Local taxes › Wayne County › Promise City

City

Promise City

$2,810 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.42 per $1,000 of taxable value)¹

$940 a yearof that goes to the city ($11.13 per $1,000)

$18,059property taxes the city levies, FY27

$38,313city 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.

Ella RecoyPromise City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Nick HowellPromise City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Paul McClainPromise City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Shonda M JohnsonPromise City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Brenda DeVorePromise City Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
Heth Brown (Write-In)Promise City City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Tim Tometich (Write-In)Promise City 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 Promise City

Homes and businesses in most of Promise City pay a combined $33.42 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Wayne County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $11.13. Estimate your bill.

City of Promise City$11.1333%
Seymour schools$10.1630%
Wayne County$6.4719%
Wayne County Hospital$3.6711%
Indian Hills Community College$1.244%
Wayne County Assessor$0.451%
Wayne County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.30<1%

Rates over time

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

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$34.25	$8.41
FY21	$33.57	$8.37
FY22	$35.29	$10.51
FY23	$33.94	$10.94
FY24	$34.89	$11.09
FY25	$33.69	$10.90
FY26	$34.36	$11.19
FY27	$33.42	$11.13

Show the numbers

Year	Combined	City’s own
FY20	$34.25	$8.41
FY21	$33.57	$8.37
FY22	$35.29	$10.51
FY23	$33.94	$10.94
FY24	$34.89	$11.09
FY25	$33.69	$10.90
FY26	$34.36	$11.19
FY27	$33.42	$11.13

Compared with places this size³

Promise City’s city property tax rate of $11.13 per $1,000 is the 39th highest of 116 Iowa cities with 60–140 people. The middle of the group is $9.33.

See all 116

#	Place	Rate per $1,000	People
1	Castana	$34.13	103
2	Dougherty	$25.38	61
3	Hansell	$23.66	85
4	Whitten	$22.65	98
5	Stanley	$20.69	86
6	Rowan	$19.53	118
7	Chester	$19.30	134
8	Bouton	$19.25	125
9	Ricketts	$19.22	105
10	Varina	$19.09	69
11	Sharpsburg	$18.93	69
12	Grant	$18.71	82
13	Swaledale	$18.62	136
14	Derby	$18.13	89
15	Monmouth	$16.41	129
16	Blockton	$16.37	123
17	Waterville	$16.25	112
18	Popejoy	$15.80	76
19	Woodburn	$15.59	133
20	Marne	$15.03	109
21	Baldwin	$14.91	99
22	Truesdale	$14.56	64
23	Ayrshire	$13.55	128
24	Searsboro	$13.55	129
25	Ferguson	$13.53	98
26	Lanesboro	$13.53	112
27	Clemons	$12.69	135
28	Cylinder	$12.52	84
29	Millersburg	$12.40	135
30	Arion	$12.14	99
31	East Peru	$11.89	119
32	Dolliver	$11.85	63
33	Morley	$11.74	94
34	Ledyard	$11.74	118
35	Toronto	$11.68	101
36	Matlock	$11.44	74
37	Melrose	$11.27	110
38	Nodaway	$11.20	74
39	Promise City	$11.13	91
40	Masonville	$11.00	98
41	Somers	$10.99	121
42	Havelock	$10.95	127
43	Numa	$10.80	69
44	Pacific Junction	$10.56	99
45	Oto	$10.45	71
46	Bradgate	$10.37	76
47	North Washington	$10.23	107
48	Dawson	$10.19	110
49	Hartwick	$9.90	91
50	Gray	$9.85	62
51	Clare	$9.81	133
52	Rutland	$9.65	116
53	Superior	$9.58	127
54	Webster	$9.55	94
55	Nemaha	$9.53	65
56	Martinsburg	$9.49	109
57	Larrabee	$9.41	116
58	Hamilton	$9.35	125
59	Wiota	$9.32	91
60	Floris	$9.29	119
61	Mitchell	$9.22	118
62	Westphalia	$9.18	133
63	Welton	$8.86	124
64	Archer	$8.84	116
65	Fraser	$8.81	107
66	Macksburg	$8.81	103
67	Andover	$8.28	106
68	Carpenter	$8.10	92
69	Chillicothe	$8.10	79
70	Clio	$8.10	67
71	Orchard	$8.10	64
72	Rome	$8.10	112
73	Scarville	$8.10	75
74	Shannon City	$8.10	73
75	Struble	$8.10	72
76	Turin	$8.10	69
77	Unionville	$8.10	74
78	Westfield	$8.10	121
79	Vincent	$8.09	125
80	Buckeye	$7.94	82
81	Gruver	$7.89	63
82	Redding	$7.86	64
83	Morrison	$7.86	101
84	Oyens	$7.86	88
85	Ralston	$7.86	76
86	Chatsworth	$7.86	72
87	Cromwell	$7.81	104
88	Arispe	$7.71	95
89	Luzerne	$7.69	111
90	Westwood	$7.67	96
91	Kinross	$7.57	80
92	Bernard	$7.56	117
93	Bevington	$7.41	62
94	Garber	$7.35	76
95	Franklin	$7.31	133
96	Spring Hill	$7.26	68
97	Greenville	$7.24	69
98	Spragueville	$7.20	92
99	Weldon	$7.18	134
100	Craig	$7.01	78
101	Brunsville	$6.95	128
102	Zwingle	$6.93	86
103	Pleasant Plain	$6.79	83
104	Houghton	$6.73	129
105	Williamson	$6.72	126
106	Willey	$6.69	72
107	Lincoln	$6.32	119
108	Tennant	$6.29	83
109	Ackworth	$5.90	117
110	Harper	$5.29	117
111	Keomah Village	$3.15	107
112	Mcintire	$2.78	115
113	Graf	$2.56	76
114	Centralia	$2.41	117
115	North Buena Vista	$1.78	107
116	Balltown	$0.12	78

