Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Poweshiek County › Grinnell

City

Grinnell

Poweshiek County · How cities work

$2,240 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($26.55 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,310 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.60 per $1,000)
$4.0Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$19.2Mcity 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.

  • John D. CoxGrinnell City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rachel BlyGrinnell City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Sam CoxGrinnell Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Sarah SmithGrinnell City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Shane HartGrinnell City Council Ward 4 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Byron Hueftle-WorleyGrinnell City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Jo WrayGrinnell City Council Ward 2 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Matt KarjalahtiGrinnell City Council Ward 4 · 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 Grinnell

Homes and businesses in most of Grinnell pay a combined $34.35 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Poweshiek County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $15.60. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$34.67$14.83
FY21$35.32$14.83
FY22$35.23$14.70
FY23$34.62$14.65
FY24$27.28$14.65
FY25$35.54$15.64
FY26$27.26$15.64
FY27$26.55$15.60
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$34.67$14.83
FY21$35.32$14.83
FY22$35.23$14.70
FY23$34.62$14.65
FY24$27.28$14.65
FY25$35.54$15.64
FY26$27.26$15.64
FY27$26.55$15.60

Compared with places this size3

Grinnell’s city property tax rate of $15.60 per $1,000 is the 11th highest of 33 Iowa cities with 6,400–12,000 people. The middle of the group is $14.58.

Keokuk: $19.68Fort Madison: $18.84Denison: $18.69Perry: $17.91Waverly: $17.53Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Fairfield: $16.69Webster City: $16.51Charles City: $15.95Decorah: $15.52Washington: $15.21Storm Lake: $15.17Boone: $15.13Creston: $14.99Nevada: $14.58Oskaloosa: $14.47Orange City: $14.01Spencer: $13.84Hiawatha: $13.78Adel: $13.43Pleasant Hill: $12.10Mount Pleasant: $11.94Tiffin: $11.80Carroll: $11.25Le Mars: $11.18Sioux Center: $11.05Polk City: $11.00Bondurant: $10.82Pella: $10.75Clear Lake: $9.85Eldridge: $8.13Grinnell: $15.60$8.13 lowest$19.68 highestmiddle
See all 33
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Keokuk$19.689,462
2Fort Madison$18.849,983
3Denison$18.698,302
4Perry$17.918,046
5Waverly$17.5310,576
6Atlantic$17.486,717
7Knoxville$17.467,440
8Fairfield$16.699,511
9Webster City$16.517,763
10Charles City$15.957,081
11Grinnell$15.609,495
12Decorah$15.527,454
13Washington$15.217,281
14Storm Lake$15.1711,627
15Boone$15.1312,461
16Creston$14.997,421
17Nevada$14.587,082
18Oskaloosa$14.4711,575
19Orange City$14.016,547
20Spencer$13.8411,418
21Hiawatha$13.787,347
22Adel$13.436,763
23Pleasant Hill$12.1011,942
24Mount Pleasant$11.948,509
25Tiffin$11.806,695
26Carroll$11.2510,125
27Le Mars$11.1810,674
28Sioux Center$11.058,675
29Polk City$11.006,430
30Bondurant$10.829,511
31Pella$10.7510,965
32Clear Lake$9.857,602
33Eldridge$8.136,967

The $8.10 limit

Grinnell’s general levy is $8.78 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.68 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 3 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.78 · FY26 $8.78 · FY27 $8.78 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.82 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$5.36 · $1.4M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.31 · $332,706
  • Debt Service Levy$0.15 · $65,266

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$180.7M of taxable value in Grinnell is in TIF districts’ increment (41% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $4.5M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$2.6M
$2.5M

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 $2.8M of the city’s own.

  • Grinnell-Newburg schools$1.6M
  • Poweshiek County$632,548
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.0M
FY17$2.3M
FY18$2.3M
FY19$2.2M
FY20$2.6M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.4M
FY23$2.5M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$2.0M
FY17$2.3M
FY18$2.3M
FY19$2.2M
FY20$2.6M
FY21$2.6M
FY22$2.4M
FY23$2.5M

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$2.2M56%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.4M34%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$332,7068%
  • Debt Service Levy$65,2662%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Grinnell’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 41¢ of every dollar41¢Capital Projects: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Debt Service: 13¢ of every dollar13¢Public Safety: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Culture and Recreation: 9¢ of every dollar9¢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 32 Iowa cities closest in size (6,400–12,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (32)
Business Type / Enterprise41¢35¢
Capital Projects13¢23¢
Debt Service13¢6¢
Public Safety10¢13¢
Culture and Recreation9¢7¢
Everything else14¢15¢

