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Local taxes › Taylor County › Bedford

City

Bedford

Taylor County · How cities work

$3,100 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.82 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,230 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.66 per $1,000)
$655,783property taxes the city levies, FY27
$1.9Mcity 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.

  • Aaron HardeeBedford Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Briana KeyBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Daniel WyckoffBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kenny SpencerBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mason BrownBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tanner PetermanBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jodi StillBedford City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Joel HardeeBedford 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 Bedford

Homes and businesses in most of Bedford pay a combined $36.82 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Taylor County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.66. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.48$15.31
FY21$39.90$15.59
FY22$39.30$15.07
FY23$37.58$14.82
FY24$38.56$15.71
FY25$36.95$14.51
FY26$36.55$14.68
FY27$36.82$14.66
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.48$15.31
FY21$39.90$15.59
FY22$39.30$15.07
FY23$37.58$14.82
FY24$38.56$15.71
FY25$36.95$14.51
FY26$36.55$14.68
FY27$36.82$14.66

Compared with places this size3

Bedford’s city property tax rate of $14.66 per $1,000 is the 45th highest of 124 Iowa cities with 980–2,200 people. The middle of the group is $13.75.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Dysart: $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: $16.34Durant: $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: $14.80Lenox: $14.65Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Dunlap: $14.56Coon 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: $13.39Baxter: $13.32Wapello: $13.29Manly: $13.29Conrad: $13.23Springville: $13.22Shellsburg: $13.20Greenfield: $13.13Treynor: $13.03Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93New Sharon: $12.80Slater: $12.79Malvern: $12.79Buffalo: $12.68Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Dallas Center: $12.42Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Winfield: $12.04Elkhart: $12.00Atkins: $11.99Tabor: $11.88Wellman: $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: $10.99Clarence: $10.94Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Elk Run Heights: $10.33Walcott: $10.29Fredericksburg: $10.27Lake Park: $10.25Central City: $10.01Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Lake View: $9.39Fairbank: $9.00Walford: $8.72Lone Tree: $8.13Riverside: $8.02North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Arnolds Park: $4.95Bedford: $14.66$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 124
#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
11Dysart$17.951,266
12Britt$17.722,001
13Strawberry Point$17.581,141
14Rockwell$17.541,044
15Mapleton$16.901,114
16George$16.891,106
17Manson$16.871,646
18Fayette$16.851,193
19Nashua$16.811,515
20Ackley$16.631,538
21Audubon$16.522,008
22Roland$16.511,376
23Monona$16.411,462
24Aplington$16.341,088
25Durant$16.241,798
26Lamoni$16.152,072
27Panora$16.141,096
28Dike$15.941,293
29Holstein$15.811,475
30State Center$15.801,403
31Pleasantville$15.801,696
32Earlham$15.551,411
33Shell Rock$15.521,265
34Brooklyn$15.491,474
35Stuart$15.481,887
36Mount Ayr$15.321,616
37Granger$15.222,095
38Sigourney$15.201,974
39Guttenberg$15.191,804
40Sidney$15.191,048
41Logan$15.051,351
42Tripoli$14.991,208
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Lenox$14.651,355
47Manning$14.621,390
48Van Meter$14.601,840
49Dunlap$14.561,030
50Coon Rapids$14.491,258
51Nora Springs$14.251,330
52Kingsley$14.251,394
53Urbana$14.201,635
54Sheffield$14.161,123
55Parkersburg$14.151,986
56Hartley$14.111,584
57Ida Grove$14.101,988
58Woodward$14.051,383
59Guthrie Center$14.041,579
60Alton$13.871,248
61Lake Mills$13.822,077
62Montezuma$13.791,421
63Gilbert$13.711,397
64Clarksville$13.531,238
65Avoca$13.511,685
66Janesville$13.431,052
67Glidden$13.431,140
68Calmar$13.391,100
69Baxter$13.32983
70Wapello$13.292,026
71Manly$13.291,233
72Conrad$13.231,098
73Springville$13.221,161
74Shellsburg$13.20987
75Greenfield$13.131,988
76Treynor$13.031,104
77Akron$12.931,545
78Leon$12.931,779
79New Sharon$12.801,249
80Slater$12.791,626
81Malvern$12.791,056
82Buffalo$12.681,163
83Sanborn$12.621,463
84New London$12.561,853
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
91Winfield$12.041,006
92Elkhart$12.001,079
93Atkins$11.992,168
94Tabor$11.88983
95Wellman$11.881,531
96Blue Grass$11.791,707
97Columbus Junction$11.711,794
98Palo$11.491,554
99Prairie City$11.381,722
100Marcus$11.311,069
101Northwood$11.282,047
102Mediapolis$11.271,679
103Melcher-Dallas$11.211,193
104University Heights$11.121,188
105Ogden$10.991,970
106Clarence$10.94991
107Farley$10.911,723
108Oakland$10.851,519
109Moville$10.671,707
110Elk Run Heights$10.331,061
111Walcott$10.291,556
112Fredericksburg$10.27983
113Lake Park$10.251,155
114Central City$10.011,254
115Peosta$9.822,195
116Epworth$9.422,042
117Lake View$9.391,120
118Fairbank$9.001,133
119Walford$8.721,357
120Lone Tree$8.131,341
121Riverside$8.021,063
122North English$7.491,030
123Sloan$7.491,078
124Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Bedford’s general levy is $7.89 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 below the limit.4 539 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.13 · FY26 $8.13 · FY27 $7.89 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $6.77 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$2.46 · $110,012
  • Debt Service Levy$2.16 · $96,374
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.88 · $83,963
  • Aviation Authority$0.27 · $12,056

