Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Tama County › Traer

City

Traer

Tama County · How cities work

$3,730 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($44.24 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,650 a yearof that goes to the city ($19.56 per $1,000)
$1.3Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.5Mcity 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.

  • Aaron MennengaTraer City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • James ErhardtTraer City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Peter Armstrong HoldenTraer Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Brad E. RundTraer City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Carri HolstTraer City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Patrisha KennedyTraer 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 Traer

Homes and businesses in most of Traer pay a combined $44.24 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, $19.56. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.39$19.77
FY21$38.01$19.08
FY22$38.09$19.26
FY23$37.81$19.31
FY24$36.41$18.59
FY25$42.88$19.93
FY26$44.12$19.51
FY27$44.24$19.56
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.39$19.77
FY21$38.01$19.08
FY22$38.09$19.26
FY23$37.81$19.31
FY24$36.41$18.59
FY25$42.88$19.93
FY26$44.12$19.51
FY27$44.24$19.56

Compared with places this size3

Traer’s city property tax rate of $19.56 per $1,000 is the 7th highest of 119 Iowa cities with 1,000–2,300 people. The middle of the group is $14.04.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22La Porte City: $18.08Dysart: $17.95Britt: $17.72Strawberry Point: $17.58Rockwell: $17.54Mapleton: $16.90George: $16.89Manson: $16.87Fayette: $16.85Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63Audubon: $16.52Roland: $16.51Monona: $16.41Aplington: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Panora: $16.14Dike: $15.94Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Earlham: $15.55Shell Rock: $15.52Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sidney: $15.19Logan: $15.05Tripoli: $14.99Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Coon Rapids: $14.49Nora Springs: $14.25Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Sheffield: $14.16Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Woodward: $14.05Guthrie Center: $14.04Alton: $13.87Lake Mills: $13.82Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Clarksville: $13.53Avoca: $13.51Janesville: $13.43Glidden: $13.43Calmar: $13.39Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Elkhart: $12.00Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Marcus: $11.31Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Melcher-Dallas: $11.21University Heights: $11.12Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02Sloan: $7.49Arnolds Park: $4.95Traer: $19.56$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 119
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Elkader$27.111,192
2Laurens$24.161,253
3Pocahontas$20.791,848
4Rockwell City$20.742,185
5Villisca$19.741,106
6Sac City$19.691,992
7Traer$19.561,547
8Corning$19.361,509
9Lake City$19.321,656
10Corydon$18.221,563
11La Porte City$18.082,267
12Dysart$17.951,266
13Britt$17.722,001
14Strawberry Point$17.581,141
15Rockwell$17.541,044
16Mapleton$16.901,114
17George$16.891,106
18Manson$16.871,646
19Fayette$16.851,193
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22Audubon$16.522,008
23Roland$16.511,376
24Monona$16.411,462
25Aplington$16.341,088
26Colfax$16.252,305
27Durant$16.241,798
28Lamoni$16.152,072
29Panora$16.141,096
30Dike$15.941,293
31Holstein$15.811,475
32State Center$15.801,403
33Pleasantville$15.801,696
34Earlham$15.551,411
35Shell Rock$15.521,265
36Brooklyn$15.491,474
37Stuart$15.481,887
38Mount Ayr$15.321,616
39Granger$15.222,095
40Sigourney$15.201,974
41Guttenberg$15.191,804
42Sidney$15.191,048
43Logan$15.051,351
44Tripoli$14.991,208
45Sumner$14.832,032
46Woodbine$14.801,707
47Bedford$14.661,474
48Lenox$14.651,355
49Manning$14.621,390
50Van Meter$14.601,840
51Coon Rapids$14.491,258
52Nora Springs$14.251,330
53Kingsley$14.251,394
54Urbana$14.201,635
55Sheffield$14.161,123
56Parkersburg$14.151,986
57Hartley$14.111,584
58Ida Grove$14.101,988
59Woodward$14.051,383
60Guthrie Center$14.041,579
61Alton$13.871,248
62Lake Mills$13.822,077
63Montezuma$13.791,421
64Gilbert$13.711,397
65Clarksville$13.531,238
66Avoca$13.511,685
67Janesville$13.431,052
68Glidden$13.431,140
69Calmar$13.391,100
70Wapello$13.292,026
71Manly$13.291,233
72Conrad$13.231,098
73Springville$13.221,161
74Greenfield$13.131,988
75Treynor$13.031,104
76Akron$12.931,545
77Leon$12.931,779
78New Sharon$12.801,249
79Slater$12.791,626
80Malvern$12.791,056
81Buffalo$12.681,163
82Sanborn$12.621,463
83New London$12.561,853
84Lisbon$12.502,238
85Dallas Center$12.421,993
86Remsen$12.321,681
87Monroe$12.282,021
88Denver$12.271,955
89Alta$12.132,039
90Reinbeck$12.101,673
91Elkhart$12.001,079
92Atkins$11.992,168
93Wellman$11.881,531
94Blue Grass$11.791,707
95Columbus Junction$11.711,794
96Palo$11.491,554
97Prairie City$11.381,722
98Marcus$11.311,069
99Northwood$11.282,047
100Mediapolis$11.271,679
101Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
102University Heights$11.121,188
103Ogden$10.991,970
104Farley$10.911,723
105Oakland$10.851,519
106Moville$10.671,707
107Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
108Walcott$10.291,556
109Lake Park$10.251,155
110Central City$10.011,254
111Peosta$9.822,195
112Epworth$9.422,042
113Lake View$9.391,120
114Fairbank$9.001,133
115Walford$8.721,357
116Lone Tree$8.131,341
117Riverside$8.021,063
118Sloan$7.491,078
119Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Traer’s general levy is $8.00 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.10 below the limit.4 442 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.23 · FY26 $8.23 · FY27 $8.00 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $11.57 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$6.57 · $420,285
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.81 · $179,466
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.18 · $139,584

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$511,07441%
  • Debt Service Levy$420,28534%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$179,46614%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$139,58411%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Traer’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 47¢ of every dollar47¢Capital Projects: 25¢ of every dollar25¢Public Safety: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Public Works: 6¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 5¢ of every dollarEverything else: 8¢ of every dollar8¢

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 118 Iowa cities closest in size (1,000–2,300 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (118)
Business Type / Enterprise47¢40¢
Capital Projects25¢13¢
Public Safety9¢11¢
Public Works6¢12¢
Debt Service5¢7¢
Everything else8¢18¢

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$753,59330%
  • Public Works$543,20021%
  • Debt Service$506,53320%
  • Culture and Recreation$346,50614%
  • General Government$207,0368%
  • Community and Economic Development$179,0007%
  • Health and Social Services$10,4000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($3.9M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$488,938$499,964
Public Safety$603,792$823,723
Health and Social Services$12,800$9,966
General Government$162,235$182,360
Debt Service$364,326$366,250
Culture and Recreation$313,227$324,632
Community and Economic Development$99,500$650,381
Capital Projects$2.7M$1.1M
Business Type / Enterprise$5.3M$4.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$9.4M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Traer owes

$5.6M at June 30, 2026: $3,536 per resident. 229th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$5.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.6M$3,536
2025$3.8M$2,393
2024$3.7M$2,368
2023$4.4M$2,786
2022$4.0M$2,502
2021$2.5M$1,579
2020$2.8M$1,793
2019$3.3M$2,061
2018$3.6M$2,282
2017$4.0M$2,498
2016$1.8M$1,127
2015$2.1M$1,337
2014$2.4M$1,543
2013$2.2M$1,416
2012$2.3M$1,469
2011$2.6M$1,656
2010$2.5M$1,551
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$5.6M$3,536
2025$3.8M$2,393
2024$3.7M$2,368
2023$4.4M$2,786
2022$4.0M$2,502
2021$2.5M$1,579
2020$2.8M$1,793
2019$3.3M$2,061
2018$3.6M$2,282
2017$4.0M$2,498
2016$1.8M$1,127
2015$2.1M$1,337
2014$2.4M$1,543
2013$2.2M$1,416
2012$2.3M$1,469
2011$2.6M$1,656
2010$2.5M$1,551

Up 128% since 2010.

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances8. Traer’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits9

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Tuesday, March 31, 2026, by the Auditor of State.

7 earlier reports for Traer

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? 10

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: $224,817 in FY25, up 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$221,816$217,839$223,603$224,817

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−19%$220,003 → $224,817, up 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% 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 26% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 0% more.

$193,456
$154,957

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2007 worth $25K, for 9 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)11.

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 Traer; 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.

  • Traer City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Brad E. Rund, Carri Holst, Patrisha Kennedy
  • Traer Mayor
    Now held by Peter Armstrong Holden

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here12.

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 ballot13.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress14

Dave Sires (Sen. 38)Derek Wulf (Rep. 76)

U.S. House:District 2

Tama CountyNorth Tama County schools