WDM’s new budget includes tax levy decrease

City Council OK’s nearly $233 million proposal

West Des Moines’ new budget includes some tax relief for property owners, a new fire department training site and street widening projects on two main thoroughfares.

West Des Moines City Council on Monday unanimously approved the city’s nearly $233 million budget for expenses for fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1.

What is the new property tax levy in West Des Moines?

West Des Moines’ tax levy will decrease 5 cents to $10.85 per $1,000 of taxable valuation.

The levy includes $1.36 in reductions from the use of Local Option Sales & Service Tax funds. The city is required to put at least half of its LOSST revenue toward lowering the levy.

Police, fire services are biggest portions of the city’s expenses

Public safety is the largest of the city’s expenses, coming in at 19.7% of the budget. Debt service follows at 19.58%.

Public safety — which includes police and fire, as well as ambulance service, building inspections and animal control — has an almost $45.9 million budget in fiscal year 2025.

The budget for the West Des Moines Police Department and crime prevention will be more than $19.1 million. The West Des Moines Fire Department’s budget will be more than $13.6 million.

Police officers and firefighters will get a 4% pay raise per their collective bargaining agreements. City engineers, emergency medical workers and other city employees under collective bargaining agreements will get 3.25% raises.

The city has about 284 employees represented by a union and 260 nonunion employees.

The city’s almost $40.9 million budget for capital improvement projects includes construction of a more than 150-foot-tall fire training tower and a fire vehicle driver training area at 1630 S.E. Maffitt Lake Road. The $2.5 million project on the 11.5-acre site is the first phase of a plan to eventually build a new fire station there, according to the site plan.

The site is near the Iowa National Guard Readiness Center to be at 1625 Southeast County Line Road. The National Guard broke ground on its $24 million, 40,000 square-foot facility in June 2023 and it’s expected to be ready next spring, according to a news release.

New budget includes roadwork for Mills Civic Parkway and Grand Avenue

The city’s capital improvement plan also includes other construction projects:

Mills Civic Parkway widening from South 81st Street to South 88th Street

Mills Civic Parkway reconstruction of Sugar Creek and Fox Creek culverts

Grand Avenue widening, west of Interstate 35 to South 60th Street

Grand Avenue widening from South 60th Street to South Jordan Creek Parkway

Improving the South Eighth Street storm sewer from Railroad Avenue to Lincoln Street