The three candidates for Iowa Governor have some detailed statements on the property tax issue.  One candidate has a very different idea and two have similar positions.

 

Property taxes are the main funding mechanism for local governmental bodies to raise funds for operations.  Some state funding of local operations come from state and federal sources, but the direct control part of the funding of local government is property taxes. Local taxing body expenses are a combination of local decisions and upper level governmental mandates, some mandates that are funded and some that are unfunded.

 

Libertarian candidate Nicholas Gluba from his web site https://glubaforiowa.info/issues-and-priorities “The property tax system in Iowa needs a complete overhaul, and as an advocate for property rights, I propose a new approach. Instead of relying on a county assessor's valuation, my plan is to base property taxes on the last fair sale purchase price of the home or property. This method ensures that the tax amount reflects a value you, as the buyer, have already agreed upon during the Iowa elections process. By setting the tax based on the sale price, it means you're being taxed on an amount that represents what the property could reasonably fetch if you chose to sell it. Additionally, this change will alleviate much of the administrative hassle of determining property tax obligations, as it will be a fixed amount. Gluba for Iowa supports these straightforward solutions for a more efficient property tax system.”

 

Republican candidate Zach Lahn from his site https://www.zachlahn.com/policy states” Lower property taxes for Iowans by raising property tax rates on Wall Street institutional investors.”

 

Democratic candidate Rob Sand does not say anything specific regarding property taxes on his web site but https://search.brave.com AI made this statement:  “Sand has made property tax reform a central part of his platform, focusing on fairness and transparency.  He released a first-of-its-kind report in January 2024 concluding that Iowa's property tax system is regressive, finding that residents in lower-income areas pay higher effective tax rates than those in wealthier communities.  Specifically, the data showed that for every $1,000 increase in median household income, the overall property tax rate declines by 10.6 cents.

 

Two-Tier Tax Proposal: In November 2025, Sand proposed a two-tiered property tax system that would tax out-of-state property owners at a higher rate than Iowa residents.  Applying to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural land, this plan aims to make home ownership more accessible for locals, citing that nearly half of Iowa farmland is owned by non-farmers and significant acreage is held by out-of-state entities.  However, the Iowa GOP and legal precedents like Borden v. Selden (1966) argue this proposal is unconstitutional under both the Iowa and US. Constitutions' uniform operation and privileges and immunities clauses.”

 

The only property tax control that the state can do currently is to not make unfunded mandates and to possibly subsidize the tax payment.  Beyond this there has to be a decision by state residents to create and different tax and spend strategy at the local level.  Sand and Lahn seem to have some similarities in their observation of the problem.   Gluba has a very interesting approach that would hold the taxes down not taking advantage of an unrealized capital gain. (Remember the farm property crash in the early 1980’s?)  Any increase in property tax would strictly be the mill rate increases.