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Earlham

Madison County · How cities work

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$3,100 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.84 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,310 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.55 per $1,000)
$932,772property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.2Mcity 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 S. MillerEarlham City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Deeanna MudgeEarlham City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jeffrey M. LillieEarlham Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tim NelsonEarlham City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Brock FredericksenEarlham City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Joel VisserEarlham 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 Earlham

The combined rate in most of Earlham is $36.84 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). The city sets only its own piece. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Earlham$15.5542%
  • Earlham schools$12.3734%
  • Madison County$4.7013%
  • Madison County Memorial Hospital$2.768%
  • Des Moines Area Community. College$0.812%
  • Madison County Assessor$0.431%
  • Madison County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.23<1%

Compared with places this size3

Earlham’s city property tax rate of $15.55 per $1,000 is the 36th highest of 137 Iowa cities with 940–2,100 people. The middle of the group is $13.53.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $17.95Greene: $17.91Britt: $17.72Lansing: $17.67Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Gowrie: $17.17Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Eddyville: $16.82Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sidney: $15.19Logan: $15.05Griswold: $15.01Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Anita: $13.28Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Shellsburg: $13.20Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Underwood: $12.85New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Dallas Center: $12.42Hinton: $12.38Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Tabor: $11.88Wellman: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Blue Grass: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ogden: $10.99Clarence: $10.94Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Inwood: $10.22Central City: $10.01Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Paullina: $9.21Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Keosauqua: $8.58Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Lawton: $7.10Arnolds Park: $4.95Earlham: $15.55$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 137
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Villisca$19.741,106
5Sac City$19.691,992
6Traer$19.561,547
7Corning$19.361,509
8Lake City$19.321,656
9Corydon$18.221,563
10Dysart$17.951,266
11Greene$17.91971
12Britt$17.722,001
13Lansing$17.67959
14Strawberry Point$17.581,141
15Rockwell$17.541,044
16Gowrie$17.17943
17Mapleton$16.901,114
18George$16.891,106
19Manson$16.871,646
20Fayette$16.851,193
21Eddyville$16.82965
22Nashua$16.811,515
23Ackley$16.631,538
24Audubon$16.522,008
25Roland$16.511,376
26Monona$16.411,462
27Aplington$16.341,088
28Durant$16.241,798
29Lamoni$16.152,072
30Panora$16.141,096
31Mechanicsville$16.12974
32Dike$15.941,293
33Holstein$15.811,475
34State Center$15.801,403
35Pleasantville$15.801,696
36Earlham$15.551,411
37Shell Rock$15.521,265
38Brooklyn$15.491,474
39Stuart$15.481,887
40Mount Ayr$15.321,616
41Granger$15.222,095
42Sigourney$15.201,974
43Guttenberg$15.191,804
44Sidney$15.191,048
45Logan$15.051,351
46Griswold$15.01975
47Tripoli$14.991,208
48Sumner$14.832,032
49Woodbine$14.801,707
50Bedford$14.661,474
51Lenox$14.651,355
52Manning$14.621,390
53Van Meter$14.601,840
54Dunlap$14.561,030
55Coon Rapids$14.491,258
56Nora Springs$14.251,330
57Kingsley$14.251,394
58Urbana$14.201,635
59Sheffield$14.161,123
60Parkersburg$14.151,986
61Hartley$14.111,584
62Ida Grove$14.101,988
63Woodward$14.051,383
64Guthrie Center$14.041,579
65Alton$13.871,248
66Lake Mills$13.822,077
67Montezuma$13.791,421
68Gilbert$13.711,397
69Clarksville$13.531,238
70Avoca$13.511,685
71Janesville$13.431,052
72Glidden$13.431,140
73Calmar$13.391,100
74Baxter$13.32983
75Wapello$13.292,026
76Manly$13.291,233
77Anita$13.28953
78Conrad$13.231,098
79Springville$13.221,161
80Shellsburg$13.20987
81Greenfield$13.131,988
82Treynor$13.031,104
83Odebolt$13.00967
84Akron$12.931,545
85Leon$12.931,779
86Underwood$12.85973
87New Sharon$12.801,249
88Slater$12.791,626
89Malvern$12.791,056
90Buffalo$12.681,163
91Sanborn$12.621,463
92New London$12.561,853
93Dallas Center$12.421,993
94Hinton$12.38959
95Remsen$12.321,681
96Monroe$12.282,021
97Denver$12.271,955
98Alta$12.132,039
99Reinbeck$12.101,673
100Winfield$12.041,006
101Elkhart$12.001,079
102Tabor$11.88983
103Wellman$11.881,531
104Aurelia$11.84970
105Blue Grass$11.791,707
106Columbus Junction$11.711,794
107Palo$11.491,554
108Prairie City$11.381,722
109Marcus$11.311,069
110Northwood$11.282,047
111Mediapolis$11.271,679
112Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
113University Heights$11.121,188
114Ogden$10.991,970
115Clarence$10.94991
116Farley$10.911,723
117Oakland$10.851,519
118Moville$10.671,707
119Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
120Walcott$10.291,556
121Fredericksburg$10.27983
122Lake Park$10.251,155
123Inwood$10.22962
124Central City$10.011,254
125Epworth$9.422,042
126Lake View$9.391,120
127Paullina$9.21979
128Fairbank$9.001,133
129Walford$8.721,357
130Keosauqua$8.58944
131Lone Tree$8.131,341
132Riverside$8.021,063
133Larchwood$7.52954
134North English$7.491,030
135Sloan$7.491,078
136Lawton$7.10949
137Arnolds Park$4.951,214

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$488,35552%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$240,17526%
  • Debt Service Levy$164,24518%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$39,4464%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Earlham’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 31¢ of every dollar31¢Public Safety: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Public Works: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Culture and Recreation: 14¢ of every dollar14¢General Government: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 6¢ of every dollar$1$1
Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (136)
Business Type / Enterprise31¢41¢
Public Safety26¢10¢
Public Works16¢12¢
Culture and Recreation14¢8¢
General Government8¢7¢
Everything else6¢9¢

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 136 Iowa cities closest in size (940–2,100 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 Safety$591,88527%
  • Public Works$560,90626%
  • Culture and Recreation$551,49425%
  • Debt Service$241,61511%
  • General Government$215,64310%
  • Community and Economic Development$21,7001%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.0M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$446,601$462,674
Public Safety$351,908$426,514
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$158,307$187,312
Debt Service$90,368$90,468
Culture and Recreation$305,179$299,603
Community and Economic Development$58,350$37,539
Capital Projects$1.5M$2.3M
Business Type / Enterprise$2.1M$585,628

What it spent each year

$4.4M
’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 6% since FY22; down 19% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$100,000$175,000$250,000$325,000$400,000’22’23’24’26Today's $Actual
$100,000$175,000$250,000$325,000$400,000’22’23’24’26Today's $Actual
Show the numbers
ProgramFY27FY26FY24FY23FY22
Local option sales tax$15,488$199,139$204,404$183,172$212,534

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress4

Amy Sinclair (Sen. 12)Ray Sorensen (Rep. 23)

U.S. House:District 3

Madison CountyEarlham schools