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Local taxes › Madison County › Truro

City

Truro

Madison County · How cities work

$3,490 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($41.46 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,380 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.34 per $1,000)
$247,537property taxes the city levies, FY27
$394,817city 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.

  • Bryan ArzaniTruro Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Lyndsay CannoyTruro City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Matthew MastersTruro City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Ancel KennedyTruro City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jason PhillipsTruro City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Julie McMichaelTruro 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 Truro

Homes and businesses in most of Truro pay a combined $41.46 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Madison County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $16.34. Estimate your bill.

  • City of Truro$16.3439%
  • Interstate 35 schools$16.1939%
  • Madison County$4.7011%
  • Madison County Memorial Hospital$2.767%
  • Des Moines Area Community College$0.812%
  • Madison County Assessor$0.431%
  • Madison County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.23<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.07$12.57
FY21$41.22$12.76
FY22$41.36$12.81
FY23$40.18$12.72
FY24$46.50$18.15
FY25$45.03$16.91
FY26$41.97$15.25
FY27$41.46$16.34
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.07$12.57
FY21$41.22$12.76
FY22$41.36$12.81
FY23$40.18$12.72
FY24$46.50$18.15
FY25$45.03$16.91
FY26$41.97$15.25
FY27$41.46$16.34

Compared with places this size3

Truro’s city property tax rate of $16.34 per $1,000 is the 41st highest of 198 Iowa cities with 350–770 people. The middle of the group is $12.89.

