Town Hall · Dawson

How Dawson is run

Dawson spent $115,000 in the year to June 30, 2022, about $906 per resident.

Photo: rochelle hartman from La Crosse, WI

City budget

$115,000

spent, year to June 30, 2022

Per resident

$906

Below typical Iowa cities ($2,249)

Long-term debt

None

at year end

City staff

full-time · 9 part-time

Typical tax bill

$1,156

a year · IA $2,897

What stands out about how Dawson is run

Read from the town’s budget, meetings and records. The page puts what stands out first.

A lean budget$906 per resident a year, vs $2,249 for a typical Iowa city.Lower tax billsThe typical homeowner pays $1,156 a year in property tax, vs $2,897 across Iowa.Runs its own water & sewer50% of spending goes to water, sewer and trash, paid largely by users’ fees.A shared school districtShares Perry Community School District with 2 other towns.

★ What stands out · Your share of the budget

About $906 per resident a year, or $2.48 a day

The biggest line: water & other utilities, at 50% of spending.

DAWSONYour share · per resident · year to June 30, 2022

Water & other utilities$57,000 · 50%$449

Administration & buildings$22,000 · 19%$173

Roads & transportation$8,000 · 7%$63

Fire$2,000 · 2%$16

Courts, inspections & corrections$1,000 · 1%$8

Other$25,000 · 22%$197

Total per resident$906

Whole budget $115,000 · 127 residents
Thank you for being a neighbor

Where the money comes from

Interest, fines & other 26%Property taxes 22%Utility sales 20%Sales taxes 17%From the state 11%From other local governments 4%

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,156 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897

Dawson$1,156

$1,156

typical bill a year

1.25%

effective rate

$92,500

typical home value (Census)

Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dawson’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

The school district

Perry Community School District

Dawson’s K–12 school district, shared with Bouton, Perry. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Dawson →

$14,213

per pupil · IA $13,713

1,858

students

$20.5 million

long-term debt

Of the $14,213 per pupil, $8,376 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from

Local 31%State 61%Federal 8%

Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Dawson

Local officials aren’t in the public records we use for Dawson yet. Neighbors can add them.

Who works for Dawson

0 full-time staff

On the payroll in March 2022.

By department full-time, plus part-time

Administration & buildings0 + 7 pt

Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt

Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt

full-time

part-time

Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it’s approximate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Who represents Dawson

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Dawson.

Politics & elections →

1
Your cityMayor & council

Local officials aren’t on record yet.
2
Iowa HouseState representatives

Carter Nordman
3
Iowa SenateState senator

Jesse Green
4
GovernorStatewide

Kim Reynolds
5
U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress

Zachary Nunn
6
U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa

Chuck Grassley Joni Ernst

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Dawson’s government

Numbers and hours come from neighbors and the town’s own site (the Handbook). A new one goes live once two neighbors confirm it.

The Handbook →

Questions about how Dawson is run?

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →

Weigh in

Does Dawson get good value for its tax dollars?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. School district: Census school finance survey. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates. Representatives: Open States, the Census and congress-legislators.