Town Hall · Decorah

Decorah, IA town hall & government

Decorah spent $13.8 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,795 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Decorah's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Decorah

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Decorah's money goes

Spent
$13.8 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$1,795
typical Iowa cities: $2,814
Long-term debt
$8.8 million
$1,151 per resident
Parks & libraries
$3.6 million26%
Roads & transportation
$3 million22%
Police
$2 million14%
Sewer & trash
$1.3 million9%
Water & other utilities
$1.3 million9%
Administration & buildings
$842,0006%
Fire
$485,0004%
Interest on debt
$231,0002%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$62,000<1%
Other
$1 million7%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 40%
  • Interest, fines & other 17%
  • Sales taxes 14%
  • Fees & charges 10%
  • Utility sales 7%
  • From the state 7%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • From other local governments 1%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Decorah

Full-time staff
59
25 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$67,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
14
and 3 full-time firefighters
Parks & libraries
11 full-time25 part
Police
22 full-time
Roads & transportation
8 full-time
Water & other utilities
6 full-time
Administration & buildings
4 full-time
Sewer & trash
4 full-time
Fire
3 full-time
Other
1 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Decorah didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Decorah Community School District

Decorah's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$14,147
Iowa: $13,713
Students
1,640
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$5 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Iowa districts overall: 43% local, 49% state, 8% federal

  • Local 50%
  • State 44%
  • Federal 6%

Of the $14,147 per pupil, $8,726 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Decorah pay

Typical tax bill
$3,438
a year · Iowa typical $2,897
Effective rate
1.41%
of home value · Iowa 1.39%
Typical home value
$244,500
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Decorah's government

🏛️ Official websitedecorahia.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Decorah →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Decorah

Decorah is represented in Congress by Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and Representative Ashley Hinson. Kim Reynolds is governor.

All of Decorah's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Decorah

Iowa · IA
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