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Local taxes › O'Brien County › Sheldon

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Sheldon

O'Brien County · How cities work

$2,890 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($34.26 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,290 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.33 per $1,000)
$2.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$12.3Mcity 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.

  • Greg GeelsSheldon Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jeff WagnerSheldon City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tom EggersSheldon City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Brad HindtSheldon City Council Ward 3 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Pete HamillSheldon City Council Ward 1 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Shantel OostraSheldon 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 Sheldon

Homes and businesses in most of Sheldon pay a combined $34.26 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, $15.33. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Sheldon 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$32.82$15.31
FY21$33.05$15.01
FY22$32.90$15.02
FY23$32.62$15.25
FY24$32.47$15.25
FY25$34.81$15.28
FY26$34.73$15.28
FY27$34.26$15.33
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$32.82$15.31
FY21$33.05$15.01
FY22$32.90$15.02
FY23$32.62$15.25
FY24$32.47$15.25
FY25$34.81$15.28
FY26$34.73$15.28
FY27$34.26$15.33

Compared with places this size3

Sheldon’s city property tax rate of $15.33 per $1,000 is the 23rd highest of 58 Iowa cities with 3,700–8,300 people. The middle of the group is $14.92.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86Denison: $18.69West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Perry: $17.91Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Webster City: $16.51Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Charles City: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Decorah: $15.52Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Creston: $14.99Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Nevada: $14.58Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Mount Vernon: $13.50Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Tiffin: $11.80Huxley: $11.68Polk City: $11.00Carter Lake: $10.67Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17Clear Lake: $9.85Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Evansdale: $8.00Sheldon: $15.33$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 58
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Independence$19.016,266
4Iowa Falls$18.864,993
5Denison$18.698,302
6West Liberty$18.683,724
7Chariton$18.374,278
8Perry$17.918,046
9Atlantic$17.486,717
10Knoxville$17.467,440
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Webster City$16.517,763
15Vinton$16.254,962
16Winterset$16.155,421
17Cresco$16.133,890
18Humboldt$16.004,774
19Anamosa$15.955,845
20Charles City$15.957,081
21Forest City$15.774,199
22Decorah$15.527,454
23Sheldon$15.335,584
24Estherville$15.275,796
25Washington$15.217,281
26Harlan$15.074,898
27Shenandoah$15.024,878
28Creston$14.997,421
29Manchester$14.965,283
30Jefferson$14.884,148
31Hampton$14.864,340
32Carlisle$14.824,381
33Cherokee$14.825,186
34Glenwood$14.775,250
35Waukon$14.763,799
36Nevada$14.587,082
37Monticello$14.494,095
38Osceola$14.375,585
39Windsor Heights$14.305,106
40Orange City$14.016,547
41Hiawatha$13.787,347
42Rock Valley$13.764,024
43Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
44Mount Vernon$13.504,518
45Adel$13.436,763
46Maquoketa$12.856,064
47Camanche$12.754,536
48Le Claire$12.644,776
49Tiffin$11.806,695
50Huxley$11.684,737
51Polk City$11.006,430
52Carter Lake$10.673,752
53Dyersville$10.274,559
54Spirit Lake$10.175,548
55Clear Lake$9.857,602
56Asbury$8.326,051
57Eldridge$8.136,967
58Evansdale$8.004,515

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$1.3M53%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.0M42%
  • Debt Service Levy$82,6393%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$28,9351%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Sheldon’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 31¢ of every dollar31¢Business Type / Enterprise: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Public Safety: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Public Works: 6¢ of every dollarEverything else: 15¢ of every dollar15¢

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 57 Iowa cities closest in size (3,700–8,300 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (57)
Capital Projects31¢20¢
Business Type / Enterprise26¢36¢
Public Safety15¢13¢
Debt Service7¢7¢
Public Works6¢8¢
Everything else15¢15¢

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.

  • Capital Projects$3.2M26%
  • Public Safety$2.4M19%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.9M15%
  • Debt Service$1.4M11%
  • Public Works$1.2M10%
  • Community and Economic Development$1.1M9%
  • General Government$1.1M9%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($4.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.3M$1.1M
Public Safety$2.1M$2.9M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$574,890$800,652
Debt Service$1.2M$2.7M
Culture and Recreation$1.8M$1.5M
Community and Economic Development$724,939$1.1M
Capital Projects$5.4M$2.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$3.0M$5.2M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out4

$20.4M
$19.9M
’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 every year

Road Use Tax for streets, the commercial and industrial tax “backfill”, and ambulance reimbursement, paid every year by formula: $867,508 in FY25, down 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% less. Grants are below.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$500,000$875,000$1.3M$1.6M$2.0M’19’21’23’25Today's $Actual
$500,000$875,000$1.3M$1.6M$2.0M’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Today's $Actual
Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$753,866$758,513$778,584$782,810
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$118,456$283,178$101,207$84,698

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.

$302,098
$9,104
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
  • State grants$7,10478%
  • Iowa Economic Development Authority$2,00022%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$302,098
FY20$89,185
FY21$124,994
FY22$287,927
FY23$12,980
FY24$103,724
FY25$9,104
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$302,098
FY20$89,185
FY21$124,994
FY22$287,927
FY23$12,980
FY24$103,724
FY25$9,104

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−7%$670,216 → $782,810, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−72%$240,346 → $84,698, down 65% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 72% 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 18% more.

$1.1M
$1.1M
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $751,561 in FY25.

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 3

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress6

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

U.S. House:District 4

O'Brien CountySheldon schools