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Local taxes › Plymouth County › Kingsley

City

Kingsley

Plymouth County · How cities work

$2,770 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($32.91 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,200 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.25 per $1,000)
$945,149property taxes the city levies, FY27
$1.5Mcity 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.

  • Corey SitzmannKingsley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jason JaspersonKingsley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Justin BakerKingsley City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rick BohleKingsley Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Keith BohleKingsley City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Todd BeelnerKingsley 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 Kingsley

Homes and businesses in most of Kingsley pay a combined $32.91 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Plymouth County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.25. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.02$12.66
FY21$30.34$13.06
FY22$30.31$13.21
FY23$28.72$12.58
FY24$28.77$12.89
FY25$28.98$13.24
FY26$30.52$12.84
FY27$32.91$14.25
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$30.02$12.66
FY21$30.34$13.06
FY22$30.31$13.21
FY23$28.72$12.58
FY24$28.77$12.89
FY25$28.98$13.24
FY26$30.52$12.84
FY27$32.91$14.25

Compared with places this size3

Kingsley’s city property tax rate of $14.25 per $1,000 is the 57th highest of 140 Iowa cities with 940–2,100 people. The middle of the group is $13.47.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Allison: $19.06Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $17.95Greene: $17.91Britt: $17.72Lansing: $17.67Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Gowrie: $17.17Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Eddyville: $16.82Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Panora: $16.14Mechanicsville: $16.12Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sidney: $15.19Logan: $15.05Griswold: $15.01Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Anita: $13.28Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Odebolt: $13.00Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Underwood: $12.85New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Dallas Center: $12.42Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Tabor: $11.88Wellman: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Blue Grass: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ogden: $10.99Clarence: $10.94Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Inwood: $10.22Central City: $10.01Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Paullina: $9.21Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Keosauqua: $8.58Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Arnolds Park: $4.95Kingsley: $14.25$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 140
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Villisca$19.741,106
5Sac City$19.691,992
6Traer$19.561,547
7Corning$19.361,509
8Lake City$19.321,656
9Allison$19.06937
10Corydon$18.221,563
11Dysart$17.951,266
12Greene$17.91971
13Britt$17.722,001
14Lansing$17.67959
15Strawberry Point$17.581,141
16Rockwell$17.541,044
17Gowrie$17.17943
18Mapleton$16.901,114
19George$16.891,106
20Manson$16.871,646
21Fayette$16.851,193
22Eddyville$16.82965
23Nashua$16.811,515
24Ackley$16.631,538
25Audubon$16.522,008
26Roland$16.511,376
27Monona$16.411,462
28Aplington$16.341,088
29Durant$16.241,798
30Lamoni$16.152,072
31Panora$16.141,096
32Mechanicsville$16.12974
33Dike$15.941,293
34Holstein$15.811,475
35State Center$15.801,403
36Pleasantville$15.801,696
37Earlham$15.551,411
38Shell Rock$15.521,265
39Brooklyn$15.491,474
40Stuart$15.481,887
41Mount Ayr$15.321,616
42Sigourney$15.201,974
43Guttenberg$15.191,804
44Sidney$15.191,048
45Logan$15.051,351
46Griswold$15.01975
47Tripoli$14.991,208
48Sumner$14.832,032
49Woodbine$14.801,707
50Bedford$14.661,474
51Lenox$14.651,355
52Manning$14.621,390
53Van Meter$14.601,840
54Dunlap$14.561,030
55Coon Rapids$14.491,258
56Nora Springs$14.251,330
57Kingsley$14.251,394
58Urbana$14.201,635
59Sheffield$14.161,123
60Parkersburg$14.151,986
61Hartley$14.111,584
62Ida Grove$14.101,988
63Woodward$14.051,383
64Guthrie Center$14.041,579
65Alton$13.871,248
66Lake Mills$13.822,077
67Montezuma$13.791,421
68Gilbert$13.711,397
69Clarksville$13.531,238
70Avoca$13.511,685
71Janesville$13.431,052
72Glidden$13.431,140
73Calmar$13.391,100
74Baxter$13.32983
75Wapello$13.292,026
76Manly$13.291,233
77Anita$13.28953
78Conrad$13.231,098
79Springville$13.221,161
80Shellsburg$13.20987
81De Soto$13.18937
82Greenfield$13.131,988
83Treynor$13.031,104
84Odebolt$13.00967
85Akron$12.931,545
86Leon$12.931,779
87Underwood$12.85973
88New Sharon$12.801,249
89Slater$12.791,626
90Malvern$12.791,056
91Buffalo$12.681,163
92Sanborn$12.621,463
93New London$12.561,853
94Dallas Center$12.421,993
95Hinton$12.38959
96Preston$12.38940
97Remsen$12.321,681
98Monroe$12.282,021
99Denver$12.271,955
100Alta$12.132,039
101Reinbeck$12.101,673
102Winfield$12.041,006
103Elkhart$12.001,079
104Tabor$11.88983
105Wellman$11.881,531
106Aurelia$11.84970
107Blue Grass$11.791,707
108Columbus Junction$11.711,794
109Palo$11.491,554
110Prairie City$11.381,722
111Marcus$11.311,069
112Northwood$11.282,047
113Mediapolis$11.271,679
114Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
115University Heights$11.121,188
116Ogden$10.991,970
117Clarence$10.94991
118Farley$10.911,723
119Oakland$10.851,519
120Moville$10.671,707
121Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
122Walcott$10.291,556
123Fredericksburg$10.27983
124Lake Park$10.251,155
125Inwood$10.22962
126Central City$10.011,254
127Epworth$9.422,042
128Lake View$9.391,120
129Paullina$9.21979
130Fairbank$9.001,133
131Walford$8.721,357
132Keosauqua$8.58944
133Lone Tree$8.131,341
134Riverside$8.021,063
135Larchwood$7.52954
136North English$7.491,030
137Sloan$7.491,078
138Lawton$7.10949
139Wayland$7.07935
140Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Kingsley’s general levy is $8.10 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, at the limit.4 247 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.99 · FY26 $7.84 · FY27 $8.10 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.15 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$2.52 · $169,929
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.35 · $154,848
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.28 · $84,485

