Voting With Your Feet and the Benefit Principle

 Local government officials should focus less on “keeping up with the Joneses” and more on the core services demanded by their constituents. Property taxes are arguably the most hated tax in Iowa, and rightfully so. The tax bill grows whether or not the homeowner has done anything to the property. Consequently, Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation’s latest poll found that […]

Truth-in-Taxation Would Benefit Iowa Taxpayers

This article was published in the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Truth-in-Taxation forces local governments to be more transparent, holds local governments accountable, and provides an opportunity for citizens to have an honest conversation with their elected officials about property taxes. Frustration with high property taxes is reaching a boiling point, especially after taxpayers across Iowa are receiving their assessment notices. Taxpayers […]

Voter Turnout for Special Election Below November Levels

All bonded indebtedness, voted levies, and other revenue or spending questions that directly affect property taxes should be placed on November election ballots for the greatest possible participation of the electorate. On March 7, 2023, 22 taxing authorities spread across 35 Iowa counties held special elections that included bond questions totaling nearly $400 million in potential new spending. A majority of […]

How to Protest Your Property Assessment in Iowa

Taxpayers who believe their assessments are incorrect have a window between April 2 and April 30 to officially protest them. All real property in Iowa is assessed beginning in January of odd-numbered years. Residential, commercial, and indus­trial properties are assessed according to their market values, while agricultural property is assessed according to its productivity and net earning capacity. Iowans may […]

Property Taxes Rise as Cities Suffer From Mission Creep

It turns out that defining the proper role of local government, deciphering between wants and needs, and frustrated property taxpayers are not dynamics that are unique to Iowa.  Our friends at

The Cardinal Institute in West Virginia are working through those same issues in their state.  In a recent article, Cardinal’s Executive Director, Garrett Ballengee joined with Mark Moses, a former city finance administrator and local budget expert, to examine municipal finance and discuss the concept of mission creep.

Nearly $400 Million in Bond Questions on March 7th Special Election

Iowa county bond information is not easy to acquire. State law should require county auditors to have this information on their website and also require the Secretary of State’s office to aggregate this information so news outlets and interested parties could more easily report on bonds and property tax increases being asked at special elections. On March 7, 2023, thirty-five Iowa […]

Controlling Spending Key to Property Tax Reforms

This article was published in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Despite numerous changes, lasting relief has not been delivered and Iowa currently has the 10th-highest property tax burden in the nation. If you have lived in Iowa for any length of time, then you know property taxes are, without a doubt, the most despised tax in the state. That’s why numerous […]

Local Governments Should Budget Like a Citizen

Iowans and their state government know how to live within their means; it’s time local governments do the same.

If you are following the 2023 Iowa legislative session, then you know there is a lot of proposed legislation aimed at reforming and lowering the property tax. This is because local governments in Iowa have a spending problem. Since 2000, total property taxes collected have increased nearly 120%, well outpacing inflation. The increased spending has put a burden on taxpayers that cannot be ignored.

A Primer on Ending Fund Balances

Unassigned General Fund dollars beyond 15-30% of annual General Fund Expenditures might be  excessive. The concept of reserve funds and ending fund balances have been discussed by lawmakers and local officials alike in recent days at the Iowa Capitol and in the press.  It’s something we’ve had our eyes on for years here at Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation.  Following […]

To Achieve Meaningful Property Tax Relief, Right Size Government

At the heart of high property taxes is local government spending. Solving Iowa’s property tax problem will require a commitment to responsible spending limits.

After implementing historic income tax reform, Iowa legislators will be turning their focus on property tax reform. Iowans across the political divide are rightly demanding property tax relief. Nevertheless, property tax reform will not be easy. Property taxes are local taxes and at the heart of high property taxes is local government spending. Solving Iowa’s property tax problem for the long-term will require a commitment to responsible spending limits.

Iowa’s Assessment Limitation – Rollback

 Iowa is one of 18 states that have assessment limitations to limit the growth of property taxes. Iowa is somewhat unique, however, because there is no limitation on property subject to rollback. Once calculated, it applies to all properties, even new construction. The property tax revolts of the late 1970s constituted the most significant property tax limitation movement in our […]

Solutions to Iowa’s Growing Property Tax Problem

Iowa has too much government. Citizens have benefitted from conservative leadership at the state level that has delivered multiple rounds of tax cuts and eased the regulatory burden on businesses and employees, but big-government objectives like property tax growth are on autopilot with no off ramp in sight. Reining in the growth of local government requires solutions to numerous issues.

Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation (ITRF) has created this toolkit to deliver a concise and easily digestible public policy guide for state and local officials who are interested in property tax reform. Since no single policy solution will “fix” Iowa’s property tax, this toolkit offers concrete ideas for policymakers that will bend the expense curve and eventually reduce the burden on taxpayers.

Direct Notification

Direct notification is an aggressive transparency measure forcing local governments to be honest with taxpayers about how their property tax bills will be affected by potential spending increases. Iowans are frustrated with high property taxes, but very few understand the complexity of the system. In 2019, the property tax transparency and accountability law required each city and county to hold a public hearing focused on the proposed budget and total property taxes needed to fund that budget. Information about this hearing such as the date, time and location are required to be published and posted on the local government’s website, social media accounts and the local newspaper.

Assessment Equity and Fairness

All properties should be assessed equally using the same standards to ensure Iowans are not paying more than their fair share in property taxes. Iowa has six different classifications of real property used for property tax purposes: agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, public utility, and railroad. State law requires property subject to taxation to be assessed at 100% of its fair market value, with an exception for agricultural land, which is assessed using a five-year average productivity calculation.

Consolidation of Property Tax Levies

Having multiple property tax levies allows local governments to shift spending outside the regular general levy driving up the overall cost of government on taxpayers. BACKGROUND No municipality in the State of Iowa may levy a tax unless it is specifically authorized to do so by state law. Over time, the legislature has approved multiple different property tax levies. For […]

November-Only Revenue and Spending Questions

Financial questions that directly affect property taxes and determine some of the most-important decisions affecting local property taxpayers should be held during general November elections when voter turnout is highest. The Iowa Constitution mandates that the general election be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. This includes county officers, such as auditor, sheriff, treasurer, recorder, county attorney, and supervisors, as well as nonpartisan offices, including public hospital trustees, soil and water conservation commissioners, county agricultural extension councils, and township officers. City and school elections are held on the same day in November, except in odd-numbered years.