 |
| 134 | Cambridge | $10.53 | 844 |
| 135 | Swisher | $10.39 | 909 |
| 136 | Schleswig | $10.39 | 820 |
| 137 | Melbourne | $10.38 | 771 |
| 138 | Elk Run Heights | $10.33 | 1,061 |
| 139 | Fredericksburg | $10.27 | 983 |
| 140 | Lake Park | $10.25 | 1,155 |
| 141 | Ventura | $10.22 | 701 |
| 142 | Inwood | $10.22 | 962 |
| 143 | Milo | $10.20 | 762 |
| 144 | Hartford | $10.16 | 729 |
| 145 | Central City | $10.01 | 1,254 |
| 146 | Newhall | $9.99 | 887 |
| 147 | Graettinger | $9.81 | 810 |
| 148 | Long Grove | $9.59 | 849 |
| 149 | Lake View | $9.39 | 1,120 |
| 150 | Paullina | $9.21 | 979 |
| 151 | Fairbank | $9.00 | 1,133 |
| 152 | Winthrop | $8.94 | 814 |
| 153 | Walford | $8.72 | 1,357 |
| 154 | Keosauqua | $8.58 | 944 |
| 155 | Grand Junction | $8.57 | 715 |
| 156 | Princeton | $8.24 | 917 |
| 157 | Lone Tree | $8.13 | 1,341 |
| 158 | Lakeside | $8.10 | 695 |
| 159 | Riverside | $8.02 | 1,063 |
| 160 | Hills | $7.94 | 911 |
| 161 | Fremont | $7.86 | 688 |
| 162 | Larchwood | $7.52 | 954 |
| 163 | North English | $7.49 | 1,030 |
| 164 | Sloan | $7.49 | 1,078 |
| 165 | Sully | $7.41 | 891 |
| 166 | Fruitland | $7.21 | 928 |
| 167 | Lawton | $7.10 | 949 |
| 168 | Wayland | $7.07 | 935 |
| 169 | Raymond | $6.85 | 754 |
| 170 | Shueyville | $6.79 | 725 |
| 171 | Arnolds Park | $4.95 | 1,214 |
| 172 | Okoboji | $3.83 | 729 |
The $8.10 limit
Inwood’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.4 647 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.86 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $2.35 more5
- Debt Service Levy$1.81 · $82,196
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.55 · $24,810
Tax increment financing (TIF)
Inwood’s TIF revenue, from its reports to the state. It budgeted $33,754 in TIF revenue for FY25.
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $13,491 |
| FY17 | $24,355 |
| FY18 | $33,184 |
| FY19 | $31,913 |
| FY20 | $30,250 |
| FY21 | $25,601 |
| FY22 | $26,170 |
| FY23 | $30,683 |
Show the numbers
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $13,491 |
| FY17 | $24,355 |
| FY18 | $33,184 |
| FY19 | $31,913 |
| FY20 | $30,250 |
| FY21 | $25,601 |
| FY22 | $26,170 |
| FY23 | $30,683 |
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 Inwood’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 171 Iowa cities closest in size (650–1,400 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (171) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 29¢ | 39¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 20¢ | 9¢ |
| Public Works | 19¢ | 15¢ |
| Debt Service | 18¢ | 6¢ |
| General Government | 10¢ | 9¢ |
| Everything else | 4¢ | 12¢ |
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 ($277,340 in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $178,300 | $189,307 |
| Public Safety | $42,192 | $104,634 |
| Health and Social Services | $0 | $0 |
| General Government | $69,700 | $100,735 |
| Debt Service | $106,418 | $107,017 |
| Culture and Recreation | $212,640 | $284,796 |
| Community and Economic Development | $32,106 | $31,221 |
| Capital Projects | $1,250 | $50,165 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $280,861 | $1.6M |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out6
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Inwood owes
$3.1M at June 30, 2026: $3,313 per resident. 249th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $3.1M | $3,313 |
| 2025 | $3.3M | $3,569 |
| 2024 | $3.5M | $3,813 |
| 2023 | $3.7M | $4,009 |
| 2022 | $1.8M | $1,975 |
| 2021 | $2.0M | $2,114 |
| 2020 | $2.1M | $2,290 |
| 2019 | $2.4M | $2,570 |
| 2018 | $2.5M | $2,719 |
| 2017 | $2.7M | $2,860 |
| 2016 | $2.8M | $2,999 |
| 2015 | $2.9M | $3,136 |
| 2014 | $3.0M | $3,270 |
| 2013 | $1.6M | $1,745 |
| 2012 | $1.8M | $1,944 |
| 2011 | $529,000 | $570 |
| 2010 | $625,000 | $673 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $3.1M | $3,313 |
| 2025 | $3.3M | $3,569 |
| 2024 | $3.5M | $3,813 |
| 2023 | $3.7M | $4,009 |
| 2022 | $1.8M | $1,975 |
| 2021 | $2.0M | $2,114 |
| 2020 | $2.1M | $2,290 |
| 2019 | $2.4M | $2,570 |
| 2018 | $2.5M | $2,719 |
| 2017 | $2.7M | $2,860 |
| 2016 | $2.8M | $2,999 |
| 2015 | $2.9M | $3,136 |
| 2014 | $3.0M | $3,270 |
| 2013 | $1.6M | $1,745 |
| 2012 | $1.8M | $1,944 |
| 2011 | $529,000 | $570 |
| 2010 | $625,000 | $673 |
Up 392% since 2010.
Money in reserve
The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances8. Inwood’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination, period ending Sunday, March 31, 2024 (PDF).
Audits9
The latest: Periodic Examination for the period ending Sunday, March 31, 2024 (PDF), released Friday, April 4, 2025, by a CPA firm.
3 earlier reports for Inwood
- Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2016Friday, July 14, 2017
- Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Thursday, June 30, 2016
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Monday, May 20, 2013
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? 10
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: $152,173 in FY25, up 45% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% more. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $125,438 | $123,666 | $135,119 | $131,794 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | – | $3,533 | $5,300 | $20,379 |
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 | $1,400 |
| FY20 | $1,418 |
| FY21 | $1,424 |
| FY22 | $1,394 |
| FY23 | $1,425 |
| FY24 | $1,407 |
| FY25 | $0 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $1,400 |
| FY20 | $1,418 |
| FY21 | $1,424 |
| FY22 | $1,394 |
| FY23 | $1,425 |
| FY24 | $1,407 |
| FY25 | $0 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−0%$105,157 → $131,794, up 25% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 0% 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 72% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 37% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $63,472 in FY23.
Business awards
State economic development awards
Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2023 worth $110K, for 12 pledged jobs.
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)11.
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
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- Laurel L. Reinke Winner16028.1%
- Rick Rozeboom Winner14024.6%
- Mark D. Timmerman Winner14024.6%
- Greg Meendering 6912.1%
- Jordan Halma 6110.7%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Inwood; 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.
- Inwood City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Jordan Huyser, Shannon Faber
- Inwood MayorNow held by Rebecca Bixler
Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here12.
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 ballot13.