Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Polk County › Clive

City

Clive

Polk County · How cities work

$2,840 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.66 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$840 a yearof that goes to the city ($9.92 per $1,000)
$20.3Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$72.2Mcity 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.

  • Breanne HockerClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Breanne HockerClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Eric KleinClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Eric KleinClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • John EdwardsClive Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • John EdwardsClive Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Sadie GasparottoClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Sadie GasparottoClive City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Srikant MikkilineniClive City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Srikant MikkilineniClive City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Susan JudkinsClive City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Susan JudkinsClive City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Ted WeaverClive City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Ted WeaverClive 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.

Agendas will appear here as they’re posted. 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 Clive

Homes and businesses in most of Clive pay a combined $33.66 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Polk County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $9.92. Estimate your bill.

  • West Des Moines schools$13.0539%
  • City of Clive$9.9229%
  • Polk County$6.6120%
  • Broadlawns Medical Center$2.467%
  • Des Moines Area Community College$0.812%
  • Clive$0.562%
  • Polk County Assessor$0.23<1%
  • Polk County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.03<1%

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.00$10.14
FY21$34.87$10.14
FY22$34.55$10.14
FY23$34.40$10.14
FY24$34.49$10.14
FY25$33.13$9.92
FY26$33.06$9.92
FY27$33.87$9.92
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.00$10.14
FY21$34.87$10.14
FY22$34.55$10.14
FY23$34.40$10.14
FY24$34.49$10.14
FY25$33.13$9.92
FY26$33.06$9.92
FY27$33.87$9.92

Compared with places this size3

Clive’s city property tax rate of $9.92 per $1,000 is the lowest of 16 Iowa cities with 15,000–28,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.80.

Ottumwa: $21.01Fort Dodge: $20.89Newton: $17.10Clinton: $16.80Marshalltown: $16.25Muscatine: $16.17Burlington: $15.94Norwalk: $14.89Coralville: $14.70Mason City: $14.47Indianola: $13.33North Liberty: $11.84Johnston: $11.39Altoona: $10.75Grimes: $10.70Clive: $9.92$9.92 lowest$21.01 highestmiddle
See all 16
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Ottumwa$21.0125,648
2Fort Dodge$20.8924,886
3Newton$17.1015,709
4Clinton$16.8024,118
5Marshalltown$16.2527,886
6Muscatine$16.1723,298
7Burlington$15.9423,637
8Norwalk$14.8915,396
9Coralville$14.7023,959
10Mason City$14.4726,948
11Indianola$13.3316,297
12North Liberty$11.8421,904
13Johnston$11.3925,022
14Altoona$10.7522,598
15Grimes$10.7017,266
16Clive$9.9219,508

The $8.10 limit

Clive’s general levy is $6.87 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $1.23 below the limit.4 855 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $7.22 · FY24 $7.22 · FY25 $7.01 · FY26 $6.94 · FY27 $6.87 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.05 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.58 · $3.4M
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.46 · $3.0M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.01 · $20,820

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$118.5M of taxable value in Clive is in TIF districts’ increment (6% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $2.0M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$3.9M
$1.5M

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 $988,860 of the city’s own.

  • Waukee schools$604,379
  • Polk County$372,413
  • Dallas County$182,700
YearTIF revenue
FY16$3.7M
FY17$3.9M
FY18$3.2M
FY19$2.7M
FY20$2.4M
FY21$1.2M
FY22$1.4M
FY23$1.5M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$3.7M
FY17$3.9M
FY18$3.2M
FY19$2.7M
FY20$2.4M
FY21$1.2M
FY22$1.4M
FY23$1.5M

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$13.9M69%
  • Debt Service Levy$3.4M17%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.0M15%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$20,8200%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Clive’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 51¢ of every dollar51¢Public Safety: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Business Type / Enterprise: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Culture and Recreation: 6¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 6¢ 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 15 Iowa cities closest in size (15,000–28,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (15)
Capital Projects51¢21¢
Public Safety12¢14¢
Business Type / Enterprise12¢33¢
Culture and Recreation6¢6¢
Debt Service6¢11¢
Everything else13¢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$36.9M51%
  • Public Safety$11.4M16%
  • Culture and Recreation$6.3M9%
  • Debt Service$6.1M8%
  • Public Works$5.6M8%
  • General Government$4.5M6%
  • Community and Economic Development$1.4M2%
  • Health and Social Services$24,8300%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($10.6M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$4.9M$4.6M
Public Safety$10.2M$10.5M
Health and Social Services$35,580$24,654
General Government$4.2M$4.0M
Debt Service$5.0M$5.0M
Culture and Recreation$5.0M$4.9M
Community and Economic Development$1.6M$1.5M
Capital Projects$15.5M$13.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$4.6M$7.5M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$80.9M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Clive owes

$55.8M at June 30, 2026: $2,997 per resident. 284th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$63.1M
$55.8M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$55.8M$2,997
2025$49.3M$2,648
2024$44.4M$2,386
2023$38.7M$2,082
2022$39.0M$2,098
2021$30.0M$1,614
2020$25.2M$1,355
2019$16.0M$858
2018$19.3M$1,035
2017$24.6M$1,324
2016$26.8M$1,439
2015$32.2M$1,729
2014$38.7M$2,079
2013$49.5M$2,660
2012$63.1M$3,392
2011$52.0M$2,795
2010$50.9M$2,738
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$55.8M$2,997
2025$49.3M$2,648
2024$44.4M$2,386
2023$38.7M$2,082
2022$39.0M$2,098
2021$30.0M$1,614
2020$25.2M$1,355
2019$16.0M$858
2018$19.3M$1,035
2017$24.6M$1,324
2016$26.8M$1,439
2015$32.2M$1,729
2014$38.7M$2,079
2013$49.5M$2,660
2012$63.1M$3,392
2011$52.0M$2,795
2010$50.9M$2,738

Up 9% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $55.8M, 31% of the limit of about $181.9M (5% of $3.64B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

17 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationCapital improvement projects that include parks and street projects2039$7.5M
General ObligationCapital Proj- Park Improvements, Street Improvements2041$5.5M
General ObligationCapital Projects- Streets2037$5.3M
General ObligationCapital Proj- Street Improvements2040$5.3M
General ObligationStreet Projects, Park Enhancements2034$4.5M
General ObligationFacility Maintenance/Remodel, Street Projects2039$4.1M
General ObligationPhase 2 borrowing for construction of public safety facility for police/fire.2039$3.9M
General ObligationPhase 3 borrowing for construction of public safety facility for police/fire.2040$3.9M
General ObligationPhase 1 borrowing for construction of public safety facility for police/fire.2039$3.1M
General ObligationCapital Projects that include Parks and Streets2044$3.0M
General ObligationStreets, parks/trail improvements, other capital projects2033$2.9M
General ObligationCapital improvement projects that include street and park projects2032$2.4M
General ObligationClark Street Improvements2031$1.3M
General ObligationCapital projects including traffic improvement & safety, parks and trail improvements2031$1.3M
General ObligationCaptital projects for street & parks/trails.2030$795,000
General ObligationCapital projects including parks, streets, and planning as well as refunding of two previous bond issues.2029$655,000
General ObligationLadder truck, various capital projects, cost share of animal control facility2028$335,000

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 balances11. Clive’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Wednesday, January 21, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Clive

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? 13

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: $3.2M in FY25, up 13% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$2.5M$2.6M$2.6M$2.6M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$267,374$468,757$395,996$517,925

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.

$547,038
  • Iowa DOT projects$475,00087%
  • State grants$72,03813%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$11,125
FY20$71,750
FY21$100,691
FY22$329,051
FY23$254,483
FY24$255,619
FY25$547,038
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$11,125
FY20$71,750
FY21$100,691
FY22$329,051
FY23$254,483
FY24$255,619
FY25$547,038

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−7%$2.3M → $2.6M, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−23%$535,035 → $517,925, down 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 23% 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 407% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 304% more.

$4.1M
$4.1M

Federal grants, for comparison: $158,614 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 9 contracts since 2006 worth $1.4M, for 121 pledged jobs.

Awards 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)14.

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 · 6

2 seats: the top 2 win.

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Clive; 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.

  • Clive City Council At-Large (6 seats)
    Now held by Ted Weaver, Susan Judkins, Srikant Mikkilineni, Ted Weaver, Susan Judkins, Srikant Mikkilineni

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.

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 ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

Renee Hardman (Sen. 16, 64%)Sarah Trone Garriott (Sen. 14, 36%)Jennifer Konfrst (Rep. 32, 64%)Kenan Judge (Rep. 27, 36%)

U.S. House:District 3

Polk CountyWaukee schoolsWest Des Moines schools