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Local taxes › Winnebago County › Forest City

City

Forest City

Winnebago County · How cities work

$3,150 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($37.37 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,330 a yearof that goes to the city ($15.77 per $1,000)
$2.5Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$6.4Mcity 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.

  • Al StokkaForest City City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Carly C. CarperForest City City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Karl WooldridgeForest City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Karl WooldridgeForest City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Marcia TweetenForest City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Marcia TweetenForest City City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Brad BuffingtonForest City City Council Ward 2 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Daniel DavisForest City City Council Ward 4 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Daniel DavisForest City City Council Ward 4 · elected November 7, 2023
  • Ronald E. HollandForest City Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Ronald E. HollandForest City Mayor · elected November 7, 2023
  • Kelli WelpForest City Park and Recreation Board · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kelli WelpForest City Park and Recreation Board · elected November 4, 2025
  • Samuel JefsonForest City Park and Recreation Board · elected November 4, 2025
  • Samuel JefsonForest City Park and Recreation Board · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tom ClareyForest City Park and Recreation Board · elected November 4, 2025

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 Forest City

Homes and businesses in most of Forest City pay a combined $37.37 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Winnebago County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $15.77. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.97$17.64
FY21$38.30$17.26
FY22$37.61$17.10
FY23$37.16$16.63
FY24$40.86$17.20
FY25$39.63$16.96
FY26$40.47$17.40
FY27$37.37$15.77
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$38.97$17.64
FY21$38.30$17.26
FY22$37.61$17.10
FY23$37.16$16.63
FY24$40.86$17.20
FY25$39.63$16.96
FY26$40.47$17.40
FY27$37.37$15.77

Compared with places this size3

Forest City’s city property tax rate of $15.77 per $1,000 is the 20th highest of 61 Iowa cities with 2,800–6,300 people. The middle of the group is $14.77.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Tama: $17.74Clarinda: $17.25Madrid: $16.93Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Grundy Center: $16.36Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Tipton: $15.54Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Windsor Heights: $14.30Osage: $14.29Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Wilton: $13.62Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Hudson: $13.19Garner: $12.86Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Milford: $12.57Huxley: $11.68West Branch: $11.63Solon: $11.53Williamsburg: $11.11Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17West Burlington: $10.15Robins: $9.68Asbury: $8.32Fairfax: $8.10Evansdale: $8.00Forest City: $15.77$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 61
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Albia$19.703,579
4Eagle Grove$19.323,615
5Independence$19.016,266
6Iowa Falls$18.864,993
7West Liberty$18.683,724
8Chariton$18.374,278
9Tama$17.742,997
10Clarinda$17.255,334
11Madrid$16.932,824
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Grundy Center$16.362,821
15Vinton$16.254,962
16Winterset$16.155,421
17Cresco$16.133,890
18Humboldt$16.004,774
19Anamosa$15.955,845
20Forest City$15.774,199
21Tipton$15.543,059
22Sheldon$15.335,584
23Estherville$15.275,796
24Harlan$15.074,898
25Shenandoah$15.024,878
26Manchester$14.965,283
27Jefferson$14.884,148
28Hampton$14.864,340
29Carlisle$14.824,381
30Cherokee$14.825,186
31Glenwood$14.775,250
32Waukon$14.763,799
33Monticello$14.494,095
34Osceola$14.375,585
35Windsor Heights$14.305,106
36Osage$14.293,559
37Rock Valley$13.764,024
38Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
39Emmetsburg$13.703,632
40Wilton$13.622,914
41Mount Vernon$13.504,518
42New Hampton$13.443,433
43Hudson$13.192,916
44Garner$12.863,049
45Maquoketa$12.856,064
46Camanche$12.754,536
47Le Claire$12.644,776
48Milford$12.573,258
49Huxley$11.684,737
50West Branch$11.632,876
51Solon$11.533,284
52Williamsburg$11.113,380
53Carter Lake$10.673,752
54Story City$10.393,439
55Dyersville$10.274,559
56Spirit Lake$10.175,548
57West Burlington$10.153,249
58Robins$9.683,362
59Asbury$8.326,051
60Fairfax$8.102,937
61Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Forest City’s general levy is $7.94 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.16 below the limit.4 487 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.94 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.94 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $7.83 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.78 · $583,071
  • Debt Service Levy$3.02 · $507,257
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.79 · $121,598
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.23 · $36,041

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$8.2M of taxable value in Forest City is in TIF districts’ increment (4% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $568,173 in TIF revenue for FY25.

$679,907
$497,690

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 $105,110 of the city’s own.

  • Winnebago County$64,234
  • Forest City schools$47,832
  • Hancock County$1,342
YearTIF revenue
FY16$551,912
FY17$662,573
FY18$618,492
FY19$491,497
FY20$592,872
FY21$641,925
FY22$679,907
FY23$497,690
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$551,912
FY17$662,573
FY18$618,492
FY19$491,497
FY20$592,872
FY21$641,925
FY22$679,907
FY23$497,690

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$1.2M50%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$583,07124%
  • Debt Service Levy$507,25721%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$121,5985%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$36,0411%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

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

Business Type / Enterprise: 73¢ of every dollar73¢Capital Projects: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Public Safety: 7¢ of every dollarDebt Service: 4¢ of every dollarCulture and Recreation: 3¢ 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 60 Iowa cities closest in size (2,800–6,300 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (60)
Business Type / Enterprise73¢36¢
Capital Projects10¢17¢
Public Safety7¢14¢
Debt Service4¢8¢
Culture and Recreation3¢8¢
Everything else4¢17¢

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$2.3M35%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.1M17%
  • Debt Service$865,87713%
  • Public Works$836,30213%
  • Capital Projects$500,0008%
  • Community and Economic Development$495,8478%
  • General Government$367,3006%
  • Health and Social Services$17,3000%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($25.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$1.4M$867,108
Public Safety$1.5M$1.5M
Health and Social Services$17,250$16,801
General Government$190,970$261,013
Debt Service$1.0M$1.0M
Culture and Recreation$980,560$1.1M
Community and Economic Development$479,188$1.1M
Capital Projects$1.0M$54,442
Business Type / Enterprise$11.7M$9.1M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$23.9M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Forest City owes

$14.4M at June 30, 2026: $3,368 per resident. 242nd most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$14.4M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$14.4M$3,368
2025$6.5M$1,507
2024$5.7M$1,341
2023$7.2M$1,678
2022$8.6M$2,004
2021$10.0M$2,322
2020$11.3M$2,641
2019$12.9M$3,019
2018$5.2M$1,210
2017$6.3M$1,463
2016$7.3M$1,714
2015$7.0M$1,628
2014$7.9M$1,851
2013$6.9M$1,601
2012$7.6M$1,783
2011$8.4M$1,960
2010$9.1M$2,132
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$14.4M$3,368
2025$6.5M$1,507
2024$5.7M$1,341
2023$7.2M$1,678
2022$8.6M$2,004
2021$10.0M$2,322
2020$11.3M$2,641
2019$12.9M$3,019
2018$5.2M$1,210
2017$6.3M$1,463
2016$7.3M$1,714
2015$7.0M$1,628
2014$7.9M$1,851
2013$6.9M$1,601
2012$7.6M$1,783
2011$8.4M$1,960
2010$9.1M$2,132

Up 58% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $12.1M, 82% of the limit of about $14.8M (5% of $296.0M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

8 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationNew sewer plant2056$7.3M
Revenue BondsElectric Project Phase 1 A, B, & C2033$2.4M
General ObligationUtilities/Sewers2044$1.9M
General Obligation2024 St Project2036$1.6M
General Obligation2018 Street Project2028$585,350
General ObligationUSDA Heartland Loan for BFAC2028$250,000
General ObligationIFA Westown Place Loan2036$216,666
General ObligationUSDA WCTA Loan for BFAC2027$192,308

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. Forest City’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Tuesday, December 9, 2025, by a CPA firm.

15 earlier reports for Forest City

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: $608,553 in FY25, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$588,990$589,664$605,267$608,553
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)–$62,535––

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.

$573,731
  • State grants$573,446100%
  • Iowa DOT projects$2850%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$326,490
FY20$8,130
FY21$8,389
FY22$12,012
FY23$10,654
FY24$100,706
FY25$573,731
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$326,490
FY20$8,130
FY21$8,389
FY22$12,012
FY23$10,654
FY24$100,706
FY25$573,731

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−12%$552,236 → $608,553, up 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% 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 31% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% more.

$613,323
$590,589

Federal grants, for comparison: $1.7M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

  • Winnebago Industries, Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY19 · Not going ahead: Declined or withdrawn · 148 jobs required
    $361K

Community college new jobs training: 2 contracts since 2012 worth $70K, for 10 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 · 8

2 seats: the top 2 win.

2 seats: the top 2 win.

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Forest 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.

  • Forest City City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Karl Wooldridge, Karl Wooldridge
  • Forest City City Council Ward 2
    Now held by Brad Buffington
  • Forest City City Council Ward 4 (2 seats)
    Now held by Daniel Davis, Daniel Davis
  • Forest City Mayor (2 seats)
    Now held by Ronald E. Holland, Ronald E. Holland

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

David D. Rowley (Sen. 5)Henry Stone (Rep. 9)

U.S. House:District 4

Winnebago CountyForest City schools