City

Fonda

$3,420 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($40.59 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$1,560 a yearof that goes to the city ($18.52 per $1,000)

$245,139property taxes the city levies, FY27

$517,908city 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 LarsenFonda City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Cory WalkerFonda City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Donald WolfFonda Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
Greg StauterFonda City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
John WellsFonda City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Tim HessFonda 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 Fonda

Homes and businesses in most of Fonda pay a combined $40.59 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Pocahontas County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $18.52. Estimate your bill.

City of Fonda$18.5246%
Newell-Fonda schools$13.3933%
Pocahontas County$6.3816%
Iowa Central Community College$1.574%
Pocahontas County Assessor$0.451%
Pocahontas County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.28<1%

Rates over time

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

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$44.70	$24.96
FY21	$41.59	$21.99
FY22	$39.74	$20.17
FY23	$40.48	$20.20
FY24	$42.71	$21.53
FY25	$40.03	$18.14
FY26	$40.96	$18.83
FY27	$40.59	$18.52

Show the numbers

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$44.70	$24.96
FY21	$41.59	$21.99
FY22	$39.74	$20.17
FY23	$40.48	$20.20
FY24	$42.71	$21.53
FY25	$40.03	$18.14
FY26	$40.96	$18.83
FY27	$40.59	$18.52

Compared with places this size³

Fonda’s city property tax rate of $18.52 per $1,000 is the 12th highest of 187 Iowa cities with 420–950 people. The middle of the group is $12.87.

