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Local taxes › Sioux County › Hospers

City

Hospers

Sioux County · How cities work

$2,570 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($30.48 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,060 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.58 per $1,000)
$474,257property taxes the city levies, FY27
$4.0Mcity 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.

  • Kelly KooistraHospers Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Michael J. ThompsonHospers City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Sarah OttoHospers City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jillian JagerHospers City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kelly KooistraHospers 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 Hospers

Homes and businesses in most of Hospers pay a combined $30.48 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Sioux County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.58. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$27.90$11.86
FY21$30.77$12.51
FY22$33.23$15.39
FY23$33.33$15.76
FY24$29.60$11.49
FY25$30.58$12.55
FY26$31.14$13.13
FY27$30.48$12.58
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$27.90$11.86
FY21$30.77$12.51
FY22$33.23$15.39
FY23$33.33$15.76
FY24$29.60$11.49
FY25$30.58$12.55
FY26$31.14$13.13
FY27$30.48$12.58

Compared with places this size3

Hospers’s city property tax rate of $12.58 per $1,000 is the 82nd lowest of 186 Iowa cities with 470–1,100 people. The middle of the group is $12.99.

Exira: $24.81Rolfe: $22.67Dayton: $22.51Charter Oak: $21.32Correctionville: $19.84Pomeroy: $19.60Allison: $19.06Dumont: $19.04Seymour: $18.78Dexter: $18.69Fonda: $18.52Kanawha: $18.11Swea City: $18.04Greene: $17.91Alden: $17.90Elma: $17.82Dows: $17.70New Hartford: $17.69Lansing: $17.67Rockwell: $17.54Walnut: $17.46Murray: $17.44Thompson: $17.25Gowrie: $17.17Colo: $17.14Latimer: $16.96Adair: $16.84Eddyville: $16.82Elk Horn: $16.78Oxford: $16.70Buffalo Center: $16.58Whittemore: $16.54Bancroft: $16.52Titonka: $16.45Eldon: $16.42Early: $16.35Truro: $16.34Mechanicsville: $16.12Scranton: $16.01Armstrong: $15.87Ruthven: $15.84Minden: $15.77Walker: $15.74Newell: $15.49Riceville: $15.31Neola: $15.30Sidney: $15.19Russell: $15.18Gilbertville: $15.15Stanwood: $15.12Stratford: $15.03Griswold: $15.01Zearing: $14.99Readlyn: $14.99Wyoming: $14.81Humeston: $14.80Hopkinton: $14.79Essex: $14.76Gilmore City: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Garnavillo: $14.52Maxwell: $14.50Sabula: $14.38Collins: $14.32Clermont: $14.30Moulton: $14.25Mcgregor: $14.20Olin: $14.19Primghar: $14.18Garwin: $14.08Farragut: $14.07Elgin: $14.05Dow City: $13.94Ossian: $13.88Redfield: $13.73Victor: $13.72Edgewood: $13.64Sioux Rapids: $13.63Donnellson: $13.63Gladbrook: $13.58Rockford: $13.52Janesville: $13.43Boyden: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Anita: $13.28Van Horne: $13.27Keota: $13.21Shellsburg: $13.20De Soto: $13.18Quasqueton: $13.12Farmington: $13.10Anthon: $13.05Odebolt: $13.00Coggon: $12.99Earlville: $12.90Brighton: $12.88Danville: $12.87Underwood: $12.85Montrose: $12.78Goldfield: $12.73Wellsburg: $12.68Delmar: $12.68Badger: $12.67Stanton: $12.62Everly: $12.51Hazleton: $12.48West Point: $12.39Hinton: $12.38Preston: $12.38Alburnett: $12.30Hubbard: $12.30Moravia: $12.27Hedrick: $12.22Carson: $12.22Wheatland: $12.18Schaller: $12.14Winfield: $12.04Afton: $11.96Lowden: $11.93Tabor: $11.88Albert City: $11.88Aurelia: $11.84Merrill: $11.64Ellsworth: $11.57Morning Sun: $11.50Battle Creek: $11.49Wall Lake: $11.43West Bend: $11.42Dakota City: $11.39Dunkerton: $11.30Sutherland: $11.25Arcadia: $11.23Whiting: $11.21Shelby: $11.17Blairstown: $11.04Manilla: $11.01Hamburg: $10.95Clarence: $10.94Ireton: $10.93Fontanelle: $10.88Richland: $10.82Grand Mound: $10.78Cambridge: $10.53Swisher: $10.39Schleswig: $10.39Melbourne: $10.38Radcliffe: $10.37Fredericksburg: $10.27Ventura: $10.22Inwood: $10.22Milo: $10.20Hartford: $10.16What Cheer: $10.01Newhall: $9.99Cumming: $9.85Graettinger: $9.81Breda: $9.80Doon: $9.78Long Grove: $9.59Paullina: $9.21Winthrop: $8.94Crescent: $8.72Ainsworth: $8.62Keosauqua: $8.58Grand Junction: $8.57Princeton: $8.24Gilman: $8.10Kellogg: $8.10Lakeside: $8.10Agency: $7.94Hills: $7.94Fremont: $7.86Larchwood: $7.52North English: $7.49Sully: $7.41Fruitland: $7.21Lawton: $7.10Wayland: $7.07Raymond: $6.85Keystone: $6.80Shueyville: $6.79New Virginia: $5.97University Park: $5.27Orleans: $4.13Okoboji: $3.83Hospers: $12.58$3.83 lowest$24.81 highestmiddle
