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Local taxes › Pottawattamie County › Carter Lake

City

Carter Lake

Pottawattamie County · How cities work

$3,000 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($35.57 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$900 a yearof that goes to the city ($10.67 per $1,000)
$2.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.5Mcity 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.

  • Jason GundersenCarter Lake Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Matthew SeminaraCarter Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Victor SkinnerCarter Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Aaron GrellCarter Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jacob HanikaCarter Lake City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jason GundersenCarter Lake 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.3

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • This document is a blank application form used by individuals to request that an item be added to a City Council meeting agenda.
City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

Show 5 more meetings
City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

City CouncilAgenda (PDF)

Iowa Funnel couldn’t read this agenda’s text (no text (a scanned PDF?)).

Property taxes

How the bill is collected · What each levy is for

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Carter Lake

Homes and businesses in most of Carter Lake pay a combined $35.57 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Pottawattamie County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $10.67. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.94$12.03
FY21$38.68$11.84
FY22$37.34$10.61
FY23$35.35$9.83
FY24$35.35$9.83
FY25$34.86$9.70
FY26$34.47$9.70
FY27$35.57$10.67
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.94$12.03
FY21$38.68$11.84
FY22$37.34$10.61
FY23$35.35$9.83
FY24$35.35$9.83
FY25$34.86$9.70
FY26$34.47$9.70
FY27$35.57$10.67

Compared with places this size4

Carter Lake’s city property tax rate of $10.67 per $1,000 is the 9th lowest of 67 Iowa cities with 2,500–5,600 people. The middle of the group is $14.57.

Eldora: $26.87Red Oak: $20.65Bloomfield: $20.41Sibley: $19.77Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Missouri Valley: $17.68Clarinda: $17.25Madrid: $16.93Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Grundy Center: $16.36Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Forest City: $15.77Tipton: $15.54Sheldon: $15.33Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Rock Rapids: $14.57Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Jesup: $14.31Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Hawarden: $13.02Garner: $12.86Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Onawa: $12.32Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Carter Lake: $10.67$8.00 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 67
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Red Oak$20.655,420
3Bloomfield$20.412,773
4Sibley$19.772,787
5Albia$19.703,579
6Eagle Grove$19.323,615
7Iowa Falls$18.864,993
8West Liberty$18.683,724
9Chariton$18.374,278
10Tama$17.742,997
11Clarion$17.742,751
12Missouri Valley$17.682,638
13Clarinda$17.255,334
14Madrid$16.932,824
15Centerville$16.855,345
16Algona$16.755,341
17Grundy Center$16.362,821
18Vinton$16.254,962
19Winterset$16.155,421
20Cresco$16.133,890
21Humboldt$16.004,774
22Forest City$15.774,199
23Tipton$15.543,059
24Sheldon$15.335,584
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Manchester$14.965,283
28Jefferson$14.884,148
29Hampton$14.864,340
30Carlisle$14.824,381
31Cherokee$14.825,186
32Glenwood$14.775,250
33Waukon$14.763,799
34Rock Rapids$14.572,709
35Monticello$14.494,095
36Osceola$14.375,585
37Jesup$14.312,541
38Windsor Heights$14.305,106
39Osage$14.293,559
40Rock Valley$13.764,024
41Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
42Emmetsburg$13.703,632
43Wilton$13.622,914
44Mount Vernon$13.504,518
45New Hampton$13.443,433
46Hudson$13.192,916
47Center Point$13.192,578
48Hawarden$13.022,630
49Garner$12.863,049
50Camanche$12.754,536
51Le Claire$12.644,776
52Milford$12.573,258
53Onawa$12.322,795
54Huxley$11.684,737
55West Branch$11.632,876
56Mitchellville$11.542,686
57Solon$11.533,284
58Williamsburg$11.113,380
59Carter Lake$10.673,752
60Story City$10.393,439
61Kalona$10.372,762
62Dyersville$10.274,559
63Spirit Lake$10.175,548
64West Burlington$10.153,249
65Robins$9.683,362
66Fairfax$8.102,937
67Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Carter Lake’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.5 647 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.10 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $2.80 more6

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.80 · $620,168

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$8.3M of taxable value in Carter Lake is in TIF districts’ increment (4% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.7 It budgeted $150,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.7M
$218,523

What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY278

Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $88,899 of the city’s own.

