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Local taxes › Polk County › Urbandale

City

Urbandale

Polk County · How cities work

$3,030 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($35.97 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$840 a yearof that goes to the city ($9.98 per $1,000)
$41.3Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$120.7Mcity 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.

  • Amy CrollUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Amy CrollUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe CacciatoreUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe CacciatoreUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Robert AndewegUrbandale Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Robert AndewegUrbandale Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Blake RozendaalUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Blake RozendaalUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Bridget Carberry MontgomeryUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Bridget Carberry MontgomeryUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patricia BoddyUrbandale City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patricia BoddyUrbandale 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 Urbandale

Homes and businesses in most of Urbandale pay a combined $38.73 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, $9.98. Estimate your bill.

  • Urbandale schools$17.9946%
  • City of Urbandale$9.9826%
  • Polk County$6.6117%
  • Broadlawns Medical Center$2.466%
  • Des Moines Area Community College$0.812%
  • Urbandale$0.632%
  • 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 Urbandale pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.40$10.52
FY21$39.72$10.16
FY22$39.40$10.11
FY23$39.10$10.01
FY24$35.60$10.01
FY25$38.87$10.08
FY26$36.03$10.03
FY27$36.64$9.98
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$40.40$10.52
FY21$39.72$10.16
FY22$39.40$10.11
FY23$39.10$10.01
FY24$35.60$10.01
FY25$38.87$10.08
FY26$36.03$10.03
FY27$36.64$9.98

Compared with places this size3

Urbandale’s city property tax rate of $9.98 per $1,000 is the lowest of 9 Iowa cities with 34,000–69,000 people. The middle of the group is $12.80.

Waterloo: $21.77Council Bluffs: $17.48Marion: $14.55Bettendorf: $13.33Waukee: $12.80Cedar Falls: $12.29Ames: $10.27Dubuque: $10.06Urbandale: $9.98$9.98 lowest$21.77 highestmiddle
See all 9
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Waterloo$21.7767,477
2Council Bluffs$17.4862,665
3Marion$14.5542,542
4Bettendorf$13.3340,281
5Waukee$12.8034,420
6Cedar Falls$12.2941,417
7Ames$10.2769,026
8Dubuque$10.0658,987
9Urbandale$9.9847,759

The $8.10 limit

Urbandale’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 $7.86 · FY26 $7.79 · FY27 $8.10 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $1.88 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.34 · $6.1M
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.54 · $2.2M

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$509.0M of taxable value in Urbandale is in TIF districts’ increment (11% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $10.8M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$9.9M

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 $4.4M of the city’s own.

  • Polk County$3.0M
  • Johnston schools$1.2M
YearTIF revenue
FY16$6.4M
FY17$7.1M
FY18$7.2M
FY19$8.3M
FY20$9.1M
FY21$9.9M
FY22$9.4M
FY23$9.9M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$6.4M
FY17$7.1M
FY18$7.2M
FY19$8.3M
FY20$9.1M
FY21$9.9M
FY22$9.4M
FY23$9.9M

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$33.0M80%
  • Debt Service Levy$6.1M15%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.2M5%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Urbandale’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 28¢ of every dollar28¢Capital Projects: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Public Safety: 15¢ of every dollar15¢Debt Service: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Public Works: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 14¢ of every dollar14¢

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 8 Iowa cities closest in size (34,000–69,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (8)
Business Type / Enterprise28¢30¢
Capital Projects23¢23¢
Public Safety15¢15¢
Debt Service11¢8¢
Public Works8¢8¢
Everything else14¢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.

  • Capital Projects$48.7M40%
  • Public Safety$25.0M21%
  • Public Works$12.6M10%
  • Debt Service$10.7M9%
  • Culture and Recreation$10.3M9%
  • General Government$7.2M6%
  • Community and Economic Development$5.9M5%
  • Health and Social Services$358,4000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($43.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$10.8M$10.6M
Public Safety$20.6M$20.5M
Health and Social Services$360,750$278,402
General Government$4.8M$4.5M
Debt Service$15.7M$12.3M
Culture and Recreation$8.6M$8.6M
Community and Economic Development$4.4M$3.7M
Capital Projects$59.8M$29.4M
Business Type / Enterprise$32.7M$24.0M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$159.9M

Urbandale’s own budget documents

The adopted budgets, resolutions and hearing notices the city posts, often weeks before the state publishes the figures. The city’s finance page

