Does Iowa Really Need 99 Counties? A New Task Force May Change That

Iowa DOGE is considering shifting certain parts of the state around.

According to Axios Des Moines, Iowa may not have 99 counties for much longer. The Iowa DOGE Task Force (an all-Republican committee created in February by Governor Reynolds) is expected to re-examine county lines.

When Iowa DOGE met in June, county consolidation was one of the ideas floating around. Iowa has 99 counties and the question is being raised: do we really need that many?

The Argument For Consolidation

Axios points out that some Iowa counties have less than 5,000 residents and 100 courthouses in the state. It raises questions about redundant local governments and infrastructure.

This isn't the first time Iowa has talked about county consolidation. The measure was introduced in 2004 by Sen. Matt McCoy (D, Des Moines) but did not advance. McCoy, now the chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, told Axios that county consolidation or "increased collaboration among local governments" is becoming necessary, especially in an effort to cut property taxes.

Next Steps

Iowa DOGE's main goals are: maximize taxpayer dollars, leverage emerging technology, and refine the state's workforce and job training programs.

The committee decided in June to further research the county consolidation idea before making a final report on it in September.

On the other side of the county consolidation argument,  Andrea Woodard, executive director of the Iowa State Association of Counties, told Axios that a "regionalism approach" would be better, allowing counties to share resources instead of getting rid of county lines.