See all 187

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Exira	$24.81	766
2	Rolfe	$22.67	505
3	Dayton	$22.51	766
4	Charter Oak	$21.32	521
5	Oxford Junction	$20.84	424
6	Correctionville	$19.84	759
7	Pomeroy	$19.60	511
8	Allison	$19.06	937
9	Dumont	$19.04	614
10	Seymour	$18.78	646
11	Dexter	$18.69	631
12	Fonda	$18.52	636
13	Kanawha	$18.11	638
14	Swea City	$18.04	545
15	Alden	$17.90	738
16	Elma	$17.82	493
17	Dows	$17.70	509
18	New Hartford	$17.69	555
19	Walnut	$17.46	728
20	Murray	$17.44	609
21	Thompson	$17.25	478
22	Gowrie	$17.17	943
23	Ashton	$17.17	434
24	Colo	$17.14	856
25	Latimer	$16.96	477
26	Adair	$16.84	792
27	Elk Horn	$16.78	631
28	Oxford	$16.70	715
29	Buffalo Center	$16.58	839
30	Whittemore	$16.54	478
31	Bancroft	$16.52	677
32	Titonka	$16.45	491
33	Eldon	$16.42	788
34	Early	$16.35	571
35	Truro	$16.34	515
36	Scranton	$16.01	496
37	Armstrong	$15.87	847
38	Ruthven	$15.84	710
39	Minden	$15.77	581
40	Walker	$15.74	671
41	Newell	$15.49	850
42	Riceville	$15.31	807
43	Neola	$15.30	917
44	Russell	$15.18	475
45	Gilbertville	$15.15	792
46	Stanwood	$15.12	612
47	Stratford	$15.03	688
48	Zearing	$14.99	508
49	Readlyn	$14.99	857
50	Maynard	$14.85	466
51	Wyoming	$14.81	526
52	Humeston	$14.80	472
53	Hopkinton	$14.79	622
54	Essex	$14.76	721
55	Gilmore City	$14.60	484
56	Garnavillo	$14.52	751
57	Maxwell	$14.50	862
58	Sabula	$14.38	498
59	Collins	$14.32	503
60	Clermont	$14.30	571
61	Moulton	$14.25	596
62	Ocheyedan	$14.22	424
63	Mcgregor	$14.20	725
64	Olin	$14.19	652
65	Primghar	$14.18	893
66	Garwin	$14.08	469
67	Farragut	$14.07	480
68	Elgin	$14.05	676
69	Lime Springs	$13.95	467
70	Dow City	$13.94	477
71	Ossian	$13.88	777
72	Redfield	$13.73	719
73	Victor	$13.72	852
74	Edgewood	$13.64	908
75	Sioux Rapids	$13.63	722
76	Donnellson	$13.63	859
77	Albion	$13.58	444
78	Gladbrook	$13.58	775
79	Lamont	$13.57	429
80	New Albin	$13.55	435
81	Rockford	$13.52	722
82	Boyden	$13.39	694
83	Anita	$13.28	953
84	Van Horne	$13.27	768
85	Keota	$13.21	888
86	De Soto	$13.18	937
87	Quasqueton	$13.12	587
88	Farmington	$13.10	583
89	Anthon	$13.05	534
90	Little Rock	$13.03	447
91	Coggon	$12.99	691
92	Earlville	$12.90	713
93	Brighton	$12.88	592
94	Danville	$12.87	910
95	Montrose	$12.78	734
96	Goldfield	$12.73	617
97	Wellsburg	$12.68	709
98	Delmar	$12.68	541
99	Badger	$12.67	540
100	Stanton	$12.62	664
101	Hospers	$12.58	703
102	Norway	$12.53	463
103	Everly	$12.51	570
104	Hazleton	$12.48	711
105	West Point	$12.39	903
106	Preston	$12.38	940
107	Alburnett	$12.30	672
108	Hubbard	$12.30	837
109	Moravia	$12.27	625
110	Hedrick	$12.22	717
111	Carson	$12.22	772
112	Wheatland	$12.18	765
113	Schaller	$12.14	702
114	Hawkeye	$12.11	429
115	Afton	$11.96	864
116	Lowden	$11.93	767
117	Albert City	$11.88	627
118	Runnells	$11.79	467
119	Allerton	$11.72	432
120	Merrill	$11.64	713
121	Ellsworth	$11.57	495
122	Morning Sun	$11.50	702
123	Battle Creek	$11.49	683
124	Wall Lake	$11.43	739
125	West Bend	$11.42	770
126	Dakota City	$11.39	764
127	Dunkerton	$11.30	840
128	Sutherland	$11.25	628
129	Arcadia	$11.23	588
130	Whiting	$11.21	725
131	Shelby	$11.17	730
132	Blairstown	$11.04	705
133	Manilla	$11.01	756
134	Hamburg	$10.95	863
135	Ireton	$10.93	571
136	Fontanelle	$10.88	684
137	Richland	$10.82	532
138	Grand Mound	$10.78	608
139	Batavia	$10.77	434
140	Cambridge	$10.53	844
141	Lovilia	$10.46	456
142	Swisher	$10.39	909
143	Schleswig	$10.39	820
144	Melbourne	$10.38	771
145	Radcliffe	$10.37	540
146	Stacyville	$10.36	436
147	Ventura	$10.22	701
148	Milo	$10.20	762
149	Hartford	$10.16	729
150	What Cheer	$10.01	595
151	Newhall	$9.99	887
152	Cumming	$9.85	527
153	Graettinger	$9.81	810
154	Breda	$9.80	492
155	Doon	$9.78	640
156	Long Grove	$9.59	849
157	Alleman	$9.12	439
158	Winthrop	$8.94	814
159	Crescent	$8.72	626
160	Ainsworth	$8.62	511
161	Keosauqua	$8.58	944
162	Grand Junction	$8.57	715
163	Princeton	$8.24	917
164	Gilman	$8.10	530
165	Lakeside	$8.10	695
166	Lost Nation	$8.10	425
167	Kellogg	$8.10	597
168	Grandview	$8.10	431
169	Agency	$7.94	623
170	Hills	$7.94	911
171	Fremont	$7.86	688
172	Delhi	$7.81	438
173	Klemme	$7.74	429
174	Beacon	$7.56	434
175	Larchwood	$7.52	954
176	Sully	$7.41	891
177	Fruitland	$7.21	928
178	Lawton	$7.10	949
179	Marquette	$7.08	434
180	Wayland	$7.07	935
181	Raymond	$6.85	754
182	Keystone	$6.80	616
183	Shueyville	$6.79	725
184	New Virginia	$5.97	499
185	University Park	$5.27	476
186	Orleans	$4.13	503
187	Okoboji	$3.83	729

The $8.10 limit

Fonda’s general levy is $8.14 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.04 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.⁴ 177 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

$8.10

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.39 · FY26 $8.39 · FY27 $8.14 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $10.38 more⁵

Total Employee Benefit Levies$5.46 · $71,756
Liability, property & self insurance costs$4.25 · $55,827
Capital Projects (Capital Improv. Reserve)$0.68 · $8,875

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$752,640 of taxable value in Fonda is in TIF districts’ increment (5% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.⁶ It budgeted $25,000 in TIF revenue for FY24.

$25,470

Year	TIF revenue
FY16	$25,030
FY17	$24,895
FY18	$24,779
FY19	$24,227
FY20	$24,766
FY21	$25,259
FY22	$24,530
FY23	$25,470

Show the numbers

Year	TIF revenue
FY16	$25,030
FY17	$24,895
FY18	$24,779
FY19	$24,227
FY20	$24,766
FY21	$25,259
FY22	$24,530
FY23	$25,470

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$107,08444%
Total Employee Benefit Levies$71,75629%
Liability, property & self insurance costs$55,82723%
Capital Projects (Capital Improv. Reserve)$8,8754%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Fonda’s budget goes, FY26

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 186 Iowa cities closest in size (420–950 people).

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (186)
Business Type / Enterprise	63¢	40¢
General Government	13¢	12¢
Public Works	10¢	17¢
Culture and Recreation	7¢	9¢
Public Safety	5¢	9¢
Everything else	1¢	2¢

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.

General Government$200,86239%
Public Works$117,33523%
Culture and Recreation$113,38622%
Public Safety$72,62514%
Community and Economic Development$12,2002%
Health and Social Services$1,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($917,007 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$121,742	$105,168
Public Safety	$120,260	$306,261
Health and Social Services	$1,500	$0
General Government	$142,184	$179,970
Debt Service	$91,000	$81,833
Culture and Recreation	$90,132	$152,712
Community and Economic Development	$18,950	$45,050
Capital Projects	$0	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$865,928	$902,917

What it spent each year

FY24 left out⁷

$1.9M

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? ⁸

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: $102,116 in FY25, up 25% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 0% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$93,453	$87,521	$89,837	$90,324
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)	$6,635	$5,806	$22,434	$11,792

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.

$21,615

Year	Grants and projects
FY19	$3,942
FY20	$7,516
FY21	$3,240
FY22	$6,955
FY23	$21,615
FY24	$1,688
FY25	$0

Show the numbers

Year	Grants and projects
FY19	$3,942
FY20	$7,516
FY21	$3,240
FY22	$6,955
FY23	$21,615
FY24	$1,688
FY25	$0

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$81,516 → $90,324, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% 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 32% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% more.

$78,612

$72,132

Federal grants, for comparison: $128,590 in FY25.

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

Ballot measures · 1

City of Fonda Public Measure RP

Passed Yes 75.8% (47) · No 24.2% (15)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

City · 2

Fonda City Council At-Large

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Brian Larsen Winner5850.4%
Cory Walker Winner5547.8%
Scattering 21.7%

Fonda Mayor

Donald Wolf Winner5593.2%
Scattering 46.8%

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

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁹

Tim Kraayenbrink (Sen. 4)Wendy Larson (Rep. 7)

U.S. House:District 4

Pocahontas County Newell-Fonda schools

Notes

For a $200,000 home with the homestead credit, at the combined rate in most of the city. Some parts of the city pay a different rate (special districts, tax increment financing districts). ↩
Cities adopt their budgets each spring for the year starting July 1. ↩
FY27 rates from the Department of Management. A higher rate isn’t always a bigger bill: it depends on how much property there is to tax. Sizes: Census Bureau 2024 estimates. ↩
Iowa Code section 384.1, as changed by House File 718 (2023). Until FY25 a city’s regular general levy was capped at $8.10 by itself, and a city at the cap could add an emergency levy of up to $0.27. From FY25 the general levy and several smaller levies were combined into one “consolidated” general levy with an $8.10 limit; a city whose combined rate was above $8.10 lowers it in steps, in years its taxable value grows by more than the law allows, until it reaches $8.10. So years before FY25 aren’t directly comparable with later ones. ↩
Levies outside the limit are each set aside for one purpose and have their own rules: debt service pays back bonds voters or the council approved, employee benefits cover pensions and insurance, and some (transit, an airport, insurance costs) have their own caps in state law. ↩
Tax increment financing: when a city sets up a TIF district, the taxable value there is frozen at a “base”. Taxes on the base go to every government as usual; taxes on the growth in value since (the “increment”) go to the city’s TIF fund to pay for the project, such as roads, utilities or a developer rebate, until the district ends. From the state’s valuation file (Iowa Data Hub), valuation year 2025. ↩
The state’s FY24 spending file repeats the year before for nearly every Iowa city, so that year isn’t shown. ↩
From the city’s annual financial reports to the state (Iowa Data Hub, city actual revenues). “Today’s dollars” adjusts each year by the consumer price index for the Midwest, so a flat line in today’s dollars means the money buys the same as before. ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Fonda; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Fonda works within. ↩

Sources: City budgets and levies from the Department of Management; tax rates from the Iowa Data Hub; state payments from the Department of Revenue; prices from the consumer price index; legislative districts from Census Bureau maps.

Fonda

Who runs it

Meetings and agendas

Property taxes

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Fonda

Rates over time

Compared with places this size3

The $8.10 limit

Outside the limit: $10.38 more5

Tax increment financing (TIF)

The city’s levies, FY27

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Fonda’s budget goes, FY26

Planned spending, FY27

What it spent each year

State money

What the state pays the city every year

Grants and project money

Has it kept up with prices?

Collected by the state for the city

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress9

Compared with places this size³

Outside the limit: $10.38 more⁵

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁹