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Local taxes › Polk County › Grimes

City

Grimes

Polk County · How cities work

$2,690 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($31.95 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$900 a yearof that goes to the city ($10.70 per $1,000)
$15.9Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$59.8Mcity 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.

  • Allen MayGrimes Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • David GischGrimes Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jared LoveladyGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jared LoveladyGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe HermanGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Laurie DePhillipsGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Leslie IrlbeckGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Ryan BurgerGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Andrew BorcherdingGrimes City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Eric JohansenGrimes 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 Grimes

Homes and businesses in most of Grimes pay a combined $29.09 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, $10.70. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$42.88$12.81
FY21$41.06$11.71
FY22$40.43$11.41
FY23$39.92$11.19
FY24$35.15$11.08
FY25$35.52$10.85
FY26$35.77$10.70
FY27$35.75$10.70
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$42.88$12.81
FY21$41.06$11.71
FY22$40.43$11.41
FY23$39.92$11.19
FY24$35.15$11.08
FY25$35.52$10.85
FY26$35.77$10.70
FY27$35.75$10.70

Compared with places this size3

Grimes’s city property tax rate of $10.70 per $1,000 is the 2nd lowest of 18 Iowa cities with 12,000–26,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.80.

Ottumwa: $21.01Fort Dodge: $20.89Newton: $17.10Clinton: $16.80Muscatine: $16.17Burlington: $15.94Storm Lake: $15.17Boone: $15.13Norwalk: $14.89Coralville: $14.70Oskaloosa: $14.47Indianola: $13.33Pleasant Hill: $12.10North Liberty: $11.84Johnston: $11.39Altoona: $10.75Clive: $9.92Grimes: $10.70$9.92 lowest$21.01 highestmiddle
See all 18
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Ottumwa$21.0125,648
2Fort Dodge$20.8924,886
3Newton$17.1015,709
4Clinton$16.8024,118
5Muscatine$16.1723,298
6Burlington$15.9423,637
7Storm Lake$15.1711,627
8Boone$15.1312,461
9Norwalk$14.8915,396
10Coralville$14.7023,959
11Oskaloosa$14.4711,575
12Indianola$13.3316,297
13Pleasant Hill$12.1011,942
14North Liberty$11.8421,904
15Johnston$11.3925,022
16Altoona$10.7522,598
17Grimes$10.7017,266
18Clive$9.9219,508

The $8.10 limit

Grimes’s general levy is $7.08 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $1.02 below the limit.4 845 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $7.79 · FY24 $7.66 · FY25 $7.43 · FY26 $7.29 · FY27 $7.08 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.62 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$2.65 · $4.7M
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.97 · $1.4M

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$384.6M of taxable value in Grimes is in TIF districts’ increment (21% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $8.9M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$6.6M

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 $3.1M of the city’s own.

  • Polk County$2.3M
  • Johnston schools$743,121
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.3M
FY17$1.8M
FY18$2.8M
FY19$2.3M
FY20$2.0M
FY21$3.8M
FY22$5.2M
FY23$6.6M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.3M
FY17$1.8M
FY18$2.8M
FY19$2.3M
FY20$2.0M
FY21$3.8M
FY22$5.2M
FY23$6.6M

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$9.8M62%
  • Debt Service Levy$4.7M30%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.4M9%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Grimes’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 44¢ of every dollar44¢Business Type / Enterprise: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Debt Service: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Public Safety: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Community and Economic Development: 5¢ of every dollarEverything else: 11¢ of every dollar11¢

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 17 Iowa cities closest in size (12,000–26,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (17)
Capital Projects44¢23¢
Business Type / Enterprise20¢32¢
Debt Service12¢10¢
Public Safety9¢14¢
Community and Economic Development5¢4¢
Everything else11¢17¢

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$25.3M42%
  • Debt Service$11.4M19%
  • Public Safety$8.0M13%
  • Community and Economic Development$5.1M9%
  • Public Works$3.7M6%
  • Culture and Recreation$3.2M5%
  • General Government$3.0M5%
  • Health and Social Services$1,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($15.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$3.5M$2.6M
Public Safety$5.8M$5.5M
Health and Social Services$8,000$0
General Government$2.0M$1.9M
Debt Service$5.8M$5.9M
Culture and Recreation$2.9M$2.4M
Community and Economic Development$4.2M$3.3M
Capital Projects$57.6M$65.1M
Business Type / Enterprise$10.9M$9.5M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$96.4M
$91.8M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Grimes owes

$149.9M at June 30, 2026: $9,740 per resident. 15th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$157.9M
$149.9M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$149.9M$9,740
2025$137.8M$8,952
2024$157.9M$10,257
2023$139.3M$9,048
2022$122.3M$7,948
2021$84.1M$5,465
2020$77.3M$5,021
2019$50.3M$3,266
2018$39.5M$2,568
2017$29.9M$1,945
2016$29.1M$1,890
2015$31.9M$2,074
2014$26.1M$1,698
2013$27.1M$1,758
2012$23.0M$1,492
2011$24.9M$1,618
2010$25.6M$1,663
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$149.9M$9,740
2025$137.8M$8,952
2024$157.9M$10,257
2023$139.3M$9,048
2022$122.3M$7,948
2021$84.1M$5,465
2020$77.3M$5,021
2019$50.3M$3,266
2018$39.5M$2,568
2017$29.9M$1,945
2016$29.1M$1,890
2015$31.9M$2,074
2014$26.1M$1,698
2013$27.1M$1,758
2012$23.0M$1,492
2011$24.9M$1,618
2010$25.6M$1,663

Up 486% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $101.1M, 73% of the limit of about $139.1M (5% of $2.78B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

20 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWRA Connection2043$35.6M
General ObligationStreets, utilities, sidewalks, equipment for parks, street lights, signs, and signals, and partial funding for Fire Station2043$15.8M
General ObligationStreet infrastructure, City Admin building, park projects2041$14.7M
General ObligationMultiPlex sports fields2042$13.8M
General ObligationStreets, park improvements, traffic signals, water mains2041$10.3M
General ObligationStreet, utility, sidewalk, storm water construction, waterway improvements, ambulance purchase, trail & park development/imp2033$7.2M
General ObligationTrail reconstruction, street projects, water main improvement and park improvements2038$7.2M
General ObligationLibrary building, streets, utilities, parks, splash pad, field irrigation2036$6.5M
General ObligationStreet work, equipment and park/trail projects2037$5.3M
General ObligationPark improvements, Library design, street construction, vehicles, water/sewer construction2035$4.8M
Revenue BondsCIWW Asset purchase per 28E2045$4.7M
General ObligationStreet projects. SE 19th, N Main, N James, N Sports Complex, PW Building2035$4.4M
Revenue BondsExtension of existing water system and improvements2044$3.9M
General ObligationPublic Safety building2044$3.2M
General ObligationLocal option sales & service tax GO bond to fund the Library building2040$3.0M
Revenue Bonds2019 New water tower construction2040$2.5M
General ObligationSE Main Street Improvement project as well as Storm Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements, Refunded with 2020B2032$2.1M
Revenue BondsImprovements to the WW plant2036$2.0M
General ObligationStreet construction, Hwy 141 project, park projects2033$1.5M
General ObligationRefinance 2007 issue-Constructing street, water and sanitary sewer projects as well as purchase for new land for the North Sports Complex2031$1.3M

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. Grimes’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 Monday, December 22, 2025, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Grimes

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: $2.5M in FY25, up 40% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$2.0M$2.1M$2.2M$2.2M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$404,024$441,535$242,324$342,475

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.

$633,320
$321,376
  • Iowa DOT projects$238,09374%
  • CEBA grants$78,62924%
  • State grants$4,6541%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$19,609
FY20$25,549
FY21$15,993
FY22$2,271
FY23$633,320
FY24$398,983
FY25$321,376
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$19,609
FY20$25,549
FY21$15,993
FY22$2,271
FY23$633,320
FY24$398,983
FY25$321,376

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+18%$1.5M → $2.2M, up 48% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% more
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−19%$335,952 → $342,475, up 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% 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 198006% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 157813% more.

$3.3M
$3.0M

Federal grants, for comparison: $1.2M in FY23.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

1 business has state awards in GRIMES: $50K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 5 jobs. Closed projects promised 5 jobs; 5 were there at the end.14

  • Farmers Edge (US) Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Met its contract · 5 jobs required, 5 at the end
    $50K

Community college new jobs training: 8 contracts since 2010 worth $934K, for 119 pledged jobs.

Awards 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)15.

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 · 4

3 seats: the top 3 win.

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Grimes; 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.

  • Grimes City Council At-Large
    Now held by Eric Johansen, Andrew Borcherding

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here16.

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 ballot17.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress18

Jack Whitver (Sen. 23)Dan Gehlbach (Rep. 46)

U.S. House:District 3

Polk CountyDallas Center-Grimes schoolsJohnston schoolsUrbandale schools