Local taxes › Van Buren County › Bonaparte

City

Bonaparte

$2,650 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($31.44 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$1,030 a yearof that goes to the city ($12.17 per $1,000)

$109,069property taxes the city levies, FY27

$185,587city 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.

Hayden MillerBonaparte City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Jesse ShortBonaparte City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Kirk MeekBonaparte City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Waylon MillerBonaparte Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
Heath HorstmanBonaparte City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Josie Douthart-PoeBonaparte 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

Where a property tax dollar goes in Bonaparte

The combined rate in most of Bonaparte is $31.44 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). The city sets only its own piece. Estimate your bill.

Everyone else$13.9844%
City of Bonaparte$12.1739%
Van Buren County$5.2917%

Compared with places this size³

Bonaparte’s city property tax rate of $12.17 per $1,000 is the 89th lowest of 201 Iowa cities with 240–530 people. The middle of the group is $12.63.

See all 201

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Stanhope	$29.10	354
2	Rolfe	$22.67	505
3	Fenton	$22.05	250
4	Elliott	$21.61	328
5	Charter Oak	$21.32	521
6	Oxford Junction	$20.84	424
7	Earling	$20.47	394
8	Pomeroy	$19.60	511
9	Fort Atkinson	$19.19	300
10	Salem	$19.15	380
11	Cumberland	$18.42	248
12	Massena	$18.23	352
13	Elma	$17.82	493
14	Callender	$17.78	361
15	Casey	$17.72	387
16	Dows	$17.70	509
17	Vail	$17.66	383
18	Ringsted	$17.65	346
19	Emerson	$17.54	401
20	Thompson	$17.25	478
21	Ashton	$17.17	434
22	Pierson	$17.12	335
23	Burt	$17.10	404
24	Pisgah	$17.09	248
25	Latimer	$16.96	477
26	Lohrville	$16.95	366
27	Lakota	$16.84	261
28	Marble Rock	$16.78	258
29	Auburn	$16.65	253
30	Mccallsburg	$16.58	356
31	Whittemore	$16.54	478
32	Irwin	$16.46	320
33	Titonka	$16.45	491
34	Truro	$16.34	515
35	Lewis	$16.25	358
36	Corwith	$16.22	259
37	Deep River	$16.18	243
38	Duncombe	$16.10	374
39	Bayard	$16.05	402
40	Scranton	$16.01	496
41	Granville	$16.00	302
42	Minburn	$15.75	317
43	Peterson	$15.27	321
44	Russell	$15.18	475
45	Zearing	$14.99	508
46	Arlington	$14.98	415
47	Riverton	$14.94	243
48	Maynard	$14.85	466
49	Plainfield	$14.84	392
50	Ryan	$14.84	348
51	Otho	$14.82	417
52	Wyoming	$14.81	526
53	Humeston	$14.80	472
54	Gilmore City	$14.60	484
55	Sabula	$14.38	498
56	Garrison	$14.38	345
57	Halbur	$14.37	268
58	Lorimor	$14.36	377
59	Crystal Lake	$14.36	243
60	Collins	$14.32	503
61	Kimballton	$14.27	281
62	Ocheyedan	$14.22	424
63	Steamboat Rock	$14.19	261
64	Garwin	$14.08	469
65	Farragut	$14.07	480
66	Mystic	$14.01	318
67	Lime Springs	$13.95	467
68	Dow City	$13.94	477
69	Wesley	$13.91	382
70	Diagonal	$13.91	331
71	Bussey	$13.83	378
72	Mondamin	$13.82	335
73	Livermore	$13.78	382
74	Fertile	$13.70	300
75	Stockport	$13.68	272
76	Kellerton	$13.60	241
77	Albion	$13.58	444
78	Quimby	$13.58	245
79	Lamont	$13.57	429
80	New Albin	$13.55	435
81	Persia	$13.41	292
82	Lawler	$13.39	392
83	Lacona	$13.38	336
84	Leland	$13.31	240
85	Ute	$13.26	326
86	New Market	$13.25	381
87	Plymouth	$13.21	368
88	Harcourt	$13.21	257
89	Bennett	$13.16	330
90	Ridgeway	$13.10	261
91	Farmersburg	$13.09	264
92	Anthon	$13.05	534
93	Little Rock	$13.03	447
94	Lehigh	$12.97	395
95	Menlo	$12.92	347
96	Templeton	$12.91	337
97	Silver City	$12.87	244
98	Martelle	$12.83	250
99	Malcom	$12.82	257
100	Galva	$12.68	416
101	Martensdale	$12.63	413
102	Williams	$12.57	299
103	Maurice	$12.56	271
104	Norway	$12.53	463
105	Clearfield	$12.50	277
106	Kensett	$12.47	256
107	Mccausland	$12.45	314
108	Spillville	$12.40	371
109	Modale	$12.34	284
110	Mingo	$12.31	314
111	Brandon	$12.29	331
112	Blakesburg	$12.21	273
113	Bonaparte	$12.17	357
114	Macedonia	$12.12	266
115	Hawkeye	$12.11	429
116	Kiron	$12.03	262
117	Colesburg	$11.97	379
118	Liscomb	$11.96	292
119	Thornton	$11.86	394
120	Runnells	$11.79	467
121	Allerton	$11.72	432
122	Atalissa	$11.71	287
123	Kelley	$11.69	312
124	Orient	$11.66	363
125	Ellsworth	$11.57	495
126	Cincinnati	$11.57	280
127	Delta	$11.52	257
128	Terril	$11.48	310
129	Westside	$11.45	283
130	Holland	$11.37	261
131	Churdan	$11.31	359
132	Mallard	$11.28	255
133	Miles	$11.28	400
134	Milton	$10.98	395
135	New Vienna	$10.91	384
136	Letts	$10.91	358
137	Goose Lake	$10.89	250
138	Birmingham	$10.87	371
139	Charlotte	$10.86	386
140	Yale	$10.85	265
141	Richland	$10.82	532
142	Batavia	$10.77	434
143	Hornick	$10.74	255
144	Riverdale	$10.67	385
145	Bode	$10.64	304
146	Union	$10.58	378
147	Calamus	$10.47	348
148	Lovilia	$10.46	456
149	Danbury	$10.43	315
150	Lytton	$10.38	274
151	Stacyville	$10.36	436
152	Rhodes	$10.36	269
153	Deloit	$10.28	246
154	Protivin	$10.28	264
155	Andrew	$10.22	374
156	Royal	$10.20	379
157	Bronson	$10.14	294
158	Rudd	$10.13	339
159	Defiance	$10.05	248
160	Floyd	$10.02	297
161	Cumming	$9.85	527
162	Breda	$9.80	492
163	Lynnville	$9.68	382
164	Salix	$9.63	303
165	Luxemburg	$9.58	240
166	Farnhamville	$9.18	364
167	Middletown	$9.16	365
168	Alleman	$9.12	439
169	Lester	$8.94	309
170	Harvey	$8.71	242
171	Ainsworth	$8.62	511
172	Rowley	$8.31	264
173	Gilman	$8.10	530
174	Lost Nation	$8.10	425
175	Low Moor	$8.10	242
176	Bertram	$8.10	267
177	Grandview	$8.10	431
178	Nichols	$8.10	317
179	Luana	$7.98	303
180	Lockridge	$7.92	245
181	Delhi	$7.81	438
182	Klemme	$7.74	429
183	Pulaski	$7.58	259
184	Beacon	$7.56	434
185	Sheldahl	$7.56	312
186	Worthington	$7.50	374
187	Harpers Ferry	$7.49	273
188	Marquette	$7.08	434
189	Columbus City	$6.94	385
190	Donahue	$6.83	336
191	Libertyville	$6.60	278
192	Keswick	$6.49	238
193	Crawfordsville	$6.44	278
194	New Virginia	$5.97	499
195	Holy Cross	$5.91	348
196	Conesville	$5.86	350
197	University Park	$5.27	476
198	Orleans	$4.13	503
199	Maharishi Vedic City	$3.87	290
200	Wahpeton	$3.19	337
201	West Okoboji	$2.92	311

