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Local taxes › Worth County › Fertile

City

Fertile

Worth County · How cities work

$2,810 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($33.31 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,150 a yearof that goes to the city ($13.70 per $1,000)
$128,802property taxes the city levies, FY27
$389,777city 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.

  • Holly Lovik HannaFertile City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Michael LesterFertile City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Nick BaileyFertile Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rick AndersonFertile City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Andy CarlsonFertile City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Tim SeversonFertile 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 Fertile

Homes and businesses in most of Fertile pay a combined $33.31 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Worth County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $13.70. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

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

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.38$12.48
FY21$30.78$11.98
FY22$30.56$11.99
FY23$30.04$11.00
FY24$31.75$12.44
FY25$33.06$13.53
FY26$33.88$13.65
FY27$33.31$13.70
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$31.38$12.48
FY21$30.78$11.98
FY22$30.56$11.99
FY23$30.04$11.00
FY24$31.75$12.44
FY25$33.06$13.53
FY26$33.88$13.65
FY27$33.31$13.70

Compared with places this size3

Fertile’s city property tax rate of $13.70 per $1,000 is the 62nd highest of 202 Iowa cities with 200–450 people. The middle of the group is $12.20.

Stanhope: $29.10Fenton: $22.05Coulter: $21.80Chelsea: $21.61Elliott: $21.61Oxford Junction: $20.84Earling: $20.47Volga: $20.23Alta Vista: $19.88Arthur: $19.86Fort Atkinson: $19.19Salem: $19.15Cumberland: $18.42Massena: $18.23Callender: $17.78Casey: $17.72Vail: $17.66Ringsted: $17.65Emerson: $17.54Ashton: $17.17Pierson: $17.12Burt: $17.10Pisgah: $17.09Lohrville: $16.95Lakota: $16.84Marble Rock: $16.78Auburn: $16.65Mccallsburg: $16.58Irwin: $16.46Lewis: $16.25Corwith: $16.22Deep River: $16.18Waucoma: $16.17Duncombe: $16.10Bayard: $16.05Granville: $16.00Minburn: $15.75Linden: $15.62Peterson: $15.27Greeley: $15.23Arlington: $14.98Riverton: $14.94Marathon: $14.89Plainfield: $14.84Ryan: $14.84Otho: $14.82Ladora: $14.74Bagley: $14.63Garrison: $14.38Halbur: $14.37Lorimor: $14.36Crystal Lake: $14.36Kimballton: $14.27Ocheyedan: $14.22Steamboat Rock: $14.19Mystic: $14.01Wesley: $13.91Diagonal: $13.91Bussey: $13.83Mondamin: $13.82Livermore: $13.78Stockport: $13.68Kellerton: $13.60Albion: $13.58Quimby: $13.58Lamont: $13.57New Albin: $13.55Meservey: $13.43Persia: $13.41Lawler: $13.39Lacona: $13.38Leland: $13.31Ute: $13.26New Market: $13.25Plymouth: $13.21Harcourt: $13.21Bennett: $13.16Ridgeway: $13.10Farmersburg: $13.09Clutier: $13.03Little Rock: $13.03Lehigh: $12.97Menlo: $12.92Templeton: $12.91Silver City: $12.87Martelle: $12.83Malcom: $12.82Galva: $12.68Martensdale: $12.63Blencoe: $12.57Williams: $12.57Maurice: $12.56Clearfield: $12.50Kensett: $12.47Mccausland: $12.45Spillville: $12.40Modale: $12.34Mingo: $12.31Brandon: $12.29Blakesburg: $12.21Cushing: $12.18Bonaparte: $12.17Hanlontown: $12.17Macedonia: $12.12Hawkeye: $12.11Paton: $12.09Kiron: $12.03Colesburg: $11.97Liscomb: $11.96New Providence: $11.88Thornton: $11.86Joice: $11.72Allerton: $11.72Atalissa: $11.71Cantril: $11.69Kelley: $11.69Orient: $11.66Wadena: $11.65Cincinnati: $11.57Delta: $11.52Terril: $11.48Westside: $11.45Holland: $11.37Churdan: $11.31Mallard: $11.28Miles: $11.28Renwick: $11.16Frederika: $10.99Milton: $10.98New Vienna: $10.91Letts: $10.91Goose Lake: $10.89Birmingham: $10.87Charlotte: $10.86Yale: $10.85Batavia: $10.77Hornick: $10.74Riverdale: $10.67Bode: $10.64Union: $10.58Cleghorn: $10.49Calamus: $10.47Danbury: $10.43Lytton: $10.38Stacyville: $10.36Rhodes: $10.36Dedham: $10.28Deloit: $10.28Protivin: $10.28Andrew: $10.22Royal: $10.20Bronson: $10.14Rudd: $10.13La Motte: $10.09Defiance: $10.05Floyd: $10.02Panama: $9.85Grafton: $9.83Lynnville: $9.68Ionia: $9.65Salix: $9.63Luxemburg: $9.58Rippey: $9.42Farnhamville: $9.18Middletown: $9.16Alleman: $9.12Dixon: $9.03Lester: $8.94Harvey: $8.71Washta: $8.65Rowley: $8.31Bertram: $8.10Fostoria: $8.10Grandview: $8.10Lost Nation: $8.10Low Moor: $8.10Nichols: $8.10Laurel: $8.10Luana: $7.98Lockridge: $7.92Delhi: $7.81Klemme: $7.74Pulaski: $7.58Beacon: $7.56Sheldahl: $7.56Fredonia: $7.55Worthington: $7.50Harpers Ferry: $7.49Alvord: $7.41Marquette: $7.08Columbus City: $6.94Donahue: $6.83Libertyville: $6.60Keswick: $6.49Crawfordsville: $6.44Holy Cross: $5.91Conesville: $5.86Maharishi Vedic City: $3.87Wahpeton: $3.19West Okoboji: $2.92Rickardsville: $2.27Fertile: $13.70$2.27 lowest$29.10 highestmiddle
See all 202
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Stanhope$29.10354
2Fenton$22.05250
3Coulter$21.80220
4Chelsea$21.61207
5Elliott$21.61328
6Oxford Junction$20.84424
7Earling$20.47394
8Volga$20.23200
9Alta Vista$19.88219
10Arthur$19.86218
11Fort Atkinson$19.19300
12Salem$19.15380
13Cumberland$18.42248
14Massena$18.23352
15Callender$17.78361
16Casey$17.72387
17Vail$17.66383
18Ringsted$17.65346
19Emerson$17.54401
20Ashton$17.17434
21Pierson$17.12335
22Burt$17.10404
23Pisgah$17.09248
24Lohrville$16.95366
25Lakota$16.84261
26Marble Rock$16.78258
27Auburn$16.65253
28Mccallsburg$16.58356
29Irwin$16.46320
30Lewis$16.25358
31Corwith$16.22259
32Deep River$16.18243
33Waucoma$16.17235
34Duncombe$16.10374
35Bayard$16.05402
36Granville$16.00302
37Minburn$15.75317
38Linden$15.62206
39Peterson$15.27321
40Greeley$15.23216
41Arlington$14.98415
42Riverton$14.94243
43Marathon$14.89221
44Plainfield$14.84392
45Ryan$14.84348
46Otho$14.82417
47Ladora$14.74223
48Bagley$14.63230
49Garrison$14.38345
50Halbur$14.37268
51Lorimor$14.36377
52Crystal Lake$14.36243
53Kimballton$14.27281
54Ocheyedan$14.22424
55Steamboat Rock$14.19261
56Mystic$14.01318
57Wesley$13.91382
58Diagonal$13.91331
59Bussey$13.83378
60Mondamin$13.82335
61Livermore$13.78382
62Fertile$13.70300
63Stockport$13.68272
64Kellerton$13.60241
65Albion$13.58444
66Quimby$13.58245
67Lamont$13.57429
68New Albin$13.55435
69Meservey$13.43212
70Persia$13.41292
71Lawler$13.39392
72Lacona$13.38336
73Leland$13.31240
74Ute$13.26326
75New Market$13.25381
76Plymouth$13.21368
77Harcourt$13.21257
78Bennett$13.16330
79Ridgeway$13.10261
80Farmersburg$13.09264
81Clutier$13.03209
82Little Rock$13.03447
83Lehigh$12.97395
84Menlo$12.92347
85Templeton$12.91337
86Silver City$12.87244
87Martelle$12.83250
88Malcom$12.82257
89Galva$12.68416
90Martensdale$12.63413
91Blencoe$12.57223
92Williams$12.57299
93Maurice$12.56271
94Clearfield$12.50277
95Kensett$12.47256
96Mccausland$12.45314
97Spillville$12.40371
98Modale$12.34284
99Mingo$12.31314
100Brandon$12.29331
101Blakesburg$12.21273
102Cushing$12.18225
103Bonaparte$12.17357
104Hanlontown$12.17200
105Macedonia$12.12266
106Hawkeye$12.11429
107Paton$12.09217
108Kiron$12.03262
109Colesburg$11.97379
110Liscomb$11.96292
111New Providence$11.88233
112Thornton$11.86394
113Joice$11.72206
114Allerton$11.72432
115Atalissa$11.71287
116Cantril$11.69224
117Kelley$11.69312
118Orient$11.66363
119Wadena$11.65201
120Cincinnati$11.57280
121Delta$11.52257
122Terril$11.48310
123Westside$11.45283
124Holland$11.37261
125Churdan$11.31359
126Mallard$11.28255
127Miles$11.28400
128Renwick$11.16228
129Frederika$10.99206
130Milton$10.98395
131New Vienna$10.91384
132Letts$10.91358
133Goose Lake$10.89250
134Birmingham$10.87371
135Charlotte$10.86386
136Yale$10.85265
137Batavia$10.77434
138Hornick$10.74255
139Riverdale$10.67385
140Bode$10.64304
141Union$10.58378
142Cleghorn$10.49235
143Calamus$10.47348
144Danbury$10.43315
145Lytton$10.38274
146Stacyville$10.36436
147Rhodes$10.36269
148Dedham$10.28221
149Deloit$10.28246
150Protivin$10.28264
151Andrew$10.22374
152Royal$10.20379
153Bronson$10.14294
154Rudd$10.13339
155La Motte$10.09235
156Defiance$10.05248
157Floyd$10.02297
158Panama$9.85234
159Grafton$9.83212
160Lynnville$9.68382
161Ionia$9.65220
162Salix$9.63303
163Luxemburg$9.58240
164Rippey$9.42217
165Farnhamville$9.18364
166Middletown$9.16365
167Alleman$9.12439
168Dixon$9.03204
169Lester$8.94309
170Harvey$8.71242
171Washta$8.65206
172Rowley$8.31264
173Bertram$8.10267
174Fostoria$8.10229
175Grandview$8.10431
176Lost Nation$8.10425
177Low Moor$8.10242
178Nichols$8.10317
179Laurel$8.10214
180Luana$7.98303
181Lockridge$7.92245
182Delhi$7.81438
183Klemme$7.74429
184Pulaski$7.58259
185Beacon$7.56434
186Sheldahl$7.56312
187Fredonia$7.55227
188Worthington$7.50374
189Harpers Ferry$7.49273
190Alvord$7.41216
191Marquette$7.08434
192Columbus City$6.94385
193Donahue$6.83336
194Libertyville$6.60278
195Keswick$6.49238
196Crawfordsville$6.44278
197Holy Cross$5.91348
198Conesville$5.86350
199Maharishi Vedic City$3.87290
200Wahpeton$3.19337
201West Okoboji$2.92311
202Rickardsville$2.27204