3 older

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Urbandale owes

$55.2M at June 30, 2026: $1,210 per resident. 508th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$83.5M
$55.2M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$55.2M$1,210
2025$50.7M$1,113
2024$62.4M$1,370
2023$72.5M$1,590
2022$70.2M$1,540
2021$76.6M$1,681
2020$83.5M$1,831
2019$80.5M$1,765
2018$77.7M$1,704
2017$72.0M$1,580
2016$67.5M$1,482
2015$51.1M$1,121
2014$50.3M$1,104
2013$50.4M$1,106
2012$45.3M$994
2011$44.9M$986
2010$43.7M$959
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$55.2M$1,210
2025$50.7M$1,113
2024$62.4M$1,370
2023$72.5M$1,590
2022$70.2M$1,540
2021$76.6M$1,681
2020$83.5M$1,831
2019$80.5M$1,765
2018$77.7M$1,704
2017$72.0M$1,580
2016$67.5M$1,482
2015$51.1M$1,121
2014$50.3M$1,104
2013$50.4M$1,106
2012$45.3M$994
2011$44.9M$986
2010$43.7M$959

Up 26% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $44.4M, 11% of the limit of about $390.6M (5% of $7.81B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

10 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Loans2025 SRF water utility loan - CIWW buy in2045$10.3M
General Obligation2025A CIP/TIF- Streets, parks, storm sewer2035$10.0M
General Obligation2024A - CIP/TIF Streets, fire ladder truck, parks, trails, regional playground2034$9.6M
General Obligation2026A CIP/TIF: Streets, storm sewer2036$8.0M
General Obligation2023A - CIP/TIF: Streets, parks2033$7.4M
General Obligation2022A - CIP/TIF Streets, Parks2032$4.8M
General Obligation2021A - CIP/TIF Streets, fire pumper, parks, trail, railroad crossing2031$3.2M
General Obligation2020A - CIP Streets, trails, park, satellite PW/Parks facility, storm water2030$1.5M
Loans2010 SRF Water utility capital loan2031$418,000
General Obligation2020B - TIF PW Facility, streets2030$0

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. Urbandale’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 Tuesday, December 23, 2025, by a CPA firm.

17 earlier reports for Urbandale

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: $6.9M in FY25, up 6% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$6.2M$6.3M$6.4M$6.5M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$986,183$787,128$591,927$394,618

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.

$1.3M
$46,299
  • State grants$40,98189%
  • Bank Franchise$5,31811%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$767,816
FY20$76,434
FY21$541,736
FY22$31,559
FY23$1.3M
FY24$225,864
FY25$46,299
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$767,816
FY20$76,434
FY21$541,736
FY22$31,559
FY23$1.3M
FY24$225,864
FY25$46,299

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−6%$5.5M → $6.5M, up 18% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−68%$969,518 → $394,618, down 59% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 68% 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 816% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 630% more.

$10.4M
$10.3M

Federal grants, for comparison: $142,849 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

5 businesses have state awards in URBANDALE: $4.3M in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 237 jobs. Closed projects promised 136 jobs; 121 were there at the end.14

  • A&A Realty Group, LLC and WorldWide Integrated Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. dba WorldWide Logistics
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY22 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 65 jobs required, 65 reported
    $807K
  • Premier Tech Prairie Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY21 · Not going ahead: Contract ended · 16 jobs required
    $100K
  • Iowa Bankers Insurance and Services, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY20 · Not going ahead: Contract ended · 30 jobs required
    $711K
  • Probioferm, LLC & Golden K, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY19 · Closed: Met its contract · 3 jobs required, 3 at the end
    $190K
  • Source Allies, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 36 jobs required, 36 reported
    $388K
  • Deere & Company
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Met its contract · 51 jobs required, 51 at the end
    $2.9M
  • Compressor Controls Corporation
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY17 · Closed: Paid some back · 82 jobs required, 67 at the end
    $33K

Community college new jobs training: 33 contracts since 2005 worth $11.0M, for 1,332 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 3, 2026

Ballot measures · 2

Passed Yes 62.2% (14,340) · No 37.8% (8,719)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

Passed Yes 62.2% (14,340) · No 37.8% (8,719)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Urbandale; 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.

  • Urbandale City Council At-Large (6 seats)
    Now held by Blake Rozendaal, Bridget Carberry Montgomery, Patricia Boddy, Blake Rozendaal, Bridget Carberry Montgomery, Patricia Boddy

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

Past ballot measures

  • Passed Yes 62.2% (14,340) · No 37.8% (8,719)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

  • Public Measure UNovember 3, 2026

    Passed Yes 62.2% (14,340) · No 37.8% (8,719)

    Passes with more yes votes than no.

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

Matt Blake (Sen. 22)Larry McBurney (Rep. 44)

U.S. House:District 3

Polk CountyDallas Center-Grimes schoolsDes Moines Independent schoolsJohnston schoolsUrbandale schoolsWaukee schoolsWest Des Moines schools