Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Osceola County › Ocheyedan

City

Ocheyedan

Osceola County · How cities work

$2,740 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($32.56 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,200 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.22 per $1,000)
$280,839property taxes the city levies, FY27
$1.1Mcity 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.

  • Jewel Ann GarmsOcheyedan City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Arlyn Duane PedleyOcheyedan Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kevin L. HertzOcheyedan City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Travis BoekeOcheyedan 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 Ocheyedan

Homes and businesses in most of Ocheyedan pay a combined $32.56 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Osceola County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.22. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.08$15.53
FY21$31.09$13.56
FY22$30.92$13.64
FY23$29.48$12.58
FY24$32.72$15.31
FY25$31.27$13.78
FY26$31.01$12.92
FY27$32.56$14.22
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$33.08$15.53
FY21$31.09$13.56
FY22$30.92$13.64
FY23$29.48$12.58
FY24$32.72$15.31
FY25$31.27$13.78
FY26$31.01$12.92
FY27$32.56$14.22

Compared with places this size3

Ocheyedan’s city property tax rate of $14.22 per $1,000 is the 63rd highest of 181 Iowa cities with 280–640 people. The middle of the group is $12.91.

Stanhope: $29.10Rolfe: $22.67Elliott: $21.61Charter Oak: $21.32Oxford Junction: $20.84Earling: $20.47Pomeroy: $19.60Fort Atkinson: $19.19Salem: $19.15Dumont: $19.04Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Massena: $18.23Swea City: $18.04Elma: $17.82Callender: $17.78Casey: $17.72Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Vail: $17.66Ringsted: $17.65Emerson: $17.54Murray: $17.44Thompson: $17.25Ashton: $17.17Pierson: $17.12Burt: $17.10Latimer: $16.96Lohrville: $16.95Elk Horn: $16.78Mccallsburg: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Irwin: $16.46Titonka: $16.45Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Lewis: $16.25Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Scranton: $16.01Granville: $16.00Minden: $15.77Minburn: $15.75Peterson: $15.27Russell: $15.18Stanwood: $15.12Zearing: $14.99Arlington: $14.98Maynard: $14.85Plainfield: $14.84Ryan: $14.84Otho: $14.82Wyoming: $14.81Humeston: $14.80Hopkinton: $14.79Gilmore City: $14.60Sabula: $14.38Garrison: $14.38Lorimor: $14.36Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Garwin: $14.08Farragut: $14.07Mystic: $14.01Lime Springs: $13.95Dow City: $13.94Wesley: $13.91Diagonal: $13.91Bussey: $13.83Mondamin: $13.82Livermore: $13.78Fertile: $13.70Albion: $13.58Lamont: $13.57New Albin: $13.55Persia: $13.41Lawler: $13.39Lacona: $13.38Ute: $13.26New Market: $13.25Plymouth: $13.21Bennett: $13.16Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Little Rock: $13.03Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Templeton: $12.91Brighton: $12.88Goldfield: $12.73Delmar: $12.68Galva: $12.68Badger: $12.67Martensdale: $12.63Williams: $12.57Norway: $12.53Everly: $12.51Mccausland: $12.45Spillville: $12.40Modale: $12.34Mingo: $12.31Brandon: $12.29Moravia: $12.27Bonaparte: $12.17Hawkeye: $12.11Colesburg: $11.97Liscomb: $11.96Albert City: $11.88Thornton: $11.86Runnells: $11.79Allerton: $11.72Atalissa: $11.71Kelley: $11.69Orient: $11.66Ellsworth: $11.57Terril: $11.48Westside: $11.45Churdan: $11.31Miles: $11.28Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Milton: $10.98Ireton: $10.93New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Batavia: $10.77Riverdale: $10.67Bode: $10.64Union: $10.58Calamus: $10.47Lovilia: $10.46Danbury: $10.43Radcliffe: $10.37Stacyville: $10.36Andrew: $10.22Royal: $10.20Bronson: $10.14Rudd: $10.13Floyd: $10.02What Cheer: $10.01Cumming: $9.85Breda: $9.80Lynnville: $9.68Salix: $9.63Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Lester: $8.94Crescent: $8.72Ainsworth: $8.62Gilman: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Nichols: $8.10Luana: $7.98Agency: $7.94Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Beacon: $7.56Sheldahl: $7.56Worthington: $7.50Marquette: $7.08Columbus City: $6.94Donahue: $6.83Keystone: $6.80New Virginia: $5.97Holy Cross: $5.91Conesville: $5.86University Park: $5.27Orleans: $4.13Maharishi Vedic City: $3.87Wahpeton: $3.19West Okoboji: $2.92Ocheyedan: $14.22$2.92 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 181
