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Local taxes › Monona County › Onawa

City

Onawa

Monona County · How cities work

$2,600 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($30.82 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,040 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.32 per $1,000)
$1.3Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$3.4Mcity 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.

  • Cody KregerOnawa City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • David SickOnawa Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jeffrey PrattOnawa City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Susan D. CollisonOnawa City Council Ward 4 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jake FoxOnawa City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kurtis BlatchfordOnawa City Council Ward 3 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Mark KuhlmanOnawa City Council Ward 1 · 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 Onawa

Homes and businesses in most of Onawa pay a combined $30.82 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Monona County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.32. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.93$13.94
FY21$36.75$14.53
FY22$35.62$14.04
FY23$33.99$12.63
FY24$33.01$12.08
FY25$31.90$12.94
FY26$30.87$12.17
FY27$30.82$12.32
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.93$13.94
FY21$36.75$14.53
FY22$35.62$14.04
FY23$33.99$12.63
FY24$33.01$12.08
FY25$31.90$12.94
FY26$30.87$12.17
FY27$30.82$12.32

Compared with places this size3

Onawa’s city property tax rate of $12.32 per $1,000 is the 22nd lowest of 75 Iowa cities with 1,900–4,100 people. The middle of the group is $14.10.

Eldora: $26.87Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Sac City: $19.69Eagle Grove: $19.32West Liberty: $18.68Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Lamoni: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Marengo: $16.10Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Stuart: $15.48Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Jefferson: $14.88Sumner: $14.83Waukon: $14.76Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Jesup: $14.31Osage: $14.29Parkersburg: $14.15Ida Grove: $14.10Lake Mills: $13.82Rock Valley: $13.76Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62New Hampton: $13.44Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Bellevue: $12.67Milford: $12.57Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Atkins: $11.99Hull: $11.79Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Northwood: $11.28Williamsburg: $11.11Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37West Burlington: $10.15Peosta: $9.82Robins: $9.68Epworth: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Onawa: $12.32$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 75
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Rockwell City$20.742,185
3Bloomfield$20.412,773
4Belmond$19.862,405
5Sibley$19.772,787
6Albia$19.703,579
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Eagle Grove$19.323,615
9West Liberty$18.683,724
10Toledo$18.212,372
11La Porte City$18.082,267
12Tama$17.742,997
13Clarion$17.742,751
14Britt$17.722,001
15Missouri Valley$17.682,638
16Madrid$16.932,824
17West Union$16.602,435
18Audubon$16.522,008
19Grundy Center$16.362,821
20Belle Plaine$16.342,335
21Colfax$16.252,305
22Lamoni$16.152,072
23Cresco$16.133,890
24Marengo$16.102,415
25Postville$15.682,418
26Tipton$15.543,059
27Stuart$15.481,887
28Granger$15.222,095
29Sigourney$15.201,974
30Jefferson$14.884,148
31Sumner$14.832,032
32Waukon$14.763,799
33Rock Rapids$14.572,709
34Monticello$14.494,095
35Jesup$14.312,541
36Osage$14.293,559
37Parkersburg$14.151,986
38Ida Grove$14.101,988
39Lake Mills$13.822,077
40Rock Valley$13.764,024
41Emmetsburg$13.703,632
42Wilton$13.622,914
43New Hampton$13.443,433
44Wapello$13.292,026
45Hudson$13.192,916
46Center Point$13.192,578
47Greenfield$13.131,988
48Hawarden$13.022,630
49Garner$12.863,049
50Bellevue$12.672,321
51Milford$12.573,258
52Lisbon$12.502,238
53Dallas Center$12.421,993
54Onawa$12.322,795
55Monroe$12.282,021
56Denver$12.271,955
57Alta$12.132,039
58Atkins$11.992,168
59Hull$11.792,459
60Cascade$11.642,396
61West Branch$11.632,876
62Mitchellville$11.542,686
63Solon$11.533,284
64Northwood$11.282,047
65Williamsburg$11.113,380
66Ely$11.082,371
67Ogden$10.991,970
68Carter Lake$10.673,752
69Story City$10.393,439
70Kalona$10.372,762
71West Burlington$10.153,249
72Peosta$9.822,195
73Robins$9.683,362
74Epworth$9.422,042
75Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Onawa’s general levy is $8.35 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.25 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 72 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.78 · FY26 $8.52 · FY27 $8.35 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.97 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.63 · $190,311
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.38 · $142,286
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.95 · $98,732

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$13.4M of taxable value in Onawa is in TIF districts’ increment (11% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $400,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.1M
$123,237

What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY277

Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $142,845 of the city’s own.