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$1.6M of taxable value in Kingsley is in TIF districts’ increment (2% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $38,904 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$73,897
$29,220

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 $18,724 of the city’s own.

  • Kingsley-Pierson schools$18,842
  • Plymouth County$5,628
YearTIF revenue
FY16$57,886
FY17$64,930
FY18$68,301
FY19$73,897
FY20$4,785
FY21$16,206
FY22$28,024
FY23$29,220
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$57,886
FY17$64,930
FY18$68,301
FY19$73,897
FY20$4,785
FY21$16,206
FY22$28,024
FY23$29,220

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$534,03757%
  • Debt Service Levy$169,92918%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$154,84816%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$84,4859%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Kingsley’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 32¢ of every dollar32¢Public Safety: 21¢ of every dollar21¢Capital Projects: 18¢ of every dollar18¢Culture and Recreation: 9¢ of every dollar9¢General Government: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 12¢ of every dollar12¢

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 139 Iowa cities closest in size (940–2,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (139)
Business Type / Enterprise32¢41¢
Public Safety21¢10¢
Capital Projects18¢12¢
Culture and Recreation9¢8¢
General Government8¢7¢
Everything else12¢22¢

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 Safety$409,30027%
  • Culture and Recreation$359,40024%
  • General Government$266,05018%
  • Public Works$246,50016%
  • Debt Service$171,16311%
  • Community and Economic Development$60,0004%
  • Health and Social Services$2000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$272,300$251,336
Public Safety$706,455$794,853
Health and Social Services$200$0
General Government$214,600$220,186
Debt Service$137,456$137,456
Culture and Recreation$399,950$279,019
Community and Economic Development$40,000$92,745
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$830,775$680,331

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$2.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Kingsley owes

$1.5M at June 30, 2026: $1,106 per resident. 525th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$3.0M
$1.5M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.5M$1,106
2025$1.8M$1,288
2024$1.7M$1,197
2023$1.9M$1,327
2022$2.0M$1,440
2021$2.2M$1,568
2020$2.4M$1,733
2019$2.4M$1,720
2018$2.5M$1,813
2017$2.9M$2,044
2016$3.0M$2,161
2015$2.5M$1,824
2014$2.7M$1,934
2013$429,181$307
2012$689,626$494
2011$535,458$384
2010$601,533$431
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.5M$1,106
2025$1.8M$1,288
2024$1.7M$1,197
2023$1.9M$1,327
2022$2.0M$1,440
2021$2.2M$1,568
2020$2.4M$1,733
2019$2.4M$1,720
2018$2.5M$1,813
2017$2.9M$2,044
2016$3.0M$2,161
2015$2.5M$1,824
2014$2.7M$1,934
2013$429,181$307
2012$689,626$494
2011$535,458$384
2010$601,533$431

Up 157% since 2010.

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances10. Kingsley’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF).

Audits11

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022 (PDF), released Wednesday, January 3, 2024, by a CPA firm.

9 earlier reports for Kingsley

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: $205,947 in FY25, up 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 16% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$193,348$192,105$197,189$197,189
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$13,098$11,677$8,758$8,758

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.

$500
$500
  • State grants$500100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$0
FY23$0
FY24$500
FY25$500
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$0
FY20$0
FY21$0
FY22$0
FY23$0
FY24$500
FY25$500

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−14%$182,281 → $197,189, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−47%$13,200 → $8,758, down 34% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 47% 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 57% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 25% more.

$232,146
$232,146

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 · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Kingsley; 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.

  • Kingsley City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Todd Beelner, Keith Bohle
  • Kingsley Mayor
    Now held by Rick Bohle

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

Plymouth CountyKingsley-Pierson schools