To the editor:

I believe the hardworking taxpayers of Fort Dodge are being taken advantage of.

The city of Fort Dodge is in a huge debt hole. The 2024 outstanding obligations for Fort Dodge are $197 million, as reported by Roby Smith, State of Iowa Treasurer. This debt hole includes general obligations and revenue bonds.

The hardworking taxpayers are being squeezed by rising property taxes, water bills, and sales taxes to fund this out-of-control spending.

When some citizens open their property tax bill and water bill, they have to make serious decisions about how to cover their budget. Those people who are limited on a fixed income have to make decisions about affording utilities, food, or medicine. We are forced to maintain a budget or make sacrifices. Should we not expect the same from our city government? The Fort Dodge city government should provide essential city services and stay within a budget.

Examples of how the Fort Dodge city government is diverting taxpayer money away from essential city services are as follows:

l A bike trail on North 22nd Street that is a half mile long and costs $892,000. The additional insanity of this project is that a parallel bike trail already exists 75 yards to the west.

l The Boston building has had a problematic elevator for 30 years. The landlord / private owners of this building have had 30 years to fix and maintain their property. The City Council felt so generous to give these owners $100,000 for the elevator and an additional $500,000 for further maintenance through a committee of the Development Corporation of Greater Fort Dodge. Would the private property of hardworking taxpayers of Fort Dodge be subsidized by the city to take care of their plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or structural problems?

l The City Council has co-signed and placed the taxpayers on the hook for a speculative, private, and exclusive endeavor of the Crossroads Pavilion. The Pavilion for $12 million will be controlled by a private entity that will obtain all profits from sports tournaments, yet will not be available to the lower-income and financially strapped citizens of Fort Dodge.

The city should focus on essential services of roads, sewers, water, parks, police, fire, and EMS. Some would argue that investment is needed to attract business or save the downtown. There are many who stand opposed to this line of thinking that have been on the City Council for a decade or more and have done little to bring business or restoration to downtown.

The 2024 outstanding obligations of $197 million for Fort Dodge equate to almost $8,000 per person. This per capita value is the highest in the state. Fort Dodge is the municipality with the greatest per capita debt in Iowa. Fort Dodge carries two to seven times the debt of other communities in Iowa to include; Muscatine, Ottumwa, Burlington, Mason City and Marshalltown. Fort Dodge is also sixth in the state for property tax rates.

The dirty little secret of Fort Dodge is that we have a huge debt hole. Will this massive debt continue to siphon our savings? Will this gigantic debt limit essential city services? Will this enormous debt keep our children and grandchildren from establishing homes in Fort Dodge? Will this massive debt keep businesses away from Fort Dodge?

This letter isn’t about placing the blame; it’s about better stewardship. It’s about asking hard questions and expecting honest answers. It’s about restoring trust between the city and its citizens. It is time for a change. Critical thinking and common sense are needed. Please consider City Council representatives who are fair to all and good stewards of the city’s resources. I endorse Scott Davis (at-large), Dennis Mernka (Ward 3), and Ed Touney (Ward 4) for being elected to the Fort Dodge City Council on Nov. 4, 2025.

Justin Hoover

Fort Dodge