City

Bussey

$2,570 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($30.51 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$1,160 a yearof that goes to the city ($13.83 per $1,000)

$123,769property taxes the city levies, FY27

$296,800city 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.

Brian Des PlanqueBussey City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Larry PinegarBussey Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
Stephanie SternerBussey City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Mason J SandersBussey City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Wade A BonnettBussey City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
William GreatbatchBussey 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 Bussey

Homes and businesses in most of Bussey pay a combined $30.51 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Marion County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $13.83. Estimate your bill.

City of Bussey$13.8345%
Twin Cedars schools$9.8932%
Marion County$5.5718%
Des Moines Area Community College$0.813%
Marion County Assessor$0.26<1%
Marion County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.15<1%

Rates over time

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

CombinedCity’s own

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$33.54	$12.61
FY21	$32.09	$11.37
FY22	$32.95	$11.34
FY23	$32.48	$11.90
FY24	$29.95	$12.24
FY25	$31.20	$13.79
FY26	$32.47	$14.27
FY27	$30.51	$13.83

Show the numbers

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$33.54	$12.61
FY21	$32.09	$11.37
FY22	$32.95	$11.34
FY23	$32.48	$11.90
FY24	$29.95	$12.24
FY25	$31.20	$13.79
FY26	$32.47	$14.27
FY27	$30.51	$13.83

Compared with places this size³

Bussey’s city property tax rate of $13.83 per $1,000 is the 67th highest of 187 Iowa cities with 250–560 people. The middle of the group is $12.63.

See all 187

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Stanhope	$29.10	354
2	Rolfe	$22.67	505
3	Elliott	$21.61	328
4	Charter Oak	$21.32	521
5	Oxford Junction	$20.84	424
6	Earling	$20.47	394
7	Pomeroy	$19.60	511
8	Fort Atkinson	$19.19	300
9	Salem	$19.15	380
10	Massena	$18.23	352
11	Swea City	$18.04	545
12	Elma	$17.82	493
13	Callender	$17.78	361
14	Casey	$17.72	387
15	Dows	$17.70	509
16	New Hartford	$17.69	555
17	Vail	$17.66	383
18	Ringsted	$17.65	346
19	Emerson	$17.54	401
20	Thompson	$17.25	478
21	Ashton	$17.17	434
22	Pierson	$17.12	335
23	Burt	$17.10	404
24	Latimer	$16.96	477
25	Lohrville	$16.95	366
26	Lakota	$16.84	261
27	Marble Rock	$16.78	258
28	Auburn	$16.65	253
29	Mccallsburg	$16.58	356
30	Whittemore	$16.54	478
31	Irwin	$16.46	320
32	Titonka	$16.45	491
33	Truro	$16.34	515
34	Lewis	$16.25	358
35	Corwith	$16.22	259
36	Duncombe	$16.10	374
37	Bayard	$16.05	402
38	Scranton	$16.01	496
39	Granville	$16.00	302
40	Minburn	$15.75	317
41	Peterson	$15.27	321
42	Russell	$15.18	475
43	Zearing	$14.99	508
44	Arlington	$14.98	415
45	Maynard	$14.85	466
46	Plainfield	$14.84	392
47	Ryan	$14.84	348
48	Otho	$14.82	417
49	Wyoming	$14.81	526
50	Humeston	$14.80	472
51	Gilmore City	$14.60	484
52	Sabula	$14.38	498
53	Garrison	$14.38	345
54	Halbur	$14.37	268
55	Lorimor	$14.36	377
56	Collins	$14.32	503
57	Kimballton	$14.27	281
58	Ocheyedan	$14.22	424
59	Steamboat Rock	$14.19	261
60	Garwin	$14.08	469
61	Farragut	$14.07	480
62	Mystic	$14.01	318
63	Lime Springs	$13.95	467
64	Dow City	$13.94	477
65	Wesley	$13.91	382
66	Diagonal	$13.91	331
67	Bussey	$13.83	378
68	Mondamin	$13.82	335
69	Livermore	$13.78	382
70	Fertile	$13.70	300
71	Stockport	$13.68	272
72	Albion	$13.58	444
73	Lamont	$13.57	429
74	New Albin	$13.55	435
75	Persia	$13.41	292
76	Lawler	$13.39	392
77	Lacona	$13.38	336
78	Ute	$13.26	326
79	New Market	$13.25	381
80	Plymouth	$13.21	368
81	Harcourt	$13.21	257
82	Bennett	$13.16	330
83	Ridgeway	$13.10	261
84	Farmersburg	$13.09	264
85	Anthon	$13.05	534
86	Little Rock	$13.03	447
87	Lehigh	$12.97	395
88	Menlo	$12.92	347
89	Templeton	$12.91	337
90	Malcom	$12.82	257
91	Delmar	$12.68	541
92	Galva	$12.68	416
93	Badger	$12.67	540
94	Martensdale	$12.63	413
95	Williams	$12.57	299
96	Maurice	$12.56	271
97	Norway	$12.53	463
98	Clearfield	$12.50	277
99	Kensett	$12.47	256
100	Mccausland	$12.45	314
101	Spillville	$12.40	371
102	Modale	$12.34	284
103	Mingo	$12.31	314
104	Brandon	$12.29	331
105	Blakesburg	$12.21	273
106	Bonaparte	$12.17	357
107	Macedonia	$12.12	266
108	Hawkeye	$12.11	429
109	Kiron	$12.03	262
110	Colesburg	$11.97	379
111	Liscomb	$11.96	292
112	Thornton	$11.86	394
113	Runnells	$11.79	467
114	Allerton	$11.72	432
115	Atalissa	$11.71	287
116	Kelley	$11.69	312
117	Orient	$11.66	363
118	Ellsworth	$11.57	495
119	Cincinnati	$11.57	280
120	Delta	$11.52	257
121	Terril	$11.48	310
122	Westside	$11.45	283
123	Holland	$11.37	261
124	Churdan	$11.31	359
125	Mallard	$11.28	255
126	Miles	$11.28	400
127	Milton	$10.98	395
128	New Vienna	$10.91	384
129	Letts	$10.91	358
130	Birmingham	$10.87	371
131	Charlotte	$10.86	386
132	Yale	$10.85	265
133	Richland	$10.82	532
134	Batavia	$10.77	434
135	Hornick	$10.74	255
136	Riverdale	$10.67	385
137	Bode	$10.64	304
138	Union	$10.58	378
139	Calamus	$10.47	348
140	Lovilia	$10.46	456
141	Danbury	$10.43	315
142	Lytton	$10.38	274
143	Radcliffe	$10.37	540
144	Stacyville	$10.36	436
145	Rhodes	$10.36	269
146	Protivin	$10.28	264
147	Andrew	$10.22	374
148	Royal	$10.20	379
149	Bronson	$10.14	294
150	Rudd	$10.13	339
151	Floyd	$10.02	297
152	Cumming	$9.85	527
153	Breda	$9.80	492
154	Lynnville	$9.68	382
155	Salix	$9.63	303
156	Farnhamville	$9.18	364
157	Middletown	$9.16	365
158	Alleman	$9.12	439
159	Lester	$8.94	309
160	Ainsworth	$8.62	511
161	Rowley	$8.31	264
162	Gilman	$8.10	530
163	Lost Nation	$8.10	425
164	Bertram	$8.10	267
165	Grandview	$8.10	431
166	Nichols	$8.10	317
167	Luana	$7.98	303
168	Delhi	$7.81	438
169	Klemme	$7.74	429
170	Pulaski	$7.58	259
171	Beacon	$7.56	434
172	Sheldahl	$7.56	312
173	Worthington	$7.50	374
174	Harpers Ferry	$7.49	273
175	Marquette	$7.08	434
176	Columbus City	$6.94	385
177	Donahue	$6.83	336
178	Libertyville	$6.60	278
179	Crawfordsville	$6.44	278
180	New Virginia	$5.97	499
181	Holy Cross	$5.91	348
182	Conesville	$5.86	350
183	University Park	$5.27	476
184	Orleans	$4.13	503
185	Maharishi Vedic City	$3.87	290
186	Wahpeton	$3.19	337
187	West Okoboji	$2.92	311

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$70,26657%
Liability, property & self insurance costs$31,59926%
Total Employee Benefit Levies$21,72418%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Bussey’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 186 Iowa cities closest in size (250–560 people).

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (186)
Business Type / Enterprise	38¢	39¢
Public Works	20¢	19¢
General Government	17¢	15¢
Public Safety	16¢	9¢
Culture and Recreation	9¢	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.

Public Works$91,00031%
Public Safety$85,80029%
General Government$73,30025%
Culture and Recreation$46,70016%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($162,500 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$103,000	$104,476
Public Safety	$76,500	$84,157
Health and Social Services	$0	$0
General Government	$48,300	$44,232
Debt Service	$0	$0
Culture and Recreation	$27,200	$33,397
Community and Economic Development	$0	$0
Capital Projects	$0	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$147,000	$153,528

What it spent each year

FY24 left out⁴

$547,216

$502,772

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’25

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? ⁵

What the state pays the city

$49,586 in FY25: up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% less. Road Use Tax, the money for streets the state sends every year by formula, is up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% less; grants come and go.

In today's dollarsActual dollars

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$46,415	$45,451	$44,001	$49,586

Show the numbers

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$46,415	$45,451	$44,001	$49,586

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

Road Use Tax (streets)−10%$43,882 → $49,586, up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% 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 110% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 67% more.

$131,945

$90,693

’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

Bussey City Council At-Large

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Brian Des Planque Winner5354.1%
Stephanie Sterner Winner4545.9%

Bussey Mayor

Larry Pinegar Unopposed47100.0%

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁶

Ken Rozenboom (Sen. 19)Barb Kniff McCulla (Rep. 37)

U.S. House:District 1

Marion County Twin Cedars schools

Notes

For a $200,000 home with the homestead credit, at the combined rate in most of the city. Some parts of the city pay a different rate (special districts, tax increment financing districts). ↩
Cities adopt their budgets each spring for the year starting July 1. ↩
FY27 rates from the Department of Management. A higher rate isn’t always a bigger bill: it depends on how much property there is to tax. Sizes: Census Bureau 2024 estimates. ↩
The state’s FY24 spending file repeats the year before for nearly every Iowa city, so that year isn’t shown. ↩
From the city’s annual financial reports to the state (Iowa Data Hub, city actual revenues). “Today’s dollars” adjusts each year by the consumer price index for the Midwest, so a flat line in today’s dollars means the money buys the same as before. ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Bussey; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Bussey works within. ↩

Sources: City budgets and levies from the Department of Management; tax rates from the Iowa Data Hub; state payments from the Department of Revenue; prices from the consumer price index; legislative districts from Census Bureau maps.