Display
Language
About accessibility
Language
Display
Sign in

Local taxes › Winnebago County › Lake Mills

City

Lake Mills

Winnebago County · How cities work

$3,030 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($36.01 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,160 a yearof that goes to the city ($13.82 per $1,000)
$657,512property taxes the city levies, FY27
$2.7Mcity 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.

  • Bruce HelgesonLake Mills Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kristin W. PetersLake Mills City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark PetersonLake Mills City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rob HughesLake Mills City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Bob StorbyLake Mills City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Laurel DomokosLake Mills City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Nathan OstranderLake Mills 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 Lake Mills

Homes and businesses in most of Lake Mills pay a combined $36.01 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, $13.82. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.97$13.55
FY21$35.90$13.55
FY22$34.81$13.43
FY23$33.06$13.43
FY24$36.32$13.47
FY25$35.84$13.60
FY26$36.61$13.68
FY27$36.01$13.82
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$35.97$13.55
FY21$35.90$13.55
FY22$34.81$13.43
FY23$33.06$13.43
FY24$36.32$13.47
FY25$35.84$13.60
FY26$36.61$13.68
FY27$36.01$13.82

Compared with places this size3

Lake Mills’s city property tax rate of $13.82 per $1,000 is the 47th lowest of 102 Iowa cities with 1,400–3,100 people. The middle of the group is $14.18.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Monona: $16.41Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Holstein: $15.81State Center: $15.80Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Earlham: $15.55Tipton: $15.54Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Manning: $14.62Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Kingsley: $14.25Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Guthrie Center: $14.04Montezuma: $13.79Gilbert: $13.71Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Garner: $12.86Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Sanborn: $12.62New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Kalona: $10.37Walcott: $10.29Peosta: $9.82Epworth: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Lake Mills: $13.82$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 102
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Traer$19.561,547
9Corning$19.361,509
10Lake City$19.321,656
11Corydon$18.221,563
12Toledo$18.212,372
13La Porte City$18.082,267
14Tama$17.742,997
15Clarion$17.742,751
16Britt$17.722,001
17Missouri Valley$17.682,638
18Madrid$16.932,824
19Manson$16.871,646
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22West Union$16.602,435
23Audubon$16.522,008
24Monona$16.411,462
25Grundy Center$16.362,821
26Belle Plaine$16.342,335
27Colfax$16.252,305
28Durant$16.241,798
29Lamoni$16.152,072
30Marengo$16.102,415
31Holstein$15.811,475
32State Center$15.801,403
33Pleasantville$15.801,696
34Postville$15.682,418
35Earlham$15.551,411
36Tipton$15.543,059
37Brooklyn$15.491,474
38Stuart$15.481,887
39Mount Ayr$15.321,616
40Granger$15.222,095
41Sigourney$15.201,974
42Guttenberg$15.191,804
43Sumner$14.832,032
44Woodbine$14.801,707
45Bedford$14.661,474
46Manning$14.621,390
47Van Meter$14.601,840
48Rock Rapids$14.572,709
49Jesup$14.312,541
50Kingsley$14.251,394
51Urbana$14.201,635
52Parkersburg$14.151,986
53Hartley$14.111,584
54Ida Grove$14.101,988
55Guthrie Center$14.041,579
56Lake Mills$13.822,077
57Montezuma$13.791,421
58Gilbert$13.711,397
59Wilton$13.622,914
60Avoca$13.511,685
61Wapello$13.292,026
62Hudson$13.192,916
63Center Point$13.192,578
64Greenfield$13.131,988
65Hawarden$13.022,630
66Akron$12.931,545
67Leon$12.931,779
68Garner$12.863,049
69Slater$12.791,626
70Bellevue$12.672,321
71Sanborn$12.621,463
72New London$12.561,853
73Lisbon$12.502,238
74Dallas Center$12.421,993
75Onawa$12.322,795
76Remsen$12.321,681
77Monroe$12.282,021
78Denver$12.271,955
79Alta$12.132,039
80Reinbeck$12.101,673
81Atkins$11.992,168
82Wellman$11.881,531
83Blue Grass$11.791,707
84Hull$11.792,459
85Columbus Junction$11.711,794
86Cascade$11.642,396
87West Branch$11.632,876
88Mitchellville$11.542,686
89Palo$11.491,554
90Prairie City$11.381,722
91Northwood$11.282,047
92Mediapolis$11.271,679
93Ely$11.082,371
94Ogden$10.991,970
95Farley$10.911,723
96Oakland$10.851,519
97Moville$10.671,707
98Kalona$10.372,762
99Walcott$10.291,556
100Peosta$9.822,195
101Epworth$9.422,042
102Fairfax$8.102,937