The $8.10 limit

Promise City’s general levy is $8.65 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.55 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.⁴ 10 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

$8.10

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.65 · FY26 $8.65 · FY27 $8.65 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $2.48 more⁵

Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.07 · $3,356
Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.42 · $674

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$14,02978%
Liability, property & self insurance costs$3,35619%
Total Employee Benefit Levies$6744%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Promise City’s budget goes, FY26

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 117 Iowa cities closest in size (60–140 people).

Where it goes	Of each dollar	Cities this size (117)
Business Type / Enterprise	38¢	16¢
General Government	36¢	29¢
Public Works	18¢	32¢
Public Safety	9¢	10¢
Culture and Recreation	<1¢	7¢

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.

General Government$17,65946%
Public Works$12,80033%
Public Safety$7,75420%
Culture and Recreation$1000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($28,358 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23

Function	Budget	Spent
Public Works	$12,800	$7,599
Public Safety	$8,200	$6,588
Health and Social Services	$0	$0
General Government	$12,364	$12,008
Debt Service	$0	$0
Culture and Recreation	$125	$97
Community and Economic Development	$0	$0
Capital Projects	$0	$0
Business Type / Enterprise	$27,988	$24,303

What it spent each year

FY24 left out⁶

$103,878

$56,914

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Promise City owes

$350,215 at June 30, 2026: $3,980 per resident. 182nd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).⁷

$569,763

$350,215

June 30	Owed	Per resident
2026	$350,215	$3,980
2025	$360,055	$4,092
2024	$369,678	$4,201
2023	$389,500	$4,426
2022	$401,109	$4,558
2021	$397,296	$4,515
2020	$406,100	$4,615
2019	$405,871	$4,612
2018	$434,479	$4,937
2017	$459,420	$5,221
2016	$459,420	$5,221
2015	$569,763	$6,475
2014	$569,763	$6,475
2013	$569,763	$6,475
2012	$0	$0
2011	$0	$0
2010	$60,920	$692

Show the numbers

June 30	Owed	Per resident
2026	$350,215	$3,980
2025	$360,055	$4,092
2024	$369,678	$4,201
2023	$389,500	$4,426
2022	$401,109	$4,558
2021	$397,296	$4,515
2020	$406,100	$4,615
2019	$405,871	$4,612
2018	$434,479	$4,937
2017	$459,420	$5,221
2016	$459,420	$5,221
2015	$569,763	$6,475
2014	$569,763	$6,475
2013	$569,763	$6,475
2012	$0	$0
2011	$0	$0
2010	$60,920	$692

Up 475% since 2010.

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances⁸. Promise City’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination Follow-Up, period ending Monday, April 30, 2018 (PDF).

Audits⁹

The latest: Special Investigation/Fraud for the period ending Monday, August 31, 2020 (PDF), released Thursday, December 2, 2021, by the Auditor of State. It’s a special investigation, done when there are signs money was misused.