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Stanhope$29.10354
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Elliott$21.61328
4Charter Oak$21.32521
5Oxford Junction$20.84424
6Earling$20.47394
7Pomeroy$19.60511
8Fort Atkinson$19.19300
9Salem$19.15380
10Dumont$19.04614
11Dexter$18.69631
12Fonda$18.52636
13Massena$18.23352
14Swea City$18.04545
15Elma$17.82493
16Callender$17.78361
17Casey$17.72387
18Dows$17.70509
19New Hartford$17.69555
20Vail$17.66383
21Ringsted$17.65346
22Emerson$17.54401
23Murray$17.44609
24Thompson$17.25478
25Ashton$17.17434
26Pierson$17.12335
27Burt$17.10404
28Latimer$16.96477
29Lohrville$16.95366
30Elk Horn$16.78631
31Mccallsburg$16.58356
32Whittemore$16.54478
33Irwin$16.46320
34Titonka$16.45491
35Early$16.35571
36Truro$16.34515
37Lewis$16.25358
38Duncombe$16.10374
39Bayard$16.05402
40Scranton$16.01496
41Granville$16.00302
42Minden$15.77581
43Minburn$15.75317
44Peterson$15.27321
45Russell$15.18475
46Stanwood$15.12612
47Zearing$14.99508
48Arlington$14.98415
49Maynard$14.85466
50Plainfield$14.84392
51Ryan$14.84348
52Otho$14.82417
53Wyoming$14.81526
54Humeston$14.80472
55Hopkinton$14.79622
56Gilmore City$14.60484
57Sabula$14.38498
58Garrison$14.38345
59Lorimor$14.36377
60Collins$14.32503
61Clermont$14.30571
62Moulton$14.25596
63Ocheyedan$14.22424
64Garwin$14.08469
65Farragut$14.07480
66Mystic$14.01318
67Lime Springs$13.95467
68Dow City$13.94477
69Wesley$13.91382
70Diagonal$13.91331
71Bussey$13.83378
72Mondamin$13.82335
73Livermore$13.78382
74Fertile$13.70300
75Albion$13.58444
76Lamont$13.57429
77New Albin$13.55435
78Persia$13.41292
79Lawler$13.39392
80Lacona$13.38336
81Ute$13.26326
82New Market$13.25381
83Plymouth$13.21368
84Bennett$13.16330
85Quasqueton$13.12587
86Farmington$13.10583
87Anthon$13.05534
88Little Rock$13.03447
89Lehigh$12.97395
90Menlo$12.92347
91Templeton$12.91337
92Brighton$12.88592
93Goldfield$12.73617
94Delmar$12.68541
95Galva$12.68416
96Badger$12.67540
97Martensdale$12.63413
98Williams$12.57299
99Norway$12.53463
100Everly$12.51570
101Mccausland$12.45314
102Spillville$12.40371
103Modale$12.34284
104Mingo$12.31314
105Brandon$12.29331
106Moravia$12.27625
107Bonaparte$12.17357
108Hawkeye$12.11429
109Colesburg$11.97379
110Liscomb$11.96292
111Albert City$11.88627
112Thornton$11.86394
113Runnells$11.79467
114Allerton$11.72432
115Atalissa$11.71287
116Kelley$11.69312
117Orient$11.66363
118Ellsworth$11.57495
119Terril$11.48310
120Westside$11.45283
121Churdan$11.31359
122Miles$11.28400
123Sutherland$11.25628
124Arcadia$11.23588
125Milton$10.98395
126Ireton$10.93571
127New Vienna$10.91384
128Letts$10.91358
129Birmingham$10.87371
130Charlotte$10.86386
131Richland$10.82532
132Grand Mound$10.78608
133Batavia$10.77434
134Riverdale$10.67385
135Bode$10.64304
136Union$10.58378
137Calamus$10.47348
138Lovilia$10.46456
139Danbury$10.43315
140Radcliffe$10.37540
141Stacyville$10.36436
142Andrew$10.22374
143Royal$10.20379
144Bronson$10.14294
145Rudd$10.13339
146Floyd$10.02297
147What Cheer$10.01595
148Cumming$9.85527
149Breda$9.80492
150Lynnville$9.68382
151Salix$9.63303
152Farnhamville$9.18364
153Middletown$9.16365
154Alleman$9.12439
155Lester$8.94309
156Crescent$8.72626
157Ainsworth$8.62511
158Gilman$8.10530
159Grandview$8.10431
160Kellogg$8.10597
161Lost Nation$8.10425
162Nichols$8.10317
163Luana$7.98303
164Agency$7.94623
165Delhi$7.81438
166Klemme$7.74429
167Beacon$7.56434
168Sheldahl$7.56312
169Worthington$7.50374
170Marquette$7.08434
171Columbus City$6.94385
172Donahue$6.83336
173Keystone$6.80616
174New Virginia$5.97499
175Holy Cross$5.91348
176Conesville$5.86350
177University Park$5.27476
178Orleans$4.13503
179Maharishi Vedic City$3.87290
180Wahpeton$3.19337
181West Okoboji$2.92311

