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Continuing a strong health care legacy for our community

This past year, we celebrated 130 years of being our community’s trusted health partner. With stories and insights of our legacy from those who came before us, we are inspired and reminded of the legacy we’re continuing to build in Fort Dodge. As we look to a new year, I am proud to share some of our key achievements from 2024. Introducing new services One of our highest priorities in 2024 was keeping cardiology care local. We are committed to ensuring patients can receive these critical services close to home. We opened UnityPoint Health – Trinity Heart Center in October ...

Education funding passes Iowa Senate

With the first floor debate of the year, the Senate passed our K-12 education funding proposal. Senate File 167 is a $235 million increase for K-12 education in Iowa. When combined with last year’s budgeted amount for education, Iowa’s total amount in state aid for schools will come to $4.2 billion. That amount is almost half of Iowa’s roughly $9 billion budget for the next fiscal year. Senate Republicans remain committed to responsible budgeting, and we believe this $235 million increase for education is a sustainable amount Iowa schools can depend on. We have heard time and ...

EMS as an essential service: Why it’s important for Fort Dodge

One critical component of ensuring the safety and well-being of Fort Dodge citizens is emergency medical services (EMS), which, despite its integral role in public safety, is not currently classified as an essential service. This leaves the community vulnerable and exposes local businesses to potential risks in the event of an emergency. Fort Dodge Fire Rescue, which provides EMS alongside fire services, is asking local businesses and residents to vote to make EMS an essential service in the upcoming referendum on March 4. In 2024, Fort Dodge Fire Rescue responded to 5,324 total ...

Understanding Fort Dodge’s budget and the complex financial history of small Iowa cities

Fort Dodge, Iowa, like many small cities across the state, faces the intricate task of balancing its budget while addressing the diverse needs of its residents. The city’s budget reflects a commitment to maintaining essential services such as public safety, infrastructure, and community programs, while simultaneously navigating the challenges of limited revenue sources and evolving economic conditions. Fort Dodge’s budget at a glance Fort Dodge’s municipal budget, shaped by property taxes, state aid, and local fees, supports a variety of critical operations. Key ...

Iowa House proposes more aid for public schools

We are four weeks from the first legislative funnel. Bills that originated in the House must pass a House full committee for them to be considered on the floor. This excludes appropriation and tax bills. State Supplemental Aid for Schools SSA funding for our public schools is one of the first topics we have to tackle each legislative session. We are getting closer to the 30-day deadline we give ourselves to have an SSA number settled so that school districts have time to plan their budgets for the following year. The Senate and the governor have both proposed a 2 percent increase ...

Iowa government reorganization is working

In 2023, the Iowa legislature passed a massive government reorganization bill with the goal of making government more efficient, aligning similar departments and eliminating redundancies. While it was estimated to save a decent amount of money over the next several years, the governor announced in her Condition of the State speech this year that it had already saved Iowa taxpayers $217 million over 18 months. A report released this week by Common Sense Institute says that government reorganization policy helped us accelerate the income tax cuts Republicans had passed and helped Iowa ...