See all 186
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Exira$24.81766
2Rolfe$22.67505
3Dayton$22.51766
4Charter Oak$21.32521
5Correctionville$19.84759
6Pomeroy$19.60511
7Allison$19.06937
8Dumont$19.04614
9Seymour$18.78646
10Dexter$18.69631
11Fonda$18.52636
12Kanawha$18.11638
13Swea City$18.04545
14Greene$17.91971
15Alden$17.90738
16Elma$17.82493
17Dows$17.70509
18New Hartford$17.69555
19Lansing$17.67959
20Rockwell$17.541,044
21Walnut$17.46728
22Murray$17.44609
23Thompson$17.25478
24Gowrie$17.17943
25Colo$17.14856
26Latimer$16.96477
27Adair$16.84792
28Eddyville$16.82965
29Elk Horn$16.78631
30Oxford$16.70715
31Buffalo Center$16.58839
32Whittemore$16.54478
33Bancroft$16.52677
34Titonka$16.45491
35Eldon$16.42788
36Early$16.35571
37Truro$16.34515
38Mechanicsville$16.12974
39Scranton$16.01496
40Armstrong$15.87847
41Ruthven$15.84710
42Minden$15.77581
43Walker$15.74671
44Newell$15.49850
45Riceville$15.31807
46Neola$15.30917
47Sidney$15.191,048
48Russell$15.18475
49Gilbertville$15.15792
50Stanwood$15.12612
51Stratford$15.03688
52Griswold$15.01975
53Zearing$14.99508
54Readlyn$14.99857
55Wyoming$14.81526
56Humeston$14.80472
57Hopkinton$14.79622
58Essex$14.76721
59Gilmore City$14.60484
60Dunlap$14.561,030
61Garnavillo$14.52751
62Maxwell$14.50862
63Sabula$14.38498
64Collins$14.32503
65Clermont$14.30571
66Moulton$14.25596
67Mcgregor$14.20725
68Olin$14.19652
69Primghar$14.18893
70Garwin$14.08469
71Farragut$14.07480
72Elgin$14.05676
73Dow City$13.94477
74Ossian$13.88777
75Redfield$13.73719
76Victor$13.72852
77Edgewood$13.64908
78Sioux Rapids$13.63722
79Donnellson$13.63859
80Gladbrook$13.58775
81Rockford$13.52722
82Janesville$13.431,052
83Boyden$13.39694
84Baxter$13.32983
85Anita$13.28953
86Van Horne$13.27768
87Keota$13.21888
88Shellsburg$13.20987
89De Soto$13.18937
90Quasqueton$13.12587
91Farmington$13.10583
92Anthon$13.05534
93Odebolt$13.00967
94Coggon$12.99691
95Earlville$12.90713
96Brighton$12.88592
97Danville$12.87910
98Underwood$12.85973
99Montrose$12.78734
100Goldfield$12.73617
101Wellsburg$12.68709
102Delmar$12.68541
103Badger$12.67540
104Stanton$12.62664
105Hospers$12.58703
106Everly$12.51570
107Hazleton$12.48711
108West Point$12.39903
109Hinton$12.38959
110Preston$12.38940
111Alburnett$12.30672
112Hubbard$12.30837
113Moravia$12.27625
114Hedrick$12.22717
115Carson$12.22772
116Wheatland$12.18765
117Schaller$12.14702
118Winfield$12.041,006
119Afton$11.96864
120Lowden$11.93767
121Tabor$11.88983
122Albert City$11.88627
123Aurelia$11.84970
124Merrill$11.64713
125Ellsworth$11.57495
126Morning Sun$11.50702
127Battle Creek$11.49683
128Wall Lake$11.43739
129West Bend$11.42770
130Dakota City$11.39764
131Dunkerton$11.30840
132Sutherland$11.25628
133Arcadia$11.23588
134Whiting$11.21725
135Shelby$11.17730
136Blairstown$11.04705
137Manilla$11.01756
138Hamburg$10.95863
139Clarence$10.94991
140Ireton$10.93571
141Fontanelle$10.88684
142Richland$10.82532
143Grand Mound$10.78608
144Cambridge$10.53844
145Swisher$10.39909
146Schleswig$10.39820
147Melbourne$10.38771
148Radcliffe$10.37540
149Fredericksburg$10.27983
150Ventura$10.22701
151Inwood$10.22962
152Milo$10.20762
153Hartford$10.16729
154What Cheer$10.01595
155Newhall$9.99887
156Cumming$9.85527
157Graettinger$9.81810
158Breda$9.80492
159Doon$9.78640
160Long Grove$9.59849
161Paullina$9.21979
162Winthrop$8.94814
163Crescent$8.72626
164Ainsworth$8.62511
165Keosauqua$8.58944
166Grand Junction$8.57715
167Princeton$8.24917
168Gilman$8.10530
169Kellogg$8.10597
170Lakeside$8.10695
171Agency$7.94623
172Hills$7.94911
173Fremont$7.86688
174Larchwood$7.52954
175North English$7.491,030
176Sully$7.41891
177Fruitland$7.21928
178Lawton$7.10949
179Wayland$7.07935
180Raymond$6.85754
181Keystone$6.80616
182Shueyville$6.79725
183New Virginia$5.97499
184University Park$5.27476
185Orleans$4.13503
186Okoboji$3.83729

The $8.10 limit

Hospers’s general levy is $6.62 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $1.48 below the limit.4 873 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $6.48 · FY26 $6.82 · FY27 $6.62 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $5.96 more5

  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.37 · $89,399
  • Debt Service Levy$2.04 · $76,767
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.55 · $58,591

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$249,50053%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$89,39919%
  • Debt Service Levy$76,76716%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$58,59112%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Hospers’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 48¢ of every dollar48¢Culture and Recreation: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Public Safety: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Public Works: 8¢ of every dollar8¢General Government: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 7¢ of every dollar

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 185 Iowa cities closest in size (470–1,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (185)
Business Type / Enterprise48¢40¢
Culture and Recreation17¢9¢
Public Safety12¢9¢
Public Works8¢17¢
General Government8¢11¢
Everything else7¢14¢

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$3.0M76%
  • Culture and Recreation$347,2279%
  • Public Safety$230,2756%
  • Public Works$177,2574%
  • General Government$112,5363%
  • Debt Service$77,4112%
  • Health and Social Services$5,0000%
  • Community and Economic Development$1,5000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($850,109 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$161,104$242,798
Public Safety$197,034$353,771
Health and Social Services$3,961$4,360
General Government$82,996$94,997
Debt Service$41,300$0
Culture and Recreation$239,907$250,780
Community and Economic Development$6,500$80,579
Capital Projects$0$204,512
Business Type / Enterprise$653,673$613,716

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$2.1M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Hospers owes

$1.4M at June 30, 2026: $1,883 per resident. 401st most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$1.6M
$1.4M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.4M$1,883
2025$1.5M$2,028
2024$1.6M$2,243
2023$427,315$595
2022$418,000$582
2021$500,438$697
2020$162,000$226
2019$174,000$242
2018$186,000$259
2017$197,000$274
2016$258,000$359
2015$349,000$486
2014$210,000$292
2013$285,000$397
2012$585,000$815
2011$626,325$872
2010$711,602$991
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$1.4M$1,883
2025$1.5M$2,028
2024$1.6M$2,243
2023$427,315$595
2022$418,000$582
2021$500,438$697
2020$162,000$226
2019$174,000$242
2018$186,000$259
2017$197,000$274
2016$258,000$359
2015$349,000$486
2014$210,000$292
2013$285,000$397
2012$585,000$815
2011$626,325$872
2010$711,602$991

Up 90% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $703,000, 23% of the limit of about $3.0M (5% of $60.1M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

4 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationC1374G General Obligation Bond - 2nd Ave S Project2043$563,000
Revenue BondsC1375R Revenue Bond - 2nd Ave S Project2043$563,000
General Obligation2nd Avenue Paving & Utility Improvements2030$140,000
Revenue BondsC0482RT Wastewater Plant Updates Project (DGR - Engineer) Iowa Finance Authority2032$86,000

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 balances9. Hospers’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Thursday, February 19, 2026, by the Auditor of State.

10 earlier reports for Hospers

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? 11

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: $107,120 in FY25, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$99,095$99,355$101,984$102,538
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$10,333$9,165$6,874$4,582

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.

$24,356
$22,409
  • Other$19,99589%
  • State grants$2,41411%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$5,276
FY20$3,963
FY21$3,174
FY22$3,974
FY23$1,891
FY24$24,356
FY25$22,409
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$5,276
FY20$3,963
FY21$3,174
FY22$3,974
FY23$1,891
FY24$24,356
FY25$22,409

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−9%$90,172 → $102,538, up 14% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 9% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−61%$9,388 → $4,582, down 51% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 61% 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 118% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 74% more.

$153,057

Federal grants, for comparison: $3,500 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 5 contracts since 2005 worth $2.3M, for 483 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)12.

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 Hospers; 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.

  • Hospers City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Kelly Kooistra, Jillian Jager

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

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 ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

Jeff Taylor (Sen. 2)Thomas M. Jeneary (Rep. 3)

U.S. House:District 4

Sioux CountyMoc-Floyd Valley schools