03/14/2026
About the Property Tax Notice You Received in the Mail
You may have recently received a new statewide property tax hearing notice in your mailbox. This mailing is required by Iowa law and is meant to help property owners understand upcoming budget hearings and proposed property tax changes for the next fiscal year.
Here’s what you’ll see in the notice:
1. Hearing Information
The front page includes three sections showing the date, time, and location of public hearings for:
Your School District
County
City (if you live within city limits)
These hearings are only for discussing proposed property tax requests, not the full budget. That separate hearing will occur later.
2. Proposed Tax Rates and Revenue
Each section shows:
Current year property tax dollars and rates
Next year’s proposed property tax dollars and rates
Whether the proposal represents an increase or decrease
3. How Your Current Taxes Are Distributed
The back page includes a table showing how your current property taxes are divided among your local governments (school, county, city). This is based on totals for your tax district—not the full amount each government receives.
4. Examples of Potential Changes to Your Taxes
The notice also provides examples for residential and commercial properties to illustrate how taxes could change when property values or tax rates change.
These are only examples—your actual bill may differ based on your property’s valuation and the final adopted budgets.
Want to See How the Proposed Rates Affect Your Property?
You can use the State’s property tax tool here:
👉
This page contains resources intended to assist citizens in understanding and engaging with the property tax process.
