Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Bill GobbelSwan City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- David ThornburgSwan City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Katlyn MillisonSwan City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Stacy HardingSwan Mayor · 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 Swan
Homes and businesses in most of Swan pay a combined $20.99 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, its own rate. Estimate your bill.
- Pleasantville schools$14.2068%
- Marion County$5.5727%
- Des Moines Area Community College$0.814%
- Marion County Assessor$0.261%
- 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 Swan pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.44 | $6.70 |
| FY21 | $31.76 | $5.90 |
| FY22 | $29.90 | $5.62 |
| FY23 | $25.78 | $5.54 |
| FY24 | $26.08 | $5.37 |
| FY25 | $27.04 | $5.26 |
| FY26 | $26.95 | $5.30 |
| FY27 | $20.99 | $0.00 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.44 | $6.70 |
| FY21 | $31.76 | $5.90 |
| FY22 | $29.90 | $5.62 |
| FY23 | $25.78 | $5.54 |
| FY24 | $26.08 | $5.37 |
| FY25 | $27.04 | $5.26 |
| FY26 | $26.95 | $5.30 |
| FY27 | $20.99 | $0.00 |
The $8.10 limit
Swan’s general levy is $5.30 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY26, $2.80 below the limit.2 907 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $5.54 · FY24 $5.37 · FY25 $5.26 · FY26 $5.30 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
The city’s levies, FY26
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 Swan’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 100 Iowa cities closest in size (50–120 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (100) |
|---|---|---|
| General Government | 48¢ | 31¢ |
| Business Type / Enterprise | 36¢ | 15¢ |
| Public Works | 15¢ | 31¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 1¢ | 6¢ |
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 ($26,655 in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $11,600 | $2,263 |
| Public Safety | $0 | $0 |
| Health and Social Services | $0 | $0 |
| General Government | $18,800 | $19,341 |
| Debt Service | $0 | $0 |
| Culture and Recreation | $0 | $0 |
| Community and Economic Development | $0 | $0 |
| Capital Projects | $0 | $0 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $28,200 | $24,253 |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out3
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? 4
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: $9,605 in FY25, up 16% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 8% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $9,261 | $9,307 | $9,553 | $9,605 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−8%$8,278 → $9,605, up 16% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 8% 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 55% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $5,607 in FY23.
Elections
Most recent: November 7, 2023
City · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- David Thornburg Winner2438.7%
- Katlyn Millison Winner2032.3%
- Bill Gobbel Winner1829.0%
- Stacy Harding Unopposed19100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Swan; official results are on each county auditor’s site.
Related places
At the Statehouse and in Congress5
Ken Rozenboom (Sen. 19)Barb Kniff McCulla (Rep. 37)
U.S. House:District 1