The $8.10 limit

Lake Mills’s general levy is $8.38 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.28 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 51 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.38 · FY26 $8.38 · FY27 $8.38 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $5.44 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.20 · $199,700
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.24 · $59,145

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$35.6M of taxable value in Lake Mills is in TIF districts’ increment (43% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $1.1M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$1.0M
$916,361

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 $492,254 of the city’s own.

  • Lake Mills schools$331,081
  • Winnebago County$289,847
YearTIF revenue
FY16$803,693
FY17$767,193
FY18$1.0M
FY19$984,016
FY20$994,695
FY21$994,704
FY22$988,723
FY23$916,361
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$803,693
FY17$767,193
FY18$1.0M
FY19$984,016
FY20$994,695
FY21$994,704
FY22$988,723
FY23$916,361

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$398,53961%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$199,70030%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$59,1459%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Lake Mills’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 77¢ of every dollar77¢Public Safety: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Public Works: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Culture and Recreation: 5¢ of every dollarGeneral Government: 1¢ of every dollarEverything else: 1¢ 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 101 Iowa cities closest in size (1,400–3,100 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (101)
Business Type / Enterprise77¢41¢
Public Safety8¢11¢
Public Works7¢10¢
Culture and Recreation5¢7¢
General Government1¢6¢
Everything else1¢3¢

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$1.0M37%
  • Culture and Recreation$792,82329%
  • Public Works$636,78523%
  • Community and Economic Development$177,7946%
  • General Government$134,4455%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($8.2M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$707,867$608,746
Public Safety$760,150$769,129
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$144,414$144,200
Debt Service$0$0
Culture and Recreation$539,059$533,907
Community and Economic Development$211,659$174,812
Capital Projects$640,000$716,211
Business Type / Enterprise$7.3M$3.7M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$8.3M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Lake Mills owes

No debt at June 30, 2026.9

$2.8M
$0
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$0$0
2025$0$0
2024$0$0
2023$0$0
2022$0$0
2021$180,000$84
2020$222,000$104
2019$264,000$123
2018$305,000$142
2017$491,000$229
2016$535,000$250
2015$873,000$407
2014$1.2M$560
2013$1.5M$708
2012$1.9M$902
2011$2.3M$1,077
2010$2.8M$1,324
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$0$0
2025$0$0
2024$0$0
2023$0$0
2022$0$0
2021$180,000$84
2020$222,000$104
2019$264,000$123
2018$305,000$142
2017$491,000$229
2016$535,000$250
2015$873,000$407
2014$1.2M$560
2013$1.5M$708
2012$1.9M$902
2011$2.3M$1,077
2010$2.8M$1,324

Down 100% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $0, 0% of the limit of about $7.8M (5% of $156.9M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances11. Lake Mills’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 Friday, December 19, 2025, by a CPA firm.

15 earlier reports for Lake Mills

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: $304,347 in FY25, up 7% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 15% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$263,109$294,901$302,704$304,347
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$6,170–––

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.

$154,083
$0
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$2,743
    FY20$2,614
    FY21$49,726
    FY22$154,083
    FY23$150,883
    FY24$545
    FY25$0
    Show the numbers
    YearGrants and projects
    FY19$2,743
    FY20$2,614
    FY21$49,726
    FY22$154,083
    FY23$150,883
    FY24$545
    FY25$0

    Has it kept up with prices?

    Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

    • Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$271,290 → $304,347, up 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% 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 29% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% more.

    $290,266
    $280,276

    Business awards

    Every award statewide

    State economic development awards

    Community college new jobs training: 4 contracts since 2001 worth $659K, for 102 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 · 3

    2 seats: the top 2 win.

    Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Lake Mills; 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.

    • Lake Mills City Council At-Large (3 seats)
      Now held by Bob Storby, Laurel Domokos, Nathan Ostrander
    • Lake Mills Mayor
      Now held by Bruce Helgeson

    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 CountyLake Mills schools