Join us for the 2026 Budget Workshops as we help cities develop their Fiscal Year 2028 budgets. The annual workshops provide a review of the important factors that affect city budgets while helping attendees understand the state requirements for completing and filing the budget.

Workshop Topics:

Budget Projections and Issues
League staff will facilitate a discussion on financial trends and projections
important to your city budget.

Iowa Department of Management Update
Ted Nellesen from the Iowa Department of Management will provide
updates on the city budget form and other financial reporting that cities
must complete. Always an important session for attendees, both veterans
and those newer to their role in city government will benefit from this
informative session.

Following lunch, attendees may choose between two concurrent sessions:

Budget Form Basics
Ted Nellesen from the Iowa Department of Management will provide
step-by-step instructions on preparing your city’s budget and using the
state budget form with plenty of opportunities for questions. This session
will be presented as a hands-on walkthrough of the budget forms and
submission process. Relevant example budget documents will be provided,
and attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptops and city budget
materials.

How to Roll with the Punches: Adjusting your Budget to a New Property Tax System
Join us to discuss changes to property tax system. In this session, attendees will hear from veteran practitioners on how they will be evaluating the impacts of SF 2472 and how they are navigating those discussions with their city officials.

Workshop Agenda:

9:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
10 a.m. | Budget Projections & Issues
11:15 a.m. | Iowa Department of Management Update
Noon | Lunch Break
12:45 p.m. | Budget Form Basics OR How to Roll with the Punches: Adjusting your Budget to a New Property Tax System
(Concurrent Afternoon Sessions)

Workshop Locations:

Wednesday, November 4 | West Des Moines
RecPlex
6500 Grand Ave, West Des Moines

Tuesday, November 10 | Storm Lake
BVU - Harold Walter Siebens Forum Building
610 W 4th St, Storm Lake

Thursday, November 12 | Red Oak
Bridge View Center
610 W 4th St, Storm Lake

Tuesday, November 17 | Virtual (via Zoom)
Zoom meeting links will be provided to
attendees prior to the workshop

Tuesday, December 1 | Cedar Rapids
Kirkwood Hotel
7725 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids

Thursday, December 3 | Fairfield
Fairfield Arts and Convention Center
200 North Main St., Fairfield