City of Marion, IA
Home MenuBudget
The Finance Department and City Manager's Office are responsible for preparing the annual operating budget each fiscal year (July 1-June 30). The office works with all departments to prepare and maintain the budget that is consistent with the objectives of the City Council and the City of Marion's Strategic Plan and Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
"Will My City of Marion Property Taxes Go Up or Down?" - Real Life Examples
If your property's assessed value increased by around 9% from 2024 to 2025, your City of Marion property taxes will likely stay about the same. If your property's value went up by less than 9%, you might see a decrease in your taxes. However, if the value increased by more than 9%, you can expect an increase in your taxes.
It's important to remember the City is just one portion of your property tax bill (approximately 38% for those living in Marion Independent or Linn-Mar School Districts). This means even if your City of Marion taxes go down, your overall tax bill could still see an increase.
Understanding how changing property values, rollback rates, and levy rates affect tax bills can be helpful. Here are some real-life examples to illustrate these concepts.
Linn County Mailed School, County, and City Budget Year Statement to Owners and Taxpayers - As Required by Iowa Code 24.2A
As required by state law, Linn County mailed each property owner an individual statement regarding the proposed property tax rates (including City, School, County, etc.) and the public hearing dates. The Iowa Department of Management has provided an explanation of the mailer. The statement assumes property values increased 10% which may not be accurate for your property.
Based on the proposed rates, for residential properties in the City of Marion, if you live in the:
- Linn-Mar School District and your home value from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 increased approximately 8%, you could expect to pay about the same in property taxes. If it increased less than 8%, you could expect to pay less. If it increased more than 8%, you could expect to pay more.
- Marion Independent School District or Cedar Rapids School District and your home value from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 increased approximately 7%, you could expect to pay the same in property taxes. If it increased less than 7%, you could expect to pay less. If it increased more than 7%, you could expect to pay more.
Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Process
The City of Marion’s annual budget process begins in July with a series of budget discussions held at Council meetings leading up to the annual budget work session in January and concludes with a public hearing and adoption by the end of April. This schedule promotes transparency and offers the community valuable opportunities to engage in shaping the budget. By using a zero-based budgeting approach, the City makes sure resources are focused on its most important priorities.
Budget Calendar
(Meeting dates will be linked to the City Council agendas when they are available)
| Meeting Date | Topic of Discussion |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2025 | Financial Policies |
| August 5, 2025 | 5-Year Financial Plan/Cash Flow Models |
| August 19, 2025 | Preliminary FY 25 Annual Report including Capital Improvement Program |
| September 2, 2025 | Environmental Scan |
| October 21, 2025 | Asset Replacement Program |
| November 18, 2025 | Capital Improvement Program Fiscal Year 2027-2031 |
| December 16, 2025 | Capital Improvement Program Fiscal Year 2027-2031(if needed) |
| January 30, 2026 | FY 27 Budget Work Session |
| February 17, 2026 | Utility Rates & 5-yr Financial Models |
| March 5, 2026 | Set Public Hearing Date for Proposed FY 27 Property Tax Rate - Hearing Notice |
| March 24, 2026 | Public Hearing Concerning FY 27 Proposed Property Tax Rate |
| March 24, 2026 | Set Date for Public Hearing of the FY 27 Budget |
| April 9, 2026 | Set Date for Public Hearing of the FY 27-31 Capital Improvement Program |
| April 23, 2026 | Public Hearing Concerning FY 27 Budget and Resolution Adopting |
| April 23, 2026 | Public Hearing Concerning FY 27-31 Capital Improvement Program and Resolution Adopting |
Linn County will mail a Proposed Property Taxation Statement to all property owners by March 15.
Notice of Public Hearings: FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 | FY 2026