The $8.10 limit

Fertile’s general levy is $8.26 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.16 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 116 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.51 · FY26 $8.51 · FY27 $8.26 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $5.44 more5

  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$4.54 · $42,343
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.90 · $8,419

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$77,05060%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$42,34333%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$8,4197%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Fertile’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Culture and Recreation: 19¢ of every dollar19¢Public Safety: 19¢ of every dollar19¢Public Works: 17¢ of every dollar17¢General Government: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Everything else: 5¢ 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 200 Iowa cities closest in size (200–450 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (200)
Business Type / Enterprise23¢38¢
Culture and Recreation19¢8¢
Public Safety19¢9¢
Public Works17¢20¢
General Government16¢17¢
Everything else5¢2¢

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$105,83427%
  • Culture and Recreation$103,42227%
  • Public Safety$89,93223%
  • Public Works$68,83418%
  • Community and Economic Development$20,0305%
  • Health and Social Services$1,7250%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($98,262 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$172,483$151,385
Public Safety$89,586$177,514
Health and Social Services$1,500$1,725
General Government$54,243$61,180
Debt Service$0$0
Culture and Recreation$89,982$109,125
Community and Economic Development$14,750$85,465
Capital Projects$0$0
Business Type / Enterprise$90,585$103,704

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$690,098
$636,251

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Fertile owes

$43,405 at June 30, 2026: $142 per resident. 695th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$389,942
$43,405
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$43,405$142
2025$61,582$202
2024$24,000$79
2023$36,000$118
2022$47,000$154
2021$58,000$190
2020$69,000$226
2019$93,791$308
2018$154,108$505
2017$147,152$482
2016$176,152$578
2015$216,250$709
2014$253,534$831
2013$291,155$955
2012$324,677$1,065
2011$359,810$1,180
2010$389,942$1,278
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$43,405$142
2025$61,582$202
2024$24,000$79
2023$36,000$118
2022$47,000$154
2021$58,000$190
2020$69,000$226
2019$93,791$308
2018$154,108$505
2017$147,152$482
2016$176,152$578
2015$216,250$709
2014$253,534$831
2013$291,155$955
2012$324,677$1,065
2011$359,810$1,180
2010$389,942$1,278

Down 89% since 2010.

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances8. Fertile’s latest audit has them: Periodic Examination, period ending Monday, March 31, 2025 (PDF).

Audits9

The latest: Periodic Examination for the period ending Monday, March 31, 2025 (PDF), released Monday, January 26, 2026, by a CPA firm.

1 earlier report for Fertile

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: $22,816 in FY25, down 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 28% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$23,192$22,118$22,693$22,816

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.

$3,146
$1,699
  • State grants$1,699100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$879
FY20$1,056
FY21$791
FY22$3,146
FY23$631
FY24$571
FY25$1,699
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$879
FY20$1,056
FY21$791
FY22$3,146
FY23$631
FY24$571
FY25$1,699

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−28%$25,320 → $22,816, down 10% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 28% 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 27% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 1% more.

$46,931
$45,512

Federal grants, for comparison: $76,914 in FY23.

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

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Fertile; 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.

  • Fertile City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Tim Severson, Andy Carlson
  • Fertile Mayor
    Now held by Nick Bailey

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

Doug Campbell (Sen. 30)Jane Bloomingdale (Rep. 60)

U.S. House:District 2

Worth CountyForest City schools