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$5.5M29%
  • Public Safety$4.4M23%
  • Debt Service$2.8M15%
  • Culture and Recreation$2.0M10%
  • General Government$2.0M10%
  • Public Works$1.5M8%
  • Community and Economic Development$950,8715%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($15.3M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.7M$1.4M
Public Safety$2.8M$2.8M
Health and Social Services$2,000$1,089
General Government$2.2M$2.1M
Debt Service$2.7M$2.9M
Culture and Recreation$1.7M$1.9M
Community and Economic Development$901,646$882,024
Capital Projects$11.3M$10.1M
Business Type / Enterprise$6.1M$5.9M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$54.8M

Grinnell’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

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Grinnell owes

$48.8M at June 30, 2026: $5,107 per resident. 124th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$48.8M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$48.8M$5,107
2025$29.6M$3,097
2024$29.6M$3,097
2023$32.6M$3,405
2022$27.4M$2,868
2021$30.2M$3,159
2020$31.0M$3,241
2019$31.0M$3,241
2018$32.4M$3,382
2017$19.2M$2,003
2016$15.9M$1,663
2015$23.4M$2,450
2014$17.3M$1,813
2013$15.2M$1,593
2012$17.2M$1,793
2011$18.6M$1,940
2010$20.1M$2,106
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$48.8M$5,107
2025$29.6M$3,097
2024$29.6M$3,097
2023$32.6M$3,405
2022$27.4M$2,868
2021$30.2M$3,159
2020$31.0M$3,241
2019$31.0M$3,241
2018$32.4M$3,382
2017$19.2M$2,003
2016$15.9M$1,663
2015$23.4M$2,450
2014$17.3M$1,813
2013$15.2M$1,593
2012$17.2M$1,793
2011$18.6M$1,940
2010$20.1M$2,106

Up 142% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $16.8M, 44% of the limit of about $38.2M (5% of $764.1M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

11 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWater Revenue Capital Loan Note Series 2025A WATER PLANT2045$17.6M
Revenue BondsSEWER REVENUE BOND - SRF2038$10.7M
General ObligationGO Local Option Sales Tax Capital Loan Notes, Series 20222032$5.1M
General ObligationTIF 2025B WATER TOWER BOND2045$4.3M
Revenue Bonds2025A Water Revenue Bond for the completion of the Jordan Well #102044$3.8M
General ObligationGO Capital Loan Notes, Series 2020A (Urban Renewal - TIF)2029$3.3M
General Obligation2024B Water Revenue Bond to complete Raw Water Main Project.2044$2.2M
General ObligationGO Bonds Series 2016A2036$1.1M
General ObligationGO Local Option Sales Tax Advanced Refunding, Series 20142027$270,000
General ObligationGO Refunding Capital Loan Notes, Series 2020B2029$245,000
General ObligationGO URBAN RENEWAL CAPITAL LOAN NOTE, SERIES 20182028$159,000

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. Grinnell’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, June 23, 2026, by a CPA firm.

The report has no Schedule of Findings Iowa Funnel could read.

16 earlier reports for Grinnell

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: $1.6M in FY25, up 855% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 661% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$1.3M$1.3M$1.4M$1.4M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)––$193,939$207,972

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.

$9.3M
$1.3M
  • State grants$1.3M100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$9.3M
FY20$343,396
FY21$596,041
FY22$589,949
FY23$326,760
FY24$523,041
FY25$1.3M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$9.3M
FY20$343,396
FY21$596,041
FY22$589,949
FY23$326,760
FY24$523,041
FY25$1.3M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)+1%$163,985 → $207,972, up 27% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 1% more

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 39% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% more.

$1.7M
$1.6M

Federal grants, for comparison: $433,532 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 9 contracts since 2004 worth $2.9M, for 650 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)14.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Most recent: November 4, 2025

Ballot measures · 1

Passed Yes 86.4% (1,721) · No 13.6% (272)

Passes with more yes votes than no.

City · 5

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Grinnell; 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.

  • Grinnell City Council At-Large
    Now held by Byron Hueftle-Worley
  • Grinnell City Council Ward 2
    Now held by Jo Wray
  • Grinnell City Council Ward 4
    Now held by Matt Karjalahti
  • Grinnell Mayor
    Now held by Sam Cox

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.

Past ballot measures

  • Public Measure SINovember 4, 2025

    Passed Yes 86.4% (1,721) · No 13.6% (272)

    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 ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

Annette Sweeney (Sen. 27)Dean Fisher (Rep. 53)

U.S. House:District 2

Poweshiek CountyGrinnell-Newburg schools