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Local taxes › Pottawattamie County › Council Bluffs

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Council Bluffs

Pottawattamie County · How cities work

$3,140 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($37.29 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,470 a yearof that goes to the city ($17.48 per $1,000)
$71.7Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$171.2Mcity 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.

  • Cole ButtonCouncil Bluffs City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jill ShudakCouncil Bluffs Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Steve GormanCouncil Bluffs City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jill ShudakCouncil Bluffs City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Joe DisalvoCouncil Bluffs City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Roger SandauCouncil Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs

Homes and businesses in most of Council Bluffs pay a combined $37.29 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, $17.48. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$45.17$18.26
FY21$45.10$18.26
FY22$44.27$17.53
FY23$43.35$17.83
FY24$37.91$18.26
FY25$43.02$17.85
FY26$39.68$17.69
FY27$39.29$17.48
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$45.17$18.26
FY21$45.10$18.26
FY22$44.27$17.53
FY23$43.35$17.83
FY24$37.91$18.26
FY25$43.02$17.85
FY26$39.68$17.69
FY27$39.29$17.48

Compared with places this size3

Council Bluffs’s city property tax rate of $17.48 per $1,000 is the 2nd highest of 10 Iowa cities with 43,000–87,000 people. The middle of the group is $12.67.

Waterloo: $21.77Sioux City: $15.51Iowa City: $15.43Marion: $14.55West Des Moines: $10.80Ames: $10.27Dubuque: $10.06Urbandale: $9.98Ankeny: $9.90Council Bluffs: $17.48$9.90 lowest$21.77 highestmiddle
See all 10
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Waterloo$21.7767,477
2Council Bluffs$17.4862,665
3Sioux City$15.5186,875
4Iowa City$15.4376,710
5Marion$14.5542,542
6West Des Moines$10.8073,664
7Ames$10.2769,026
8Dubuque$10.0658,987
9Urbandale$9.9847,759
10Ankeny$9.9076,727

The $8.10 limit

Council Bluffs’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.4 677 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.26 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $9.62 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$5.33 · $21.7M
  • Debt Service Levy$2.82 · $11.8M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.75 · $3.1M
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.48 · $2.0M
  • Aviation Authority$0.24 · $976,834

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$131.9M of taxable value in Council Bluffs is in TIF districts’ increment (3% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $3.2M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$5.1M
$3.5M

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 $1.9M of the city’s own.

  • Council Bluffs schools$1.5M
  • Pottawattamie County$869,357
  • Lewis Central schools$74,139
YearTIF revenue
FY16$4.8M
FY17$3.6M
FY18$4.8M
FY19$4.2M
FY20$3.5M
FY21$5.1M
FY22$5.1M
FY23$3.5M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$4.8M
FY17$3.6M
FY18$4.8M
FY19$4.2M
FY20$3.5M
FY21$5.1M
FY22$5.1M
FY23$3.5M

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$32.0M45%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$21.7M30%
  • Debt Service Levy$11.8M17%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$3.1M4%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$2.0M3%
  • Aviation Authority (under sec.330A.15)$976,8341%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Council Bluffs’s budget goes, FY26

Public Safety: 27¢ of every dollar27¢Capital Projects: 19¢ of every dollar19¢General Government: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Business Type / Enterprise: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Debt Service: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 20¢ of every dollar20¢

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 9 Iowa cities closest in size (43,000–87,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (9)
Public Safety27¢14¢
Capital Projects19¢19¢
General Government13¢4¢
Business Type / Enterprise13¢36¢
Debt Service8¢9¢
Everything else20¢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.

  • Public Safety$49.1M29%
  • Capital Projects$37.9M22%
  • General Government$24.0M14%
  • Culture and Recreation$17.8M10%
  • Debt Service$15.0M9%
  • Public Works$14.7M9%
  • Community and Economic Development$12.3M7%
  • Health and Social Services$423,2430%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($21.6M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$12.2M$11.6M
Public Safety$41.1M$40.8M
Health and Social Services$291,167$184,407
General Government$17.7M$18.8M
Debt Service$10.6M$10.6M
Culture and Recreation$13.4M$13.5M
Community and Economic Development$6.3M$6.3M
Capital Projects$24.6M$22.0M
Business Type / Enterprise$19.4M$17.6M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$210.1M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Council Bluffs owes

$78.1M at June 30, 2026: $1,243 per resident. 504th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$100.4M
$78.1M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$78.1M$1,243
2025$84.2M$1,340
2024$97.5M$1,552
2023$77.3M$1,231
2022$87.4M$1,392
2021$85.5M$1,361
2020$89.2M$1,421
2019$90.1M$1,435
2018$100.4M$1,599
2017$86.3M$1,374
2016$87.1M$1,387
2015$87.0M$1,386
2014$85.1M$1,356
2013$86.3M$1,375
2012$86.3M$1,374
2011$85.5M$1,362
2010$69.5M$1,107
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$78.1M$1,243
2025$84.2M$1,340
2024$97.5M$1,552
2023$77.3M$1,231
2022$87.4M$1,392
2021$85.5M$1,361
2020$89.2M$1,421
2019$90.1M$1,435
2018$100.4M$1,599
2017$86.3M$1,374
2016$87.1M$1,387
2015$87.0M$1,386
2014$85.1M$1,356
2013$86.3M$1,375
2012$86.3M$1,374
2011$85.5M$1,362
2010$69.5M$1,107

Up 12% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $59.7M, 20% of the limit of about $301.7M (5% of $6.03B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

21 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2024A2034$18.8M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2018A2038$9.6M
Revenue BondsUtilities / Sewers2031$7.4M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2025A2035$4.8M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2017A2037$4.7M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2023B2033$4.1M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2022B2034$3.6M
Revenue BondsUtilities / Sewers2039$3.4M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2021B2033$3.4M
Revenue BondsUtilities / Sewers note: increase from 2012 due to received disbursements2030$3.2M
Revenue BondsUtilities / Sewers2040$2.9M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2019A2031$2.8M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2020B2032$2.1M
General ObligationSRF Loan2032$1.9M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2015A2030$1.8M
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2020A2027$995,000
General ObligationGeneral Obligation 2024B2028$735,000
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchasePARKS/RECREATION GOLF CART LEASE2031$495,887
General ObligationGENERAL OBLIGATION 2025B2027$490,000
Revenue BondsFS-78-14-DWSRF-0092034$487,000
LoansIDOT I-29 Loan2028$480,000

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. Council Bluffs’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, February 11, 2026, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Council Bluffs

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: $11.3M in FY25, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$8.7M$8.6M$8.9M$8.9M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$2.0M$1.8M$2.6M$2.3M

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.

$5.2M
$2.6M
  • State grants$2.6M100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$5.2M
FY20$3.0M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.9M
FY23$2.5M
FY24$2.5M
FY25$2.6M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$5.2M
FY20$3.0M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.9M
FY23$2.5M
FY24$2.5M
FY25$2.6M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$8.1M → $8.9M, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−12%$2.1M → $2.3M, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% 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 41% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.

$14.2M

Federal grants, for comparison: $15.6M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

9 businesses have state awards in COUNCIL BLUFFS: $5.1M in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 604 jobs. Closed projects promised 74 jobs; 74 were there at the end.14

  • Acadia Healhcare, Inc. and Manawa Healthcare LLC
    Targeted Jobs · FY24 · Under contract: Building · 144 jobs required
    $1.9M
  • IceCap Cold Storage
    Targeted Jobs · FY23 · Under contract: Building · 146 jobs required
    $777K
  • Google, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY23 · Under contract: Building · 31 jobs required
    $0
  • IceCap Cold Storage
    Targeted Jobs · FY22 · Not going ahead: Contract ended · 58 jobs required
    $104K
  • Pollard Games, Inc. dba AmericanGames and International Gamco
    Targeted Jobs · FY21 · Under contract: Building · 151 jobs required
    $611K
  • Applichem, Inc.
    Targeted Jobs · FY20 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 28 jobs required, 28 reported
    $75K
  • Warren Distribution, Inc.
    Targeted Jobs · FY18 · Under contract: Keeping the jobs · 30 jobs required, 30 reported
    $213K
  • Pillar Technology Group LLC
    Targeted Jobs · FY18 · Not going ahead: Declined or withdrawn · 30 jobs required
    $500K

and 3 more on economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 15 contracts since 1989 worth $7.3M, for 1,165 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.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Council Bluffs; 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.

  • Council Bluffs City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Jill Shudak, Roger Sandau, Joe Disalvo

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, 93%)Mark Costello (Sen. 8, 7%)Brent Siegrist (Rep. 19, 67%)Josh Turek (Rep. 20, 27%)Matt W. Windschitl (Rep. 15, 7%)

U.S. House:District 4

Pottawattamie CountyCouncil Bluffs schoolsLewis Central schools