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Local taxes › Polk County › West Des Moines

City

West Des Moines

Polk County · How cities work

$2,810 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.39 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$910 a yearof that goes to the city ($10.80 per $1,000)
$78.0Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$204.1Mcity 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.

  • Doug LootsWest Des Moines City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Doug LootsWest Des Moines City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kevin L. TrevillyanWest Des Moines City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Renee HardmanWest Des Moines City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Renee HardmanWest Des Moines City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Russ TrimbleWest Des Moines Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Russ TrimbleWest Des Moines Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Greg HudsonWest Des Moines City Council Ward 2 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Matthew McKinneyWest Des Moines City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Matthew McKinneyWest Des Moines 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 West Des Moines

Homes and businesses in most of West Des Moines pay a combined $34.92 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, $10.80. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.99$10.99
FY21$35.87$10.99
FY22$35.55$10.95
FY23$35.25$10.95
FY24$35.53$10.90
FY25$34.20$10.85
FY26$34.32$10.80
FY27$35.13$10.80
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.99$10.99
FY21$35.87$10.99
FY22$35.55$10.95
FY23$35.25$10.95
FY24$35.53$10.90
FY25$34.20$10.85
FY26$34.32$10.80
FY27$35.13$10.80

Compared with places this size3

West Des Moines’s city property tax rate of $10.80 per $1,000 is the 4th lowest of 9 Iowa cities with 59,000–101,000 people. The middle of the group is $15.43.

Waterloo: $21.77Council Bluffs: $17.48Davenport: $16.58Sioux City: $15.51Iowa City: $15.43Ames: $10.27Dubuque: $10.06Ankeny: $9.90West Des Moines: $10.80$9.90 lowest$21.77 highestmiddle
See all 9
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Waterloo$21.7767,477
2Council Bluffs$17.4862,665
3Davenport$16.58100,938
4Sioux City$15.5186,875
5Iowa City$15.4376,710
6West Des Moines$10.8073,664
7Ames$10.2769,026
8Dubuque$10.0658,987
9Ankeny$9.9076,727

The $8.10 limit

West Des Moines’s general levy is $7.89 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 below the limit.4 569 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $7.97 · FY27 $7.89 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $2.91 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$1.91 · $15.8M
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.76 · $5.3M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.24 · $1.7M

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$607.5M of taxable value in West Des Moines is in TIF districts’ increment (17% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $34.7M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$23.4M

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 $5.4M of the city’s own.

  • Waukee schools$6.4M
  • Dallas County$1.9M
  • Winterset schools$57,924
  • Madison County$27,812
YearTIF revenue
FY16$9.3M
FY17$12.2M
FY18$13.5M
FY19$17.7M
FY20$15.7M
FY21$19.8M
FY22$22.0M
FY23$23.4M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$9.3M
FY17$12.2M
FY18$13.5M
FY19$17.7M
FY20$15.7M
FY21$19.8M
FY22$22.0M
FY23$23.4M

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$55.2M71%
  • Debt Service Levy$15.8M20%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$5.3M7%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.7M2%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of West Des Moines’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 24¢ of every dollar24¢Business Type / Enterprise: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Public Safety: 18¢ of every dollar18¢Debt Service: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Culture and Recreation: 6¢ of every dollarEverything else: 15¢ of every dollar15¢

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 (59,000–101,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (8)
Capital Projects24¢18¢
Business Type / Enterprise20¢37¢
Public Safety18¢16¢
Debt Service17¢7¢
Culture and Recreation6¢5¢
Everything else15¢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.

  • Debt Service$52.5M26%
  • Public Safety$49.2M24%
  • Capital Projects$46.9M23%
  • Culture and Recreation$16.0M8%
  • General Government$14.5M7%
  • Public Works$12.9M6%
  • Community and Economic Development$10.5M5%
  • Health and Social Services$1.6M1%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($52.6M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$13.0M$12.3M
Public Safety$40.2M$38.1M
Health and Social Services$1.5M$1.7M
General Government$12.3M$12.1M
Debt Service$37.4M$35.4M
Culture and Recreation$13.1M$12.9M
Community and Economic Development$9.1M$11.5M
Capital Projects$54.5M$70.5M
Business Type / Enterprise$77.9M$48.9M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$321.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What West Des Moines owes

$381.7M at June 30, 2026: $5,554 per resident. 98th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$381.7M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$381.7M$5,554
2025$296.2M$4,310
2024$315.5M$4,591
2023$329.8M$4,799
2022$266.0M$3,870
2021$230.8M$3,358
2020$206.3M$3,002
2019$202.2M$2,943
2018$186.3M$2,711
2017$116.0M$1,688
2016$115.7M$1,684
2015$110.8M$1,612
2014$75.8M$1,103
2013$98.0M$1,426
2012$101.5M$1,476
2011$101.4M$1,475
2010$109.0M$1,586
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$381.7M$5,554
2025$296.2M$4,310
2024$315.5M$4,591
2023$329.8M$4,799
2022$266.0M$3,870
2021$230.8M$3,358
2020$206.3M$3,002
2019$202.2M$2,943
2018$186.3M$2,711
2017$116.0M$1,688
2016$115.7M$1,684
2015$110.8M$1,612
2014$75.8M$1,103
2013$98.0M$1,426
2012$101.5M$1,476
2011$101.4M$1,475
2010$109.0M$1,586

Up 250% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $363.4M, 58% of the limit of about $623.8M (5% of $12.48B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

44 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2026A - ECP RecPlex Expansion2045$44.7M
General Obligation2022E - Fiber Conduit network2042$26.2M
General Obligation2025C - ECP2039$25.5M
General Obligation2017D - ECP2036$18.2M
General Obligation2023C - ECP2037$18.0M
General Obligation2021B - ECP2040$15.5M
General Obligation2026B - ECP2039$15.2M
General Obligation2023B - Fiber Conduit network2043$14.9M
General Obligation2025E - ECP2033$13.5M
General Obligation2025A - ECP2037$13.3M
General Obligation2024A - ECP2034$13.3M
General Obligation2018D - ECP2036$12.7M
General Obligation2021A - ECP RecPlex2039$11.6M
General Obligation2019F - ECP, RecPlex2039$11.3M
General Obligation2022F - ECP2035$10.6M
Loans2025B - Fiber Conduit West Bank2030$9.1M
General Obligation2020C - Fiber Conduit Network2040$8.9M
General Obligation2023A - ECP2032$8.7M
General Obligation2025F - ECP2030$8.5M
General Obligation2018B - ECP2031$7.8M
General Obligation2022B - ECP2033$7.5M
General Obligation2015A - ECP2029$6.4M
LoansDOT-Alice's Road2033$5.9M
General Obligation2024B - ECP2036$5.2M
General Obligation2017C - ECP2032$4.8M
General Obligation2018C - ECP2037$4.6M
General Obligation2016D - ECP2030$3.9M
General Obligation2022D - ECP2031$3.7M
General Obligation2023D - Econ Inc/Rebates2031$3.5M
General Obligation2016B - ECP2031$3.1M
LoansStormwater Revenue Bond, State Revolving Fund2043$3.0M
General Obligation2020B - ECP2032$2.9M
General Obligation2019E - ECP2039$2.8M
General Obligation2021C - ECP2039$2.7M
General Obligation2018A - ECP2030$2.5M
General Obligation2022A - ECP2028$2.5M
General Obligation2019C - ECP2031$2.3M
General Obligation2019A - ECP2028$2.1M
General Obligation2017A - ECP2029$1.6M
General Obligation2022C - Econ Inc/Rebates2029$1.3M
General Obligation2017E - ECP Crossover refunding 2010D2029$1.1M
General Obligation2025D -ECP2027$530,000
LoansIowa Finance Authority Pass Through to CHI2036$370,434
General Obligation2019E - ECP (Refunding 2011A)2031$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. West Des Moines’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, December 17, 2025, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for West Des Moines

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: $11.7M in FY25, up 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$9.1M$9.5M$9.7M$9.7M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$3.5M$2.8M$2.6M$1.9M

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.

$4.3M
$730,295
  • State grants$440,82160%
  • Iowa DOT projects$289,47440%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$513,082
FY20$754,011
FY21$1.2M
FY22$4.2M
FY23$1.2M
FY24$4.3M
FY25$730,295
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$513,082
FY20$754,011
FY21$1.2M
FY22$4.2M
FY23$1.2M
FY24$4.3M
FY25$730,295

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−6%$8.3M → $9.7M, up 18% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−51%$3.2M → $1.9M, down 38% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 51% 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 536% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 407% more.

$15.5M
$15.4M

Federal grants, for comparison: $807,873 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

3 businesses have state awards in WEST DES MOINES: $942K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 125 jobs. Closed projects promised 11 jobs; 0 were there at the end.14

  • Innovative Injection Technologies, Inc. dba i2-Tech
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY21 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 60 jobs required, 60 reported
    $531K
  • Claim DOC, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY21 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 54 jobs required, 54 reported
    $298K
  • Wright Service Corporation
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY20 · Not going ahead: Declined or withdrawn · 13 jobs required
    $662K
  • Zirous, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY18 · Closed: Paid it all back · 11 jobs required, 0 at the end
    $114K

Community college new jobs training: 78 contracts since 2003 worth $34.0M, for 4,439 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: February 17, 2026

City · 1

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for West Des Moines; 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.

  • West Des Moines City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Matthew McKinney, Matthew McKinney
  • West Des Moines City Council Ward 2
    Now held by Greg Hudson

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

Renee Hardman (Sen. 16, 64%)Sarah Trone Garriott (Sen. 14, 36%)Mary Lee Madison (Rep. 31, 46%)David E. Young (Rep. 28, 36%)Jennifer Konfrst (Rep. 32, 18%)

U.S. House:District 3

Polk CountyDes Moines Independent schoolsNorwalk schoolsVan Meter schoolsWaukee schoolsWest Des Moines schoolsWinterset schools