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Town Hall · Fontanelle

How is Fontanelle run?

Fontanelle’s city government spent $542,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $886 per resident. Water and other utilities ($709,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$542,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$886
In 2022: $886, less than 51% of 802 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.8M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $10,527
Typical tax bill
$1,444
1.40% of home value · IA 1.39%

What stands out about how Fontanelle is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer63% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Nodaway Valley Community School District with 2 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,444 a year: 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $886 per resident a year, or $2.43 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 45%From the state 21%Property taxes 12%Fees & charges 11%Sales taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 2%From other local governments 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.6 million; interest on debt $46,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.9 million.
Compared with similar places

$886 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Fontanelle’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($886 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $900, and the middle half spent $632–$1,190. Fontanelle spent less than 51% of them.

Middle half of the group, $632–$1,190Median $900Fontanelle

Includes sewer and trash ($78,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
802

Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fontanelle itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Fontanelle reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,444 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Iowa$2,897
Fontanelle$1,444
$1,444
typical bill a year
1.40%
effective rate
$103,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Tax bills are one input to Fontanelle’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fontanelle →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fontanelle

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Fontanelle’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fontanelle yet.
Who works for Fontanelle

One full-time city employee for every 204 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (612).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings2 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1
Police0 + 1 pt
3
full-time
7
part-time
$10,527
payroll for March 2022
$126,324
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$35,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Fontanelle had 4.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 648 of the 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.8: Fontanelle had more than 69% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Nodaway Valley Community School District

Fontanelle’s K–12 school district, shared with Bridgewater, Greenfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fontanelle →
$13,917
per pupil · IA $13,713
651
students
$5.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,917 per pupil, $8,260 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 55%State 39%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Fontanelle’s votes are counted by county

Iowa reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fontanelle alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Adair County’s results.

President · Adair County’s results4,064 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.8%2,916 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.7%1,086 votes

Others: 1.5% (62 votes).

Most votes in Adair County: Donald J Trump

Iowa: Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Fontanelle lies in Adair County. Every 2024 race in Adair County is on the county’s page.

Adair County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Fontanelle

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fontanelle.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Iowa HouseState representatives
    Bubba Sorensen
  3. 3
    Iowa SenateState senator
    Amy Sinclair
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kim Reynolds
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Zachary Nunn
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Iowa
    Chuck GrassleyJoni Ernst

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

Reach Fontanelle’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fontanelle’s government

How much does Fontanelle spend per resident?

About $886 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $886 was less than 51% of 802 Iowa cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fontanelle?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.39% across Iowa. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Fontanelle’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fontanelle yet.

How did Fontanelle vote in 2024?

Iowa counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fontanelle alone. Adair County, where 100% of Fontanelle lies, voted Trump 71.8%, Harris 26.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Fontanelle?

3 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,527 (about $126,324 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fontanelle in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Amy Sinclair) and State House District 23 (Bubba Sorensen). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fontanelle’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →