Des Moines holds public hearing on proposed property tax levy; residents voice concerns on services and budgeting

Des Moines — The Des Moines City Council held a public hearing on the proposed property tax amount for fiscal year 2026 (council communication 25-112) and heard testimony from residents and local stakeholders on service levels, tax notices and budget priorities.

City Manager (introduced the item) told the council the hearing replaces an earlier procedural step under recent state law changes and gives residents two opportunities — this hearing and the formal budget hearing at the next council meeting — to comment before the council adopts the final budget documents. "We—re not intending to change the tax rate," the City Manager said while explaining the process for public input.

Council discussion focused on sustaining the city—s internal climate and sustainability work and finding external partners to maintain a community-level sustainability dashboard. Councilmember Coleman said the city—s internal structure provides a path forward but that the city lacks a clear plan to "corral the private sector and the non profit groups" for community-wide benchmarking. Coleman suggested the council consider contracting with an outside nonprofit to run the community dashboard and asked staff to review additional budget savings across categories.

Another councilmember noted a possible 10% across-the-board reduction in travel budgets as one source of ongoing support for sustainability coordination; that suggestion was quantified by a councilmember as roughly $80,000 in savings from a 10% cut to travel. Councilmembers emphasized that any identified reductions should preserve core services.

Five members of the public addressed the council during the hearing: - Art Whitmack, president of the Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa, praised the move toward transparency in the new maximum-levy process and urged clearer mailed notices for taxpayers. "What the taxpayers received recently in the mail, is valid information with respect to one issue," Whitmack said, but he warned the notices imply increases that depend on taxable-assessment assumptions that may be inaccurate. - Felicia Hilton (resident, 815 Euclid) said she is paying more in property taxes than in mortgage payments and criticized perceived shortfalls in city services, including code enforcement. "I'm paying more in property taxes than I am in mortgage," Hilton said, asking the council what the levy would pay for. - Skip Phillips (Greenfield Township trustee) described how Polk County property tax assessments on cell towers have reduced revenue used by a fire district to pay for paramedic services, saying county assessments are taking funds intended for emergency services. - Carol Maher (Downtown Des Moines, Ward 3) asked for plain-language explanations of any specific program cuts in the proposed budget and suggested the council register as "undecided" on a pending state bill that may affect local revenues. - Monty Wyland (3405 Valdez Drive) urged the council not to cut the police budget, citing recent violent incidents near his residence and saying residents rely on police services for neighborhood safety.

After public comment, a motion to receive and file the testimony of Councilmember Coleman and others passed on a 7-0 vote. The council also approved the meeting agenda earlier in the session (7-0) and later moved to adjourn.

Next steps noted by staff: the formal budget hearing and council vote on the full budget documents are scheduled for the next regular council meeting, where the council will set spending levels and formally adopt the levy as required by state law.