Assessor

Assessor

The Assessor is charged with several administrative and statutory duties. The primary duty and responsibility is to value & classify all real property within the Assessor's jurisdiction except that which is otherwise provided by law. This would include residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural classes of property.

2026 Assessment Notices

Properties within the City of Forest City were reviewed for the 2026 assessment. Following additional analysis, dwelling values and rural residential land values in Mt. Valley Township were also adjusted. Other individual properties throughout the county experienced changes as well. Any property with an adjusted value will receive a Notice of Assessed Value, mailed no later than April 1, 2026.

Assessments are required to reflect 100% fair market value of the property (unless otherwise provided by the Code of Iowa) in its condition as of January 1. This value is established by the Assessor’s Office prior to the application of the state rollback factor. The 2026 assessed value will form the basis of your property tax bill for the fall of 2027 and spring of 2028.

If you do not believe your assessment is correct, you may contact the Assessor’s Office for an informal review beginning April 2 through April 25, pursuant to Iowa Code section 441.30. Before contacting our office, it may be helpful to review the 2025 sales lists available on the county website to see recent local sale prices. Sales lists can be found here: Sales List - Assessor - Winnebago County, Iowa

When you call, please be prepared to review and verify the property data we have on file to ensure accuracy. In many cases, questions or concerns can be resolved through this process.

If you remain dissatisfied with the assessment after the informal review, you may file a formal protest with the Board of Review between April 2 and April 30. Protests must be based on the grounds specified in Iowa Code section 441.37.

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