Sign in

Local taxes › Palo Alto County › Emmetsburg

City

Emmetsburg

Palo Alto County · How cities work

$2,750 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($32.63 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,150 a yearof that goes to the city ($13.70 per $1,000)
$2.2Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.5Mcity 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.

  • Brian MalmEmmetsburg City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark BerklandEmmetsburg City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mike SoenenEmmetsburg City Council Ward 2 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Patrick Martini Jr.Emmetsburg City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Julie A. MillerEmmetsburg City Council Ward 4 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patrick DegenEmmetsburg Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patrick Martini Jr.Emmetsburg City Council Ward 2 · elected November 7, 2023
  • William BurdickEmmetsburg 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 Emmetsburg

Homes and businesses in most of Emmetsburg pay a combined $32.63 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Palo Alto County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $13.70. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Emmetsburg 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$36.08$13.88
FY21$36.62$13.79
FY22$35.99$13.67
FY23$36.30$13.94
FY24$36.31$14.99
FY25$35.55$14.83
FY26$35.10$14.23
FY27$32.63$13.70
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.08$13.88
FY21$36.62$13.79
FY22$35.99$13.67
FY23$36.30$13.94
FY24$36.31$14.99
FY25$35.55$14.83
FY26$35.10$14.23
FY27$32.63$13.70

Compared with places this size3

Emmetsburg’s city property tax rate of $13.70 per $1,000 is the 26th lowest of 66 Iowa cities with 2,400–5,400 people. The middle of the group is $14.66.

Eldora: $26.87Red Oak: $20.65Bloomfield: $20.41Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Missouri Valley: $17.68Clarinda: $17.25Madrid: $16.93Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75West Union: $16.60Grundy Center: $16.36Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Forest City: $15.77Tipton: $15.54Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Jesup: $14.31Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Onawa: $12.32Hull: $11.79Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37Dyersville: $10.27West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Emmetsburg: $13.70$8.00 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 66
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Red Oak$20.655,420
3Bloomfield$20.412,773
4Sibley$19.772,787
5Albia$19.703,579
6Eagle Grove$19.323,615
7Iowa Falls$18.864,993
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Tama$17.742,997
11Clarion$17.742,751
12Missouri Valley$17.682,638
13Clarinda$17.255,334
14Madrid$16.932,824
15Centerville$16.855,345
16Algona$16.755,341
17West Union$16.602,435
18Grundy Center$16.362,821
19Vinton$16.254,962
20Winterset$16.155,421
21Cresco$16.133,890
22Humboldt$16.004,774
23Forest City$15.774,199
24Tipton$15.543,059
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Manchester$14.965,283
28Jefferson$14.884,148
29Hampton$14.864,340
30Carlisle$14.824,381
31Cherokee$14.825,186
32Glenwood$14.775,250
33Waukon$14.763,799
34Rock Rapids$14.572,709
35Monticello$14.494,095
36Jesup$14.312,541
37Windsor Heights$14.305,106
38Osage$14.293,559
39Rock Valley$13.764,024
40Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
41Emmetsburg$13.703,632
42Wilton$13.622,914
43Mount Vernon$13.504,518
44New Hampton$13.443,433
45Hudson$13.192,916
46Center Point$13.192,578
47Hawarden$13.022,630
48Garner$12.863,049
49Camanche$12.754,536
50Le Claire$12.644,776
51Milford$12.573,258
52Onawa$12.322,795
53Hull$11.792,459
54Huxley$11.684,737
55West Branch$11.632,876
56Mitchellville$11.542,686
57Solon$11.533,284
58Williamsburg$11.113,380
59Carter Lake$10.673,752
60Story City$10.393,439
61Kalona$10.372,762
62Dyersville$10.274,559
63West Burlington$10.153,249
64Robins$9.683,362
65Fairfax$8.102,937
66Evansdale$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$1.3M59%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$744,80634%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$168,0918%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Emmetsburg’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 47¢ of every dollar47¢Public Works: 14¢ of every dollar14¢Public Safety: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Capital Projects: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Culture and Recreation: 7¢ of every dollarEverything else: 13¢ of every dollar13¢

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 65 Iowa cities closest in size (2,400–5,400 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (65)
Business Type / Enterprise47¢37¢
Public Works14¢9¢
Public Safety10¢13¢
Capital Projects9¢17¢
Culture and Recreation7¢8¢
Everything else13¢16¢

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.

  • Public Works$2.1M33%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.4M22%
  • Public Safety$1.1M17%
  • General Government$706,34211%
  • Capital Projects$450,0007%
  • Community and Economic Development$370,6236%
  • Debt Service$343,5195%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($5.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.4M$1.0M
Public Safety$1.1M$1.1M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$603,428$655,243
Debt Service$312,240$240,952
Culture and Recreation$1.2M$1.2M
Community and Economic Development$298,190$490,377
Capital Projects$115,000$374,973
Business Type / Enterprise$4.6M$4.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out4

$14.0M
’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

$756,663 in FY25: up 48% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% more. Road Use Tax, the money for streets the state sends every year by formula, is up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less; grants come and go.

In today's dollarsActual dollars
$250,000$437,500$625,000$812,500$1.0M’19’21’23’25Today's $Actual
$250,000$437,500$625,000$812,500$1.0M’19’20’21’22’23’24’25Today's $Actual
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$495,377$512,421$524,001$524,641
State grants$283,451$25,646$8,931$4,054
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–$38,371$133,343$132,378
Iowa DOT projects–$34,000–$95,590
Other–$81,207––
Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$495,377$512,421$524,001$524,641
State grants$283,451$25,646$8,931$4,054
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–$38,371$133,343$132,378
Iowa DOT projects–$34,000–$95,590
Other–$81,207––

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−18%$507,409 → $524,641, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less
  • State grants+17%$2,754 → $4,054, up 47% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 17% more

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 44% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% more.

$734,222
$570,694
’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Federal grants, for comparison: $557,952 in FY25.

Elections

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress6

David D. Rowley (Sen. 5)John H. Wills (Rep. 10)

U.S. House:District 4

Palo Alto CountyEmmetsburg schools