3 earlier reports for Promise City

Periodic Examination Follow-Up, period ending Monday, April 30, 2018Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Periodic Examination, period ending Thursday, March 31, 2016Friday, September 30, 2016
Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2011Wednesday, August 20, 2014

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: $11,725 in FY25, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers

Source	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)	$11,985	$11,363	$11,661	$11,725

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

Road Use Tax (streets)−18%$11,405 → $11,725, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% 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.

$12,723

$11,209

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)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

Promise City City Council At-Large

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Paul McClain Winner1034.5%
Ella Recoy Winner1034.5%
Nick Howell Winner931.0%

Promise City City Council At-Large To Fill a Vacancy

Shonda M Johnson Unopposed9100.0%

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Promise City; 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.

Promise City City Council At-Large (2 seats)
Now held by Tim Tometich (Write-In), Heth Brown (Write-In)
Promise City Mayor
Now held by Brenda DeVore

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

Amy Sinclair (Sen. 12)Sam Wengryn (Rep. 24)

U.S. House:District 3

Wayne County Seymour 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. ↩
Iowa Code section 384.1, as changed by House File 718 (2023). Until FY25 a city’s regular general levy was capped at $8.10 by itself, and a city at the cap could add an emergency levy of up to $0.27. From FY25 the general levy and several smaller levies were combined into one “consolidated” general levy with an $8.10 limit; a city whose combined rate was above $8.10 lowers it in steps, in years its taxable value grows by more than the law allows, until it reaches $8.10. So years before FY25 aren’t directly comparable with later ones. ↩
Levies outside the limit are each set aside for one purpose and have their own rules: debt service pays back bonds voters or the council approved, employee benefits cover pensions and insurance, and some (transit, an airport, insurance costs) have their own caps in state law. ↩
The state’s FY24 spending file repeats the year before for nearly every Iowa city, so that year isn’t shown. ↩
From the reports each government files with the Treasurer of State’s debt reporting site. “Per resident” divides by the population the site lists, the same figure for every year, so the trend shows the debt itself changing. ↩
The Department of Management’s city budget and annual report files on the Iowa Data Hub give revenue and spending by city, but no beginning or ending fund balances. A city’s audit or annual financial report has them, in its statement of net position and its fund balance schedules. ↩
From the Auditor of State’s list of audit reports. Every Iowa city, county and school district is audited or examined: larger ones each year by a CPA firm or the Auditor of State, small cities every few years. Findings are problems the auditors report, from weak controls over cash to breaking a law. ↩
From the city’s annual financial reports to the state (Iowa Data Hub, city actual revenues). “Today’s dollars” adjusts each year by the consumer price index for the Midwest, so a flat line in today’s dollars means the money buys the same as before. ↩
Iowa Code §376.4(1)(a): nomination papers are filed 71 to 47 days before the election, by 5:00 p.m. on the last day. Cities that may hold a primary election file earlier: 85 to 68 days before. ↩
Expected seats come from when each seat was last elected and its term. Filed candidates come from civicAPI and, in Black Hawk, Johnson and Scott counties, the auditor’s published candidate list, read weekly while filing is open. Check with the county auditor or city clerk before relying on it. Only names are shown. ↩
Iowa Code §39.2(4) (2026), paragraph d: “For any political subdivision of this state, if the special election is in whole or in part for the question of issuing bonds or other indebtedness, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.” This applies to bond elections on or after July 1, 2023. Subsection 2 adds that “a special election for a city, school district, or merged area shall not be scheduled to coincide with the general election.” A few kinds of elections follow their own rules (“unless otherwise provided by law”). ↩
Legislative and congressional districts that cover Promise City; percentages are rough shares of its area. These lawmakers write the state laws and budget Promise City 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.

Promise City

Who runs it

Meetings and agendas

Property taxes

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Promise City

Rates over time

Compared with places this size3

The $8.10 limit

Outside the limit: $2.48 more5

The city’s levies, FY27

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of Promise City’s budget goes, FY26

Planned spending, FY27

What it spent each year

Debt, reserves and audits

What Promise City owes

Money in reserve

Audits9

State money

What the state pays the city every year

Has it kept up with prices?

Collected by the state for the city

Business awards

Elections

Most recent: November 4, 2025

Who has filed for Tuesday, November 2, 2027

Past ballot measures

When a measure can be on the ballot

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress14

Compared with places this size³

Outside the limit: $2.48 more⁵

Audits⁹

At the Statehouse and in Congress¹⁴