Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 372.1 (2026)

Forms of cities

✓ current as of July 2026

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1. The forms of city government are: a. Mayor-council, or mayor-council with appointed manager. b. Commission. c. Council-manager-at-large. d. Council-manager-ward. e. Home rule charter. f. Special charter. g. City-county consolidated form as provided in sections 331.247 through 331.252. h. Community commonwealth as provided in sections 331.260 through 331.263. 2. A city when first incorporated has the mayor-council form. A city retains its form of government until it adopts a different form as provided in this subchapter. 3. A city shall adopt by ordinance a charter embodying its existing form of government, which must be one of the forms provided in this subchapter, and shall file a copy of its charter with the secretary of state, and maintain copies available for public inspection. [C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, §363.1, 363.30; C75, 77, 79, 81, §372.1] 2004 Acts, ch 1066, §29, 31; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §76; 2019 Acts, ch 59, §113 Referred to in §372.2, 372.12

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2007–2021 · leading case: Berent v. City of Iowa City, 738 N.W.2d 193 (Iowa 2007).

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Berent v. City of Iowa City, 738 N.W.2d 193 (Iowa 2007). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 372.1 (5) (2001). See generally Sam F.”

Nicole Bribriesco-Ledger v. Frank J. Klipsch, Major, & The City of Davenport, Iowa (Iowa 2021). · cites it 4× “III, §§ 38A, 39A; Iowa Code § 372.1 . A mayor–council structure is one form, but cities may also choose forms that disperse power among many more people, such as a commission structure, a council–manager- 10 at-large structure, a council–manager–ward structure, and so on.”

Nicole Bribriesco-Ledger v. Frank J. Klipsch, Mayor, & The City of Davenport, Iowa (Iowa 2021). · cites it 4× “III, §§ 38A, 39A; Iowa Code § 372.1 . A mayor–council structure is one form, but cities may also choose forms that disperse power among many more people, such as a commission structure, a council–manager- 10 at-large structure, a council–manager–ward structure, and so on.”

Michael Joseph Berent, Michael Steven Romp, Jeff Wayne Thorne, Paul Bryson Ingram, Nichelle Aline Thompson, Rodney Edward Sullivan, Sara Lillis Epstein, Sara Crane Swisher, Bette Jayne Mayes, Caroline M. Dieterle, Matt Blizek, Mori Constantino, Amanda Coyne, Lolly Eggers, Ellen Haywood, Jon Klinkowitz, Karen Kubby, Bob Thompson, James Walters, Roberta Till Retz & Jennie Louise Embree (Iowa 2007). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 372.1 (5) (2001). See generally Sam F.”

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