  • Council Bluffs schools$106,063
  • Pottawattamie County$54,925
YearTIF revenue
FY16$412,440
FY17$581,727
FY18$710,530
FY19$1.7M
FY20$1.3M
FY21$218,523
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$412,440
FY17$581,727
FY18$710,530
FY19$1.7M
FY20$1.3M
FY21$218,523

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$1.7M74%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$620,16826%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Carter Lake’s budget goes, FY26

Public Safety: 27¢ of every dollar27¢Business Type / Enterprise: 22¢ of every dollar22¢General Government: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Culture and Recreation: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Public Works: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Everything else: 22¢ of every dollar22¢

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 66 Iowa cities closest in size (2,500–5,600 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (66)
Public Safety27¢13¢
Business Type / Enterprise22¢38¢
General Government11¢5¢
Culture and Recreation9¢8¢
Public Works9¢9¢
Everything else22¢28¢

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.

  • Public Safety$2.3M36%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.4M22%
  • General Government$1.0M16%
  • Public Works$633,85110%
  • Debt Service$548,9268%
  • Community and Economic Development$547,0008%
  • Health and Social Services$8,0000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.8M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.0M$423,445
Public Safety$1.8M$1.6M
Health and Social Services$4,000$0
General Government$496,998$484,454
Debt Service$367,596$469,396
Culture and Recreation$797,631$997,430
Community and Economic Development$0$429,701
Capital Projects$5,000$2.6M
Business Type / Enterprise$2.0M$1.5M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out9

$10.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Carter Lake owes

$4.4M at June 30, 2026: $1,161 per resident. 520th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).10

$8.5M
$4.4M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.4M$1,161
2025$3.1M$806
2024$3.5M$915
2023$4.0M$1,045
2022$4.0M$1,045
2021$4.3M$1,140
2020$2.9M$769
2019$3.7M$975
2018$4.5M$1,176
2017$5.2M$1,374
2016$6.0M$1,571
2015$6.7M$1,757
2014$6.4M$1,700
2013$7.0M$1,856
2012$7.6M$2,014
2011$8.5M$2,237
2010$5.2M$1,377
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.4M$1,161
2025$3.1M$806
2024$3.5M$915
2023$4.0M$1,045
2022$4.0M$1,045
2021$4.3M$1,140
2020$2.9M$769
2019$3.7M$975
2018$4.5M$1,176
2017$5.2M$1,374
2016$6.0M$1,571
2015$6.7M$1,757
2014$6.4M$1,700
2013$7.0M$1,856
2012$7.6M$2,014
2011$8.5M$2,237
2010$5.2M$1,377

Down 16% since 2010.

The 5% limit11

General obligation debt is $2.6M, 15% of the limit of about $17.6M (5% of $352.8M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

3 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2021B Community Center General Obligation LOST Bonds2032$2.0M
Revenue BondsSewer Collection System Improvements2063$1.8M
General Obligation2021A City Hall REFI Taxable General Obligation LOSST Refunding Bonds2028$640,000

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 balances12. Carter Lake’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits13

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Thursday, March 12, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Carter Lake

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? 14

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: $567,274 in FY25, down 5% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 24% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$523,894$521,684$535,489$538,395
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$72,243$57,793$43,345$28,879

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.

$51,821
$2,054
  • State grants$2,054100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$51,821
FY20$7,162
FY21$5,961
FY22$5,585
FY23$3,038
FY24$3,934
FY25$2,054
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$51,821
FY20$7,162
FY21$5,961
FY22$5,585
FY23$3,038
FY24$3,934
FY25$2,054

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$488,968 → $538,395, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−79%$108,342 → $28,879, down 73% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 79% 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 38% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 10% more.

$756,526

Federal grants, for comparison: $232,631 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 2 contracts since 2014 worth $271K, for 46 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)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 · 2

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Carter Lake; 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.

  • Carter Lake City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Jason Gundersen, Jacob Hanika, Aaron Grell

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

Dan Dawson (Sen. 10)Josh Turek (Rep. 20)

U.S. House:District 4

Pottawattamie CountyCouncil Bluffs schools