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Town Hall · Toledo

How Toledo is run

Toledo spent $3.2 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,527 per resident.

Town website
Photo: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia
City budget
$3.2 million
spent, year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$1,527
Below typical Iowa cities ($2,249)
Long-term debt
$3.5 million
$1,647 per resident
City staff
16
full-time · 13 part-time
Typical tax bill
$2,217
a year · IA $2,897

What stands out about how Toledo is run

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

★ What stands out · Your share of the budget

About $1,527 per resident a year, or $4.18 a day

The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19% of spending.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 26%Fees & charges 23%Utility sales 17%From the state 15%Sales taxes 10%From the federal government 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%From other local governments 1%
Who runs it

Who runs Toledo

From public records, which can lag behind an election. Tell us if a name is out of date.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,217 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.87% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Toledo$2,217
$2,217
typical bill a year
1.87%
effective rate
$118,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

South Tama County Community School District

Toledo’s K–12 school district, shared with Chelsea, Montour, Tama, Vining. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Toledo →
$14,323
per pupil · IA $13,713
1,422
students
$35 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,323 per pupil, $7,925 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 34%State 53%Federal 13%

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

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

Who works for Toledo

One full-time town employee for every 133 residents

On the payroll in March 2022.

By department full-time, plus part-time

Police6
Administration & buildings1 + 8 pt
Parks & libraries2 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash2 + 1 pt
Health & welfare2
Water & other utilities1 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
Other1
16
full-time
13
part-time
$54,500
average full-time pay, before benefits
6
sworn police officers

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

Who represents Toledo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Toledo.

Politics & elections →
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa

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

Reach Toledo’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 →
Official websitetoledoia.com ↗

Questions about how Toledo is run?

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Weigh in
Does Toledo 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. Officials: Open States and Wikidata. Representatives: Open States, the Census and congress-legislators.

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