Town Hall · Otho

Otho, IA town hall & government

Otho spent $747,000 in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,479 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Otho's money goes

Spent
$747,000
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$1,479
typical Iowa cities: $2,249
Long-term debt
$239,000
$473 per resident
Roads & transportation
$236,00032%
Sewer & trash
$139,00019%
Water & other utilities
$96,00013%
Fire
$68,0009%
Parks & libraries
$57,0008%
Administration & buildings
$55,0007%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$32,0004%
Police
$15,0002%
Paid to other governments
$15,0002%
Interest on debt
$6,0001%
Health & welfare
$1,000<1%
Other
$27,0004%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 21%
  • Property taxes 21%
  • Utility sales 15%
  • Sales taxes 14%
  • From the state 10%
  • From other local governments 9%
  • From the federal government 6%
  • Interest, fines & other 4%
Town workforce

Who works for Otho

Full-time staff
2
no part-time staff
Average full-time pay
$48,700
a year, before benefits
Administration & buildings
1 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.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Fort Dodge Community School District

Otho's K–12 school district, shared with Badger and Fort Dodge. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,949
Iowa: $13,713
Students
3,611
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$23.5 million
at year end

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

  • Local 37%
  • State 55%
  • Federal 8%

Of the $12,949 per pupil, $7,721 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 Otho pay

Typical tax bill
$1,243
a year · Iowa typical $2,897
Effective rate
1.38%
of home value · Iowa 1.39%
Typical home value
$89,900
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. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.

Local

Contact Otho's government

Town hall & decisions in Otho →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Otho

Otho is represented in Congress by Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and Representative Randy Feenstra. Kim Reynolds is governor.

All of Otho'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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01