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Waukee staff recommends keeping FY2027 property tax levy at $12.80; hearing closes with no levy change voted
Summary
City staff told the council the proposed maximum levy for fiscal year 2027 should remain at $12.80 per $1,000, chiefly due to debt-service needs; the council closed the statutorily required hearing and will consider the full budget at its next meeting on April 20, 2026.
City staff recommended that Waukee maintain its current property tax levy of $12.80 per $1,000 for fiscal year 2027 during a public max-levy hearing held by the Waukee City Council. The hearing, opened by Mayor Clark, outlined a two-step budget process and scheduled a follow-up meeting to review the full FY2027 budget.
The unnamed staff presenter summarized 10 budget directives used while preparing the proposal, including searching for potential levy reductions, fiscally responsible debt-service planning, aligning staffing and facilities with growth priorities, and providing transparent budgeting documents. The presenter said the city’s levy has fallen from about $13.50 over the past decade to the current $12.80, and recommended maintaining that rate for FY2027 to accommodate higher debt-service associated with rapid public-improvement activity.
Staff also walked through the state-mandated truth-in-taxation example showing how state rollback factors and valuation changes affect individual bills. Using an illustrative residential valuation, staff showed the city portion of property tax could decline in some cases because the taxable portion of value decreased under the rollback rules, even while total city revenue rises roughly 4.91% driven largely by new valuation.
Public comment at the hearing was limited to the levy. Veronica Gac attempted to raise concerns about pipeline strikes and sewer damage from an April 11 explosion; the mayor and staff repeatedly redirected her to other meetings because her concerns were outside the narrow scope of the max-levy hearing. No other levy comments were recorded, and Mayor Clark closed the hearing.
The council did not take a final levy-adoption vote at the hearing. Staff reiterated that the full FY2027 budget, which will show revenues, all expenditures and any proposed staff or capital changes, will be presented for council consideration at the next meeting scheduled for April 20, 2026.
