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Hartley

O'Brien County · How cities work

$2,650 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($31.49 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,190 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.11 per $1,000)
$830,700property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.9Mcity 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.

  • Darla MeyerHartley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Drew SweeneyHartley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Nick SteubenHartley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rodney AhrenstorffHartley Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Val MoermondHartley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Gregory T. CotterHartley City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Matt DolphinHartley 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

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Hartley

Homes and businesses in most of Hartley pay a combined $31.49 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the O'Brien County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.11. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

CombinedCity’s own
0$10$20$30$40’20’22’24’26’27CombinedCity’s own
0$10$20$30$40’20’21’22’23’24’25’26’27CombinedCity’s own
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.52$15.00
FY21$34.14$15.20
FY22$33.22$14.53
FY23$35.63$17.53
FY24$35.25$17.17
FY25$33.34$15.56
FY26$33.37$16.00
FY27$31.49$14.11
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.52$15.00
FY21$34.14$15.20
FY22$33.22$14.53
FY23$35.63$17.53
FY24$35.25$17.17
FY25$33.34$15.56
FY26$33.37$16.00
FY27$31.49$14.11

Compared with places this size3

Hartley’s city property tax rate of $14.11 per $1,000 is the 57th highest of 120 Iowa cities with 1,100–2,400 people. The middle of the group is $13.96.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Dysart: $17.95Britt: $17.72Strawberry Point: $17.58Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Belle Plaine: $16.34Aplington: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Panora: $16.14Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Logan: $15.05Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Elkhart: $12.00Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Sloan: $7.49Arnolds Park: $4.95Hartley: $14.11$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 120
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Rockwell City$20.742,185
5Villisca$19.741,106
6Sac City$19.691,992
7Traer$19.561,547
8Corning$19.361,509
9Lake City$19.321,656
10Corydon$18.221,563
11Toledo$18.212,372
12La Porte City$18.082,267
13Dysart$17.951,266
14Britt$17.722,001
15Strawberry Point$17.581,141
16Mapleton$16.901,114
17George$16.891,106
18Manson$16.871,646
19Fayette$16.851,193
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22Audubon$16.522,008
23Roland$16.511,376
24Monona$16.411,462
25Belle Plaine$16.342,335
26Aplington$16.341,088
27Colfax$16.252,305
28Durant$16.241,798
29Lamoni$16.152,072
30Panora$16.141,096
31Dike$15.941,293
32Holstein$15.811,475
33State Center$15.801,403
34Pleasantville$15.801,696
35Earlham$15.551,411
36Shell Rock$15.521,265
37Brooklyn$15.491,474
38Stuart$15.481,887
39Mount Ayr$15.321,616
40Granger$15.222,095
41Sigourney$15.201,974
42Guttenberg$15.191,804
43Logan$15.051,351
44Tripoli$14.991,208
45Sumner$14.832,032
46Woodbine$14.801,707
47Bedford$14.661,474
48Lenox$14.651,355
49Manning$14.621,390
50Van Meter$14.601,840
51Coon Rapids$14.491,258
52Nora Springs$14.251,330
53Kingsley$14.251,394
54Urbana$14.201,635
55Sheffield$14.161,123
56Parkersburg$14.151,986
57Hartley$14.111,584
58Ida Grove$14.101,988
59Woodward$14.051,383
60Guthrie Center$14.041,579
61Alton$13.871,248
62Lake Mills$13.822,077
63Montezuma$13.791,421
64Gilbert$13.711,397
65Clarksville$13.531,238
66Avoca$13.511,685
67Glidden$13.431,140
68Calmar$13.391,100
69Wapello$13.292,026
70Manly$13.291,233
71Conrad$13.231,098
72Springville$13.221,161
73Greenfield$13.131,988
74Treynor$13.031,104
75Akron$12.931,545
76Leon$12.931,779
77New Sharon$12.801,249
78Slater$12.791,626
79Malvern$12.791,056
80Buffalo$12.681,163
81Bellevue$12.672,321
82Sanborn$12.621,463
83New London$12.561,853
84Lisbon$12.502,238
85Dallas Center$12.421,993
86Remsen$12.321,681
87Monroe$12.282,021
88Denver$12.271,955
89Alta$12.132,039
90Reinbeck$12.101,673
91Elkhart$12.001,079
92Atkins$11.992,168
93Wellman$11.881,531
94Blue Grass$11.791,707
95Columbus Junction$11.711,794
96Palo$11.491,554
97Prairie City$11.381,722
98Marcus$11.311,069
99Northwood$11.282,047
100Mediapolis$11.271,679
101Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
102University Heights$11.121,188
103Ely$11.082,371
104Ogden$10.991,970
105Farley$10.911,723
106Oakland$10.851,519
107Moville$10.671,707
108Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
109Walcott$10.291,556
110Lake Park$10.251,155
111Central City$10.011,254
112Peosta$9.822,195
113Epworth$9.422,042
114Lake View$9.391,120
115Fairbank$9.001,133
116Walford$8.721,357
117Lone Tree$8.131,341
118Riverside$8.021,063
119Sloan$7.491,078
120Arnolds 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$450,05054%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$159,50019%
  • Debt Service Levy$137,65017%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$82,00010%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Hartley’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 68¢ of every dollar68¢Culture and Recreation: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Public Works: 5¢ of every dollarPublic Safety: 5¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 3¢ of every dollarEverything else: 7¢ of every dollar7¢

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 119 Iowa cities closest in size (1,100–2,400 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (119)
Business Type / Enterprise68¢40¢
Culture and Recreation11¢8¢
Public Works5¢12¢
Public Safety5¢11¢
Debt Service3¢6¢
Everything else7¢23¢

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$738,16125%
  • Public Works$576,24920%
  • Public Safety$547,38419%
  • Community and Economic Development$302,60710%
  • Debt Service$292,93710%
  • Capital Projects$265,0009%
  • General Government$211,6857%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($7.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$356,375$384,200
Public Safety$493,540$526,749
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$155,085$134,326
Debt Service$305,463$306,650
Culture and Recreation$292,769$287,692
Community and Economic Development$336,907$76,671
Capital Projects$750,000$0
Business Type / Enterprise$4.9M$4.5M

What it spent each year

$7.6M
$6.2M
’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: up 3% since FY23; down 5% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$200,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
$200,000$250,000$300,000$350,000$400,000’23’24’25’26Today's $Actual
ProgramFY27FY26FY25FY24FY23
Local option sales tax$26,788$277,202$268,644$259,580$268,156
Show the numbers
ProgramFY27FY26FY25FY24FY23
Local option sales tax$26,788$277,202$268,644$259,580$268,156

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 3

3 seats: the top 3 win.

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress4

Lynn Evans (Sen. 3)Zach Dieken (Rep. 5)

U.S. House:District 4

O'Brien CountyHartley-Melvin-Sanborn schools