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Local taxes › Tama County › Toledo

City

Toledo

Tama County · How cities work

$3,670 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($43.56 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,530 a yearof that goes to the city ($18.21 per $1,000)
$1.4Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$3.9Mcity 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.

  • Brian SokolToledo Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Cathy CookToledo City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Doug RayToledo City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Duane PansegrauToledo City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joe BollToledo City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Steve VeselyToledo 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 Toledo

Homes and businesses in most of Toledo pay a combined $43.56 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Tama County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $18.21. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.85$17.33
FY21$41.89$17.23
FY22$41.00$16.63
FY23$41.54$18.03
FY24$41.43$18.02
FY25$42.59$18.03
FY26$43.63$18.21
FY27$43.56$18.21
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$41.85$17.33
FY21$41.89$17.23
FY22$41.00$16.63
FY23$41.54$18.03
FY24$41.43$18.02
FY25$42.59$18.03
FY26$43.63$18.21
FY27$43.56$18.21

Compared with places this size3

Toledo’s city property tax rate of $18.21 per $1,000 is the 9th highest of 87 Iowa cities with 1,600–3,400 people. The middle of the group is $13.51.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Lake City: $19.32La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Lake Mills: $13.82Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51New Hampton: $13.44Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Leon: $12.93Garner: $12.86Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Milford: $12.57New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Williamsburg: $11.11Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Moville: $10.67Story City: $10.39Kalona: $10.37West Burlington: $10.15Peosta: $9.82Robins: $9.68Epworth: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Toledo: $18.21$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 87
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Lake City$19.321,656
9Toledo$18.212,372
10La Porte City$18.082,267
11Tama$17.742,997
12Clarion$17.742,751
13Britt$17.722,001
14Missouri Valley$17.682,638
15Madrid$16.932,824
16Manson$16.871,646
17West Union$16.602,435
18Audubon$16.522,008
19Grundy Center$16.362,821
20Belle Plaine$16.342,335
21Colfax$16.252,305
22Durant$16.241,798
23Lamoni$16.152,072
24Marengo$16.102,415
25Pleasantville$15.801,696
26Postville$15.682,418
27Tipton$15.543,059
28Stuart$15.481,887
29Mount Ayr$15.321,616
30Granger$15.222,095
31Sigourney$15.201,974
32Guttenberg$15.191,804
33Sumner$14.832,032
34Woodbine$14.801,707
35Van Meter$14.601,840
36Rock Rapids$14.572,709
37Jesup$14.312,541
38Urbana$14.201,635
39Parkersburg$14.151,986
40Hartley$14.111,584
41Ida Grove$14.101,988
42Lake Mills$13.822,077
43Wilton$13.622,914
44Avoca$13.511,685
45New Hampton$13.443,433
46Wapello$13.292,026
47Hudson$13.192,916
48Center Point$13.192,578
49Greenfield$13.131,988
50Hawarden$13.022,630
51Leon$12.931,779
52Garner$12.863,049
53Slater$12.791,626
54Bellevue$12.672,321
55Milford$12.573,258
56New London$12.561,853
57Lisbon$12.502,238
58Dallas Center$12.421,993
59Onawa$12.322,795
60Remsen$12.321,681
61Monroe$12.282,021
62Denver$12.271,955
63Alta$12.132,039
64Reinbeck$12.101,673
65Atkins$11.992,168
66Blue Grass$11.791,707
67Hull$11.792,459
68Columbus Junction$11.711,794
69Cascade$11.642,396
70West Branch$11.632,876
71Mitchellville$11.542,686
72Solon$11.533,284
73Prairie City$11.381,722
74Northwood$11.282,047
75Mediapolis$11.271,679
76Williamsburg$11.113,380
77Ely$11.082,371
78Ogden$10.991,970
79Farley$10.911,723
80Moville$10.671,707
81Story City$10.393,439
82Kalona$10.372,762
83West Burlington$10.153,249
84Peosta$9.822,195
85Robins$9.683,362
86Epworth$9.422,042
87Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Toledo’s general levy is $8.26 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.16 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 123 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.51 · FY26 $8.51 · FY27 $8.26 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $9.95 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$7.39 · $571,203
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.95 · $150,368
  • Debt Service Levy$0.61 · $50,673

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$5.7M of taxable value in Toledo is in TIF districts’ increment (7% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $89,787 in TIF revenue for FY25.

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 $99,821 of the city’s own.

  • South Tama schools$68,493
  • Tama County$44,547

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$638,10745%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$571,20341%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$150,36811%
  • Debt Service Levy$50,6734%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Toledo’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 31¢ of every dollar31¢Public Safety: 27¢ of every dollar27¢Capital Projects: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Public Works: 11¢ of every dollar11¢Culture and Recreation: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Everything else: 10¢ of every dollar10¢

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 86 Iowa cities closest in size (1,600–3,400 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (86)
Business Type / Enterprise31¢40¢
Public Safety27¢12¢
Capital Projects12¢14¢
Public Works11¢10¢
Culture and Recreation9¢7¢
Everything else10¢16¢

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$1.7M43%
  • Public Works$647,00017%
  • Culture and Recreation$520,09213%
  • Capital Projects$430,00011%
  • Debt Service$321,5638%
  • General Government$211,5875%
  • Community and Economic Development$99,8003%
  • Health and Social Services$6,4000%

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$682,231$800,959
Public Safety$1.3M$1.3M
Health and Social Services$9,100$4,827
General Government$288,054$253,224
Debt Service$732,912$687,909
Culture and Recreation$566,774$388,449
Community and Economic Development$58,500$11,231
Capital Projects$5.2M$2.5M
Business Type / Enterprise$1.7M$1.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$7.3M
$5.7M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Toledo owes

$4.0M at June 30, 2026: $1,708 per resident. 421st most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$6.4M
$4.0M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.0M$1,708
2025$4.5M$1,897
2024$4.9M$2,082
2023$5.5M$2,305
2022$3.5M$1,472
2021$4.1M$1,730
2020$4.5M$1,899
2019$4.8M$2,011
2018$5.1M$2,165
2017$6.1M$2,587
2016$6.0M$2,530
2015$6.4M$2,698
2014$3.6M$1,540
2013$4.0M$1,679
2012$3.6M$1,526
2011$3.2M$1,338
2010$3.3M$1,410
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.0M$1,708
2025$4.5M$1,897
2024$4.9M$2,082
2023$5.5M$2,305
2022$3.5M$1,472
2021$4.1M$1,730
2020$4.5M$1,899
2019$4.8M$2,011
2018$5.1M$2,165
2017$6.1M$2,587
2016$6.0M$2,530
2015$6.4M$2,698
2014$3.6M$1,540
2013$4.0M$1,679
2012$3.6M$1,526
2011$3.2M$1,338
2010$3.3M$1,410

Up 21% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.4M, 34% of the limit of about $7.1M (5% of $142.2M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

6 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationG.O Corp purpose & Daycare refunding. Woodlawn Housing addition.2037$2.2M
Revenue BondsWater Revenue Bond2035$1.4M
Revenue BondsNew Sewer Plant2029$280,000
General ObligationNew Sewer Plant2029$250,000
General ObligationDAY CARE BUILDING REFINANCE PAID OFF BALANCE WITH SERIES 2022 GO CORP PURPOSE & REFUNDING NOTE2036$0
LoansDAYCARE OPERATIONS2036$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. Toledo’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 Monday, December 29, 2025, by a CPA firm.

16 earlier reports for Toledo

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: $433,103 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)$326,777$326,001$334,627$336,444
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$101,277$101,327$81,924$96,659

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.

$1.6M
$1,973
  • State grants$1,973100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$48,400
FY20$4,349
FY21$73,562
FY22$160,214
FY23$1.6M
FY24$384,844
FY25$1,973
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$48,400
FY20$4,349
FY21$73,562
FY22$160,214
FY23$1.6M
FY24$384,844
FY25$1,973

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$302,424 → $336,444, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−14%$89,874 → $96,659, up 8% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 14% 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 35% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 8% more.

$301,550
$246,438

Federal grants, for comparison: $239,818 in FY23.

Business awards

Every award 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

City · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Toledo; 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.

  • Toledo City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Steve Vesely, Joe Boll
  • Toledo Mayor
    Now held by Brian Sokol

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

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 ballot16.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress17

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

U.S. House:District 2

Tama CountySouth Tama schoolsSouth Tama County schools