The $8.10 limit

Ocheyedan’s general levy is $8.02 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.08 below the limit.4 430 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.26 · FY26 $8.26 · FY27 $8.02 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.20 more5

  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$3.45 · $67,236
  • Unified Law Enforcement$1.50 · $29,243
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.83 · $16,105
  • Debt Service Levy$0.43 · $10,097

Tax increment financing (TIF)

Ocheyedan’s TIF revenue, from its reports to the state. It budgeted $50,000 in TIF revenue for FY24.

YearTIF revenue
FY21$47,611
FY22$53,105
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY21$47,611
FY22$53,105

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$156,29256%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$67,23624%
  • Unified Law Enforcement$29,24310%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$16,1056%
  • Debt Service Levy$10,0974%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Ocheyedan’s budget goes, FY26

Public Safety: 42¢ of every dollar42¢Public Works: 18¢ of every dollar18¢Business Type / Enterprise: 15¢ of every dollar15¢General Government: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Debt Service: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything 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 180 Iowa cities closest in size (280–640 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (180)
Public Safety42¢8¢
Public Works18¢19¢
Business Type / Enterprise15¢40¢
General Government10¢15¢
Debt Service8¢4¢
Everything else7¢10¢

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$500,00045%
  • Public Works$198,76018%
  • General Government$138,85512%
  • Debt Service$120,11811%
  • Culture and Recreation$80,5147%
  • Public Safety$77,6507%
  • Health and Social Services$1,5000%
  • Community and Economic Development$1,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($151,586 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$176,000$190,113
Public Safety$58,881$431,043
Health and Social Services$4,000$5,120
General Government$128,103$105,476
Debt Service$106,642$0
Culture and Recreation$103,625$51,535
Community and Economic Development$6,000$15,383
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$165,687$216,626

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$1.0M
$828,294

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Ocheyedan owes

$863,568 at June 30, 2026: $1,967 per resident. 390th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$1.1M
$863,568
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$863,568$1,967
2025$530,610$1,209
2024$779,899$1,777
2023$779,899$1,777
2022$594,714$1,355
2021$688,049$1,567
2020$778,184$1,773
2019$866,127$1,973
2018$827,791$1,886
2017$916,762$2,088
2016$826,203$1,882
2015$880,689$2,006
2014$937,048$2,135
2013$1.1M$2,519
2012$856,697$1,951
2011$0$0
2010$7,899$18
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$863,568$1,967
2025$530,610$1,209
2024$779,899$1,777
2023$779,899$1,777
2022$594,714$1,355
2021$688,049$1,567
2020$778,184$1,773
2019$866,127$1,973
2018$827,791$1,886
2017$916,762$2,088
2016$826,203$1,882
2015$880,689$2,006
2014$937,048$2,135
2013$1.1M$2,519
2012$856,697$1,951
2011$0$0
2010$7,899$18

Up 10833% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $644,404, 35% of the limit of about $1.8M (5% of $36.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

5 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationGO2026 2nd Street2036$365,000
General ObligationFire Truck Purchase 20222028$183,154
Revenue BondsLagoon Project2029$163,000
General ObligationGO2025 Tracy House2033$96,250
LoansConnection to Rural Water as a backup to the existing well system2034$56,165

General obligation bonds are repaid from property taxes; revenue bonds and loans from the fees or revenue they’re tied to. On the Treasurer’s site

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances9. Ocheyedan’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Periodic Examination for the period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF), released Monday, March 27, 2023, by a CPA firm.

2 earlier reports for Ocheyedan

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? 11

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: $54,311 in FY25, down 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 21% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$57,985$58,141$54,018$54,311

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.

$7,068
$3,521
  • State grants$3,521100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$922
FY20$538
FY21$561
FY22$2,621
FY23$7,068
FY24$5,282
FY25$3,521
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$922
FY20$538
FY21$561
FY22$2,621
FY23$7,068
FY24$5,282
FY25$3,521

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−21%$55,078 → $54,311, down 1% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 21% 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 24% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 1% less.

$72,408
$68,318

Business awards

Every award statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 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)12.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Ocheyedan; 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.

  • Ocheyedan City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Kevin L. Hertz, Travis Boeke
  • Ocheyedan Mayor

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

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 ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

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

U.S. House:District 4

Osceola CountySibley-Ocheyedan schools