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Local taxes › Washington County › Wellman

City

Wellman

Washington County · How cities work

$3,170 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($37.60 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,000 a yearof that goes to the city ($11.88 per $1,000)
$633,962property taxes the city levies, FY27
$1.7Mcity 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.

  • Fern BontragerWellman City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Ryan J MillerWellman Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Shannon McCainWellman City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Aaron FlemingWellman City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Angela StutzmanWellman City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Nathan KlostermannWellman 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 Wellman

Homes and businesses in most of Wellman pay a combined $37.60 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Washington County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $11.88. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.38$12.16
FY21$36.16$11.90
FY22$35.14$11.11
FY23$35.51$10.91
FY24$35.79$10.73
FY25$36.35$10.81
FY26$37.11$11.70
FY27$37.60$11.88
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$36.38$12.16
FY21$36.16$11.90
FY22$35.14$11.11
FY23$35.51$10.91
FY24$35.79$10.73
FY25$36.35$10.81
FY26$37.11$11.70
FY27$37.60$11.88

Compared with places this size3

Wellman’s city property tax rate of $11.88 per $1,000 is the 28th lowest of 120 Iowa cities with 1,000–2,300 people. The middle of the group is $13.96.

Elkader: $27.11Laurens: $24.16Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Villisca: $19.74Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $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: $16.34Durant: $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: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Lenox: $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: $13.39Wapello: $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: $11.99Blue 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: $8.02North English: $7.49Sloan: $7.49Arnolds Park: $4.95Wellman: $11.88$4.95 lowest$27.11 highestmiddle
See all 120
#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
26Durant$16.241,798
27Lamoni$16.152,072
28Panora$16.141,096
29Dike$15.941,293
30Holstein$15.811,475
31State Center$15.801,403
32Pleasantville$15.801,696
33Earlham$15.551,411
34Shell Rock$15.521,265
35Brooklyn$15.491,474
36Stuart$15.481,887
37Mount Ayr$15.321,616
38Granger$15.222,095
39Sigourney$15.201,974
40Guttenberg$15.191,804
41Sidney$15.191,048
42Logan$15.051,351
43Tripoli$14.991,208
44Sumner$14.832,032
45Woodbine$14.801,707
46Bedford$14.661,474
47Lenox$14.651,355
48Manning$14.621,390
49Van Meter$14.601,840
50Dunlap$14.561,030
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
118North English$7.491,030
119Sloan$7.491,078
120Arnolds Park$4.951,214

The $8.10 limit

Wellman’s general levy is $8.29 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.19 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 94 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.37 · FY26 $8.37 · FY27 $8.29 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $3.59 more5

  • Debt Service Levy$2.50 · $138,097
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.09 · $57,462

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$2.2M of taxable value in Wellman is in TIF districts’ increment (4% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $69,282 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$231,571
$164,205

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 $20,882 of the city’s own.

  • Mid Prairie schools$19,110
  • Washington County$18,968
YearTIF revenue
FY16$211,970
FY17$197,318
FY18$224,218
FY19$214,587
FY20$199,104
FY21$231,571
FY22$161,807
FY23$164,205
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$211,970
FY17$197,318
FY18$224,218
FY19$214,587
FY20$199,104
FY21$231,571
FY22$161,807
FY23$164,205

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$438,40369%
  • Debt Service Levy$138,09722%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$57,4629%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Wellman’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 58¢ of every dollar58¢Culture and Recreation: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Works: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Public Safety: 8¢ of every dollar8¢General Government: 6¢ of every dollarEverything else: 4¢ 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 119 Iowa cities closest in size (1,000–2,300 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (119)
Business Type / Enterprise58¢40¢
Culture and Recreation16¢8¢
Public Works9¢12¢
Public Safety8¢11¢
General Government6¢7¢
Everything else4¢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.

  • Capital Projects$450,00027%
  • Culture and Recreation$339,25520%
  • Public Works$258,11615%
  • Public Safety$219,03013%
  • Debt Service$199,79512%
  • General Government$167,68710%
  • Community and Economic Development$62,3404%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.6M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$215,535$221,899
Public Safety$152,441$170,121
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$124,870$160,726
Debt Service$122,521$122,274
Culture and Recreation$389,495$534,605
Community and Economic Development$45,460$17,551
Capital Projects$137,000$39,501
Business Type / Enterprise$1.3M$1.7M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$12.5M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Wellman owes

$6.3M at June 30, 2026: $4,134 per resident. 164th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$7.4M
$6.3M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$6.3M$4,134
2025$5.3M$3,465
2024$2.1M$1,347
2023$2.2M$1,449
2022$2.4M$1,600
2021$2.7M$1,801
2020$3.3M$2,189
2019$4.0M$2,618
2018$4.6M$3,044
2017$5.3M$3,486
2016$5.3M$3,458
2015$5.9M$3,847
2014$6.2M$4,091
2013$6.8M$4,472
2012$7.4M$4,866
2011$6.3M$4,153
2010$3.6M$2,391
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$6.3M$4,134
2025$5.3M$3,465
2024$2.1M$1,347
2023$2.2M$1,449
2022$2.4M$1,600
2021$2.7M$1,801
2020$3.3M$2,189
2019$4.0M$2,618
2018$4.6M$3,044
2017$5.3M$3,486
2016$5.3M$3,458
2015$5.9M$3,847
2014$6.2M$4,091
2013$6.8M$4,472
2012$7.4M$4,866
2011$6.3M$4,153
2010$3.6M$2,391

Up 73% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $2.0M, 37% of the limit of about $5.5M (5% of $109.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

9 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWapello Rural Water Connection2055$2.7M
General ObligationWatermain Replacement Project2045$1.3M
Revenue BondsRO water plant SRF water revenue debt2039$1.3M
General ObligationBridge Project2044$585,000
Revenue BondsDISINFECTION & UV SEWER PLANT PROJECT2037$263,000
General ObligationParkside Activity center USDA TIf2030$110,260
Revenue Bonds2014 WWTP Bar Screen2034$90,000
General ObligationVehicle purchase2028$55,083
Revenue Bonds11TH STREET SEWER PROJECT2027$7,244

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

Audits12

The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Thursday, October 23, 2025, by a CPA firm.

13 earlier reports for Wellman

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: $216,437 in FY25, up 19% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 5% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$207,776$209,720$215,269$216,437

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.

$309,442
  • Iowa DOT projects$245,23779%
  • State grants$64,20521%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$3,025
FY20$3,305
FY21$52,295
FY22$115,590
FY23$112,114
FY24$102,792
FY25$309,442
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$3,025
FY20$3,305
FY21$52,295
FY22$115,590
FY23$112,114
FY24$102,792
FY25$309,442

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−5%$181,894 → $216,437, up 19% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 5% 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 51% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 21% more.

$237,990
$231,242

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

Community college new jobs training: 1 contract since 2008 worth $95K, for 11 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)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

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Wellman; 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.

  • Wellman City Council At-Large (3 seats)
    Now held by Nathan Klostermann, Angela Stutzman, Aaron Fleming

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

Dawn Driscoll (Sen. 46)Heather Hora (Rep. 92)

U.S. House:District 1

Washington CountyMid-Prairie schools