  • West Monona schools$115,120
  • Monona County$75,229
YearTIF revenue
FY16$251,493
FY17$222,064
FY18$235,945
FY19$306,878
FY20$298,514
FY21$1.1M
FY23$123,237
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$251,493
FY17$222,064
FY18$235,945
FY19$306,878
FY20$298,514
FY21$1.1M
FY23$123,237

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$863,63267%
  • Debt Service Levy$190,31115%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$142,28611%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$98,7328%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Onawa’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 87¢ of every dollar87¢Culture and Recreation: 3¢ of every dollarPublic Safety: 2¢ of every dollarPublic Works: 2¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 2¢ of every dollarEverything else: 3¢ of every dollar

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 74 Iowa cities closest in size (1,900–4,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (74)
Business Type / Enterprise87¢38¢
Culture and Recreation3¢8¢
Public Safety2¢12¢
Public Works2¢10¢
Debt Service2¢8¢
Everything else3¢24¢

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.

  • Culture and Recreation$963,49928%
  • Public Safety$703,97321%
  • Public Works$496,10115%
  • Debt Service$489,09214%
  • Community and Economic Development$316,7189%
  • General Government$241,9307%
  • Capital Projects$182,0005%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($22.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$583,930$492,118
Public Safety$556,848$956,604
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$204,010$211,645
Debt Service$298,551$239,120
Culture and Recreation$901,335$868,095
Community and Economic Development$1.0M$309,655
Capital Projects$2.5M$2.3M
Business Type / Enterprise$6.2M$4.7M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$10.4M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Onawa owes

$3.7M at June 30, 2026: $1,257 per resident. 501st most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$5.3M
$3.7M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.7M$1,257
2025$4.9M$1,687
2024$5.3M$1,817
2023$2.5M$868
2022$2.8M$961
2021$2.8M$956
2020$3.0M$1,048
2019$2.1M$727
2018$1.6M$543
2017$1.8M$624
2016$2.0M$703
2015$2.3M$782
2014$2.5M$860
2013$2.7M$938
2012$2.9M$1,013
2011$3.4M$1,170
2010$1.2M$406
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$3.7M$1,257
2025$4.9M$1,687
2024$5.3M$1,817
2023$2.5M$868
2022$2.8M$961
2021$2.8M$956
2020$3.0M$1,048
2019$2.1M$727
2018$1.6M$543
2017$1.8M$624
2016$2.0M$703
2015$2.3M$782
2014$2.5M$860
2013$2.7M$938
2012$2.9M$1,013
2011$3.4M$1,170
2010$1.2M$406

Up 210% since 2010.

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances10. Onawa’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits11

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Tuesday, March 24, 2026, by a CPA firm.

10 earlier reports for Onawa

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? 12

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: $508,557 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)$387,854$401,807$410,887$411,389
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–$30,218$88,387$97,168

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.

$1.9M
$23,953
  • State grants$23,953100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$65,691
FY21$43,534
FY22$1,815
FY23$1.1M
FY24$1.9M
FY25$23,953
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$65,691
FY21$43,534
FY22$1,815
FY23$1.1M
FY24$1.9M
FY25$23,953

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−16%$389,656 → $411,389, up 6% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% 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 49% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% more.

$391,981
$381,279

Federal grants, for comparison: $1.1M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

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)13.

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 · 4

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Onawa; 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.

  • Onawa City Council At-Large
    Now held by Jake Fox
  • Onawa City Council Ward 1
    Now held by Mark Kuhlman
  • Onawa City Council Ward 3
    Now held by Kurtis Blatchford
  • Onawa Mayor
    Now held by David Sick

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here14.

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 ballot15.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress16

Kevin Alons (Sen. 7)Travis M. Sitzmann (Rep. 13)

U.S. House:District 4

Monona CountyWest Monona schools