Preparing for the New 1% Local Option Sales Tax: Is Your Business Ready?
Beginning July 1, 2026, businesses in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Shