News Flash

Heads Up, Story County Taxpayers!

Due to an unfortunate traffic accident, our drive‑up drop box is temporarily out of service and won’t be replaced before March property tax payments are due.

Good news: A secure, 24/7 drop box is still available next to the front door of the Administration Building. This box feeds directly into a locked, secure area within the Treasurer’s Office.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding!

For the upcoming Primary and General elections, Story County will elect members of the Board of Supervisors by district, following changes mandated by Senate File 75 which passed in 2025.

Under Senate File 75, Story County will no longer elect its Board of Supervisors at large. Instead, voters will elect one supervisor from each of three districts. All three supervisor seats will be on the ballot for the 2026 Primary and General elections.

The Supervisor district map is as follows (District 1 highlighted in blue, District 2 highlighted in yellow, and District 3 highlighted in pink): 

Populations:District 1 - 32,783District 2 - 32,894District 3 - 32,860

To return to staggered four-year terms, initial term lengths were determined by a random drawing conducted by the Story County Auditor on January 27, 2026. Those initial term limits are as follows: 

The Iowa Legislative Services Agency prepared the district map. The Board of Supervisors approved the plan on January 27, 2026. The map is contingent on approval by the Secretary of State.

Dr. James (Jim) Colbert, an Ames resident, was recently appointed as the newest Story County Conservation Board member.

Restoration of two South Skunk River oxbows at Wicks Wildlife Area near Story City is now complete, marking the first finished project funded through the Story County Water & Land Legacy (SCWLL) Bond.

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026

Oak wilt, a fatal fungal disease, has been identified at Hickory Grove Park and Story County Conservation (SCC) is moving quickly with preventative measures to protect healthy trees nearby. To mitigate the spread of disease throughout the park, crews will soon begin the difficult but necessary removal of oak trees between Oriole Ridge Lodge and Bobwhite Shelter.

Oak wilt is an aggressive disease that can be carried by beetles and travel through interconnected root systems. It was first observed in the park in 2018 and has been under close surveillance since. SCC attempted fungicide treatments and select tree thinning to reduce the spread, but these efforts did not solve the issue. 

SCC has developed an Oak Wilt Management Plan with guidance from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). More details about the Management Plan, and oak wilt in general, will be available soon.

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For additional information regarding rural living in unincorporated Story County, please click here for our Story County Guide to Rural Living.