Town Hall · Lehigh

How Lehigh is run

Lehigh spent $681,000 in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,733 per resident.

Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia

City budget

$681,000

spent, year to June 30, 2022

Per resident

$1,733

Below typical Iowa cities ($2,249)

Long-term debt

$825,000

$2,099 per resident

City staff

full-time · 5 part-time

Typical tax bill

$1,101

a year · IA $2,897

What stands out about how Lehigh is run

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

Lower tax billsThe typical homeowner pays $1,101 a year in property tax, vs $2,897 across Iowa.Runs its own water & sewer62% of spending goes to water, sewer and trash, paid largely by users’ fees.A shared school districtShares Southeast Valley Community School District with 6+ other towns.

★ What stands out · Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,101 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897

Lehigh$1,101

$1,101

typical bill a year

1.47%

effective rate

$75,000

typical home value (Census)

Your own bill

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

Your share of the budget

About $1,733 per resident a year, or $4.75 a day

The biggest line: water & other utilities, at 52% of spending.

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

Water & other utilities$352,000 · 52%$896

Sewer & trash$73,000 · 11%$186

Parks & libraries$71,000 · 10%$181

Roads & transportation$60,000 · 9%$153

Administration & buildings$44,000 · 6%$112

Fire$20,000 · 3%$51

Paid to other governments$15,000 · 2%$38

Courts, inspections & corrections$8,000 · 1%$20

Police$8,000 · 1%$20

Interest on debt$4,000 · 1%$10

Other$26,000 · 4%$66

Total per resident$1,733

Whole budget $681,000 · 393 residents
Thank you for being a neighbor

Where the money comes from

Utility sales 52%Property taxes 12%Fees & charges 10%Sales taxes 9%Interest, fines & other 9%From the state 5%From other local governments 4%Other taxes & licenses <1%

The school district

Southeast Valley Community School District

Lehigh’s K–12 school district, shared with Boxholm, Callender, Dayton, Farnhamville, Gowrie and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lehigh →

$14,919

per pupil · IA $13,713

1,100

students

$4.7 million

long-term debt

Of the $14,919 per pupil, $9,037 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 50%State 45%Federal 5%

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 Lehigh

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

Who works for Lehigh

One full-time town employee for every 79 residents

On the payroll in March 2022.

By department full-time, plus part-time

Administration & buildings1 + 3 pt

Roads & transportation2

Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt

Other2

full-time

part-time

$68,300

average full-time pay, before benefits

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

Who represents Lehigh

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lehigh.

Politics & elections →

1
Your cityMayor & council

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

Ann Meyer
3
Iowa SenateState senator

Tim Kraayenbrink
4
GovernorStatewide

Kim Reynolds
5
U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress

Randy Feenstra
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 Lehigh’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 Lehigh is run?

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →

Weigh in

Does Lehigh 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.