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$70,41365%
Total Employee Benefit Levies$19,70518%
Liability, property & self insurance costs$18,23917%
Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$6381%

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Bonaparte’s budget goes, FY26

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (199)
Business Type / Enterprise	42¢	39¢
Public Works	24¢	19¢
Public Safety	12¢	9¢
General Government	12¢	15¢
Culture and Recreation	9¢	8¢
Everything else	<1¢	2¢

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 199 Iowa cities closest in size (240–530 people).

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$66,23736%
General Government$48,77726%
Culture and Recreation$37,83320%
Public Safety$32,19017%
Community and Economic Development$5500%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($115,500 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$84,375	$75,885
Public Safety	$28,420	$26,923
Health and Social Services	$0	$0
General Government	$41,485	$43,946
Debt Service	$0	$0
Culture and Recreation	$30,118	$21,319
Community and Economic Development	$450	$355
Capital Projects	$0	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$0	$134,911

What it spent each year

$666,513

$303,339

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23

State money

What the state sends the city

Sales tax and property tax credits the state paid the city: down 1% since FY23; down 9% after inflation.

In today's dollarsActual dollars

Show the numbers

Program	FY27	FY26	FY25	FY24	FY23
Local option sales tax	$3,891	$43,370	$41,486	$39,084	$43,819

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

Bonaparte City Council At-Large

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Jesse Short Winner6431.7%
Kirk Meek Winner5024.8%
Hayden Miller Winner3818.8%
Dalton Schmitt 3416.8%
Mindy Smith 167.9%

Bonaparte Mayor

Waylon Miller Winner3978.0%
Lois Mellinger 1122.0%

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Bonaparte; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress⁴

Adrian Dickey (Sen. 44)Jeff Shipley (Rep. 87)

U.S. House:District 1

Van Buren CountyHarmony schools

Notes

For a $200,000 home with the homestead credit, at the combined rate in most of the city. Some parts of the city pay a different rate (special districts, tax increment financing districts). ↩
Cities adopt their budgets each spring for the year starting July 1. ↩
FY27 rates from the Department of Management. A higher rate isn’t always a bigger bill: it depends on how much property there is to tax. Sizes: Census Bureau 2024 estimates. ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Bonaparte; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Bonaparte works within. ↩

Sources: City budgets and levies from the Department of Management; tax rates from the Iowa Data Hub; state payments from the Department of Revenue; prices from the consumer price index; legislative districts from Census Bureau maps.