Stanhope: $29.10Exira: $24.81Rolfe: $22.67Dayton: $22.51Charter Oak: $21.32Oxford Junction: $20.84Earling: $20.47Correctionville: $19.84Pomeroy: $19.60Salem: $19.15Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Massena: $18.23Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Alden: $17.90Elma: $17.82Callender: $17.78Casey: $17.72Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Vail: $17.66Ringsted: $17.65Emerson: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Thompson: $17.25Ashton: $17.17Burt: $17.10Latimer: $16.96Lohrville: $16.95Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Mccallsburg: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Bancroft: $16.52Titonka: $16.45Early: $16.35Lewis: $16.25Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Scranton: $16.01Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Russell: $15.18Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Zearing: $14.99Arlington: $14.98Maynard: $14.85Plainfield: $14.84Ryan: $14.84Otho: $14.82Wyoming: $14.81Humeston: $14.80Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Gilmore City: $14.60Garnavillo: $14.52Sabula: $14.38Garrison: $14.38Lorimor: $14.36Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Ocheyedan: $14.22Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Garwin: $14.08Farragut: $14.07Elgin: $14.05Lime Springs: $13.95Dow City: $13.94Wesley: $13.91Bussey: $13.83Livermore: $13.78Redfield: $13.73Sioux Rapids: $13.63Albion: $13.58Lamont: $13.57New Albin: $13.55Rockford: $13.52Boyden: $13.39Lawler: $13.39Van Horne: $13.27New Market: $13.25Plymouth: $13.21Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Little Rock: $13.03Coggon: $12.99Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Wellsburg: $12.68Delmar: $12.68Galva: $12.68Badger: $12.67Martensdale: $12.63Stanton: $12.62Hospers: $12.58Norway: $12.53Everly: $12.51Hazleton: $12.48Spillville: $12.40Alburnett: $12.30Moravia: $12.27Hedrick: $12.22Carson: $12.22Wheatland: $12.18Bonaparte: $12.17Schaller: $12.14Hawkeye: $12.11Colesburg: $11.97Lowden: $11.93Albert City: $11.88Thornton: $11.86Runnells: $11.79Allerton: $11.72Orient: $11.66Merrill: $11.64Ellsworth: $11.57Morning Sun: $11.50Battle Creek: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43West Bend: $11.42Dakota City: $11.39Churdan: $11.31Miles: $11.28Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Whiting: $11.21Shelby: $11.17Blairstown: $11.04Manilla: $11.01Milton: $10.98Ireton: $10.93New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Fontanelle: $10.88Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Batavia: $10.77Riverdale: $10.67Union: $10.58Calamus: $10.47Lovilia: $10.46Melbourne: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Stacyville: $10.36Ventura: $10.22Andrew: $10.22Milo: $10.20Royal: $10.20Hartford: $10.16What Cheer: $10.01Cumming: $9.85Breda: $9.80Doon: $9.78Lynnville: $9.68Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Crescent: $8.72Ainsworth: $8.62Grand Junction: $8.57Gilman: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lakeside: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Agency: $7.94Fremont: $7.86Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Beacon: $7.56Worthington: $7.50Marquette: $7.08Columbus City: $6.94Raymond: $6.85Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79New Virginia: $5.97Holy Cross: $5.91Conesville: $5.86University Park: $5.27Orleans: $4.13Okoboji: $3.83Truro: $16.34$3.83 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 198
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Stanhope$29.10354
2Exira$24.81766
3Rolfe$22.67505
4Dayton$22.51766
5Charter Oak$21.32521
6Oxford Junction$20.84424
7Earling$20.47394
8Correctionville$19.84759
9Pomeroy$19.60511
10Salem$19.15380
11Dumont$19.04614
12Seymour$18.78646
13Dexter$18.69631
14Fonda$18.52636
15Massena$18.23352
16Kanawha$18.11638
17Swea City$18.04545
18Alden$17.90738
19Elma$17.82493
20Callender$17.78361
21Casey$17.72387
22Dows$17.70509
23New Hartford$17.69555
24Vail$17.66383
25Ringsted$17.65346
26Emerson$17.54401
27Walnut$17.46728
28Murray$17.44609
29Thompson$17.25478
30Ashton$17.17434
31Burt$17.10404
32Latimer$16.96477
33Lohrville$16.95366
34Elk Horn$16.78631
35Oxford$16.70715
36Mccallsburg$16.58356
37Whittemore$16.54478
38Bancroft$16.52677
39Titonka$16.45491
40Early$16.35571
41Truro$16.34515
42Lewis$16.25358
43Duncombe$16.10374
44Bayard$16.05402
45Scranton$16.01496
46Ruthven$15.84710
47Minden$15.77581
48Walker$15.74671
49Russell$15.18475
50Stanwood$15.12612
51Stratford$15.03688
52Zearing$14.99508
53Arlington$14.98415
54Maynard$14.85466
55Plainfield$14.84392
56Ryan$14.84348
57Otho$14.82417
58Wyoming$14.81526
59Humeston$14.80472
60Hopkinton$14.79622
61Essex$14.76721
62Gilmore City$14.60484
63Garnavillo$14.52751
64Sabula$14.38498
65Garrison$14.38345
66Lorimor$14.36377
67Collins$14.32503
68Clermont$14.30571
69Moulton$14.25596
70Ocheyedan$14.22424
71Mcgregor$14.20725
72Olin$14.19652
73Garwin$14.08469
74Farragut$14.07480
75Elgin$14.05676
76Lime Springs$13.95467
77Dow City$13.94477
78Wesley$13.91382
79Bussey$13.83378
80Livermore$13.78382
81Redfield$13.73719
82Sioux Rapids$13.63722
83Albion$13.58444
84Lamont$13.57429
85New Albin$13.55435
86Rockford$13.52722
87Boyden$13.39694
88Lawler$13.39392
89Van Horne$13.27768
90New Market$13.25381
91Plymouth$13.21368
92Quasqueton$13.12587
93Farmington$13.10583
94Anthon$13.05534
95Little Rock$13.03447
96Coggon$12.99691
97Lehigh$12.97395
98Menlo$12.92347
99Earlville$12.90713
100Brighton$12.88592
101Montrose$12.78734
102Goldfield$12.73617
103Wellsburg$12.68709
104Delmar$12.68541
105Galva$12.68416
106Badger$12.67540
107Martensdale$12.63413
108Stanton$12.62664
109Hospers$12.58703
110Norway$12.53463
111Everly$12.51570
112Hazleton$12.48711
113Spillville$12.40371
114Alburnett$12.30672
115Moravia$12.27625
116Hedrick$12.22717
117Carson$12.22772
118Wheatland$12.18765
119Bonaparte$12.17357
120Schaller$12.14702
121Hawkeye$12.11429
122Colesburg$11.97379
123Lowden$11.93767
124Albert City$11.88627
125Thornton$11.86394
126Runnells$11.79467
127Allerton$11.72432
128Orient$11.66363
129Merrill$11.64713
130Ellsworth$11.57495
131Morning Sun$11.50702
132Battle Creek$11.49683
133Wall Lake$11.43739
134West Bend$11.42770
135Dakota City$11.39764
136Churdan$11.31359
137Miles$11.28400
138Sutherland$11.25628
139Arcadia$11.23588
140Whiting$11.21725
141Shelby$11.17730
142Blairstown$11.04705
143Manilla$11.01756
144Milton$10.98395
145Ireton$10.93571
146New Vienna$10.91384
147Letts$10.91358
148Fontanelle$10.88684
149Birmingham$10.87371
150Charlotte$10.86386
151Richland$10.82532
152Grand Mound$10.78608
153Batavia$10.77434
154Riverdale$10.67385
155Union$10.58378
156Calamus$10.47348
157Lovilia$10.46456
158Melbourne$10.38771
159Radcliffe$10.37540
160Stacyville$10.36436
161Ventura$10.22701
162Andrew$10.22374
163Milo$10.20762
164Royal$10.20379
165Hartford$10.16729
166What Cheer$10.01595
167Cumming$9.85527
168Breda$9.80492
169Doon$9.78640
170Lynnville$9.68382
171Farnhamville$9.18364
172Middletown$9.16365
173Alleman$9.12439
174Crescent$8.72626
175Ainsworth$8.62511
176Grand Junction$8.57715
177Gilman$8.10530
178Grandview$8.10431
179Kellogg$8.10597
180Lakeside$8.10695
181Lost Nation$8.10425
182Agency$7.94623
183Fremont$7.86688
184Delhi$7.81438
185Klemme$7.74429
186Beacon$7.56434
187Worthington$7.50374
188Marquette$7.08434
189Columbus City$6.94385
190Raymond$6.85754
191Keystone$6.80616
192Shueyville$6.79725
193New Virginia$5.97499
194Holy Cross$5.91348
195Conesville$5.86350
196University Park$5.27476
197Orleans$4.13503
198Okoboji$3.83729

The $8.10 limit

Truro’s general levy is $8.10 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, at the limit.4 247 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.86 · FY26 $7.71 · FY27 $8.10 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $8.24 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$4.40 · $66,300
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.30 · $34,584
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.54 · $23,188

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$121,95250%
  • Debt Service Levy$66,30027%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$34,58414%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$23,1889%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Truro’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 43¢ of every dollar43¢General Government: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Public Works: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Public Safety: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Everything else: 8¢ of every dollar8¢

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 197 Iowa cities closest in size (350–770 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (197)
Business Type / Enterprise43¢41¢
General Government15¢13¢
Public Works15¢18¢
Debt Service10¢5¢
Public Safety10¢9¢
Everything else8¢10¢

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.

  • General Government$106,26027%
  • Public Works$84,27421%
  • Public Safety$70,20018%
  • Debt Service$67,09817%
  • Culture and Recreation$65,98517%
  • Community and Economic Development$1,0000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($295,016 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$130,680$79,965
Public Safety$60,238$46,033
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$75,126$64,286
Debt Service$9,923$67,569
Culture and Recreation$57,559$54,422
Community and Economic Development$1,000$0
Capital Projects$0$297,784
Business Type / Enterprise$241,202$398,829

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$1.0M
$771,792

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Truro owes

$871,628 at June 30, 2026: $1,712 per resident. 420th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$1.1M
$871,628
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$871,628$1,712
2025$942,390$1,851
2024$1.0M$1,997
2023$1.1M$2,142
2022$562,542$1,105
2021$706,446$1,388
2020$553,508$1,087
2019$544,385$1,070
2018$563,308$1,107
2017$590,231$1,160
2016$394,166$774
2015$323,410$635
2014$232,122$456
2013$245,000$481
2012$112,000$220
2011$119,000$234
2010$125,301$246
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$871,628$1,712
2025$942,390$1,851
2024$1.0M$1,997
2023$1.1M$2,142
2022$562,542$1,105
2021$706,446$1,388
2020$553,508$1,087
2019$544,385$1,070
2018$563,308$1,107
2017$590,231$1,160
2016$394,166$774
2015$323,410$635
2014$232,122$456
2013$245,000$481
2012$112,000$220
2011$119,000$234
2010$125,301$246

Up 596% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $500,628, 31% of the limit of about $1.6M (5% of $32.3M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

5 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationRESURFACING ROADS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY RD PROJECT 20222037$440,000
Revenue BondsUtilities/Relining Sewers C0625R2045$211,000
Revenue BondsLagoon update equipment & services C0835R2037$121,000
General ObligationUSDA loan for fire expansion.2032$60,628
Revenue BondsSEWER REVENUE BOND 2020 C1048R2039$39,000

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 balances9. Truro’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination, period ending Monday, March 31, 2025 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Periodic Examination for the period ending Monday, March 31, 2025 (PDF), released Monday, December 15, 2025, by the Auditor of State.

3 earlier reports for Truro

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? 11

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: $58,180 in FY25, up 31% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$47,841$57,909$50,445$57,576
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$8,642$1,265$1,089$604

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.

$14,262
$0
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$12,301
    FY20$14,229
    FY21$12,316
    FY22$13,404
    FY23$12,714
    FY24$14,262
    FY25$0
    Show the numbers
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$12,301
    FY20$14,229
    FY21$12,316
    FY22$13,404
    FY23$12,714
    FY24$14,262
    FY25$0

    Has it kept up with prices?

    Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

    • Road Use Tax (streets)+7%$42,967 → $57,576, up 34% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% more
    • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−69%$1,540 → $604, down 61% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 69% 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 43% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% more.

    $70,334
    $64,026

    Federal grants, for comparison: $36,707 in FY23.

    Business awards

    Every award 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)12.

    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 · 2

    2 seats: the top 2 win.

    Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Truro; 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.

    • Truro City Council At-Large (3 seats)
      Now held by Jason Phillips, Julie McMichael, Ancel Kennedy
    • Truro Mayor
      Now held by Bryan Arzani

    Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

    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 ballot14.

    Related places

    At the Statehouse and in Congress15

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

    U.S. House:District 3

    Madison CountyInterstate 35 schools