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$10,390 of taxable value in Bedford is in TIF districts’ increment (0% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6

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$352,28154%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$110,01217%
  • Debt Service Levy$96,37415%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$83,96313%
  • Aviation Authority (under sec.330A.15)$12,0562%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Bedford’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 56¢ of every dollar56¢Public Works: 20¢ of every dollar20¢Public Safety: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Culture and Recreation: 5¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 5¢ of every dollarEverything else: 6¢ 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 123 Iowa cities closest in size (980–2,200 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (123)
Business Type / Enterprise56¢40¢
Public Works20¢12¢
Public Safety8¢11¢
Culture and Recreation5¢8¢
Debt Service5¢7¢
Everything else6¢10¢

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 Works$828,73944%
  • Public Safety$347,14019%
  • Culture and Recreation$281,97915%
  • Debt Service$176,8989%
  • General Government$170,1349%
  • Community and Economic Development$55,2003%
  • Health and Social Services$6,3000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($2.1M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$536,292$310,932
Public Safety$343,640$561,313
Health and Social Services$50$35
General Government$126,700$117,753
Debt Service$191,292$177,312
Culture and Recreation$153,918$128,453
Community and Economic Development$283,840$514,168
Capital Projects$32,000$207,389
Business Type / Enterprise$4.6M$8.3M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out7

$10.4M
$3.3M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Bedford owes

$4.6M at June 30, 2026: $3,067 per resident. 276th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).8

$5.5M
$4.6M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.6M$3,067
2025$4.9M$3,272
2024$5.2M$3,473
2023$5.5M$3,668
2022$3.8M$2,533
2021$2.3M$1,528
2020$1.8M$1,184
2019$2.0M$1,314
2018$2.2M$1,491
2017$2.3M$1,530
2016$2.2M$1,487
2015$2.5M$1,641
2014$2.6M$1,725
2013$2.6M$1,702
2012$2.0M$1,345
2011$1.3M$893
2010$893,111$592
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$4.6M$3,067
2025$4.9M$3,272
2024$5.2M$3,473
2023$5.5M$3,668
2022$3.8M$2,533
2021$2.3M$1,528
2020$1.8M$1,184
2019$2.0M$1,314
2018$2.2M$1,491
2017$2.3M$1,530
2016$2.2M$1,487
2015$2.5M$1,641
2014$2.6M$1,725
2013$2.6M$1,702
2012$2.0M$1,345
2011$1.3M$893
2010$893,111$592

Up 418% since 2010.

The 5% limit9

General obligation debt is $620,000, 16% of the limit of about $3.8M (5% of $75.2M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

4 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWater System Improvements Project2062$3.4M
Revenue Bondssewer srf2032$567,000
General ObligationPolk Street Improvements2033$535,000
General ObligationState Street Paving Proj2027$85,000

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 balances10. Bedford’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).

Audits11

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Monday, October 13, 2025, by the Auditor of State.

14 earlier reports for Bedford

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? 12

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: $217,639 in FY25, up 17% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$206,761$207,518$213,009$214,165
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$8,685$6,886$5,166$3,474

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.

$105,057
$1,439
  • Military Service Repl$1,439100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$15,476
FY20$0
FY21$612
FY22$105,057
FY23$1,804
FY24$1,590
FY25$1,439
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$15,476
FY20$0
FY21$612
FY22$105,057
FY23$1,804
FY24$1,590
FY25$1,439

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−8%$186,027 → $214,165, up 15% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 8% 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 40% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.

$170,040

Federal grants, for comparison: $170,095 in FY25.

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)13.

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

5 seats: the top 5 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Bedford; 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.

  • Bedford City Council At-Large (5 seats)
    Now held by Mason Brown, Joel Hardee, Daniel Wyckoff, Tanner Peterman, Jodi Still
  • Bedford Mayor
    Now held by Aaron Hardee

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here14.

Past ballot measures

  • Public Measure UCNovember 7, 2023

    Passed Yes 81.0% (179) · No 19.0% (42)

    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 ballot15.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress16

Tom Shipley (Sen. 9)Devon Wood (Rep. 17)

U.S. House:District 3

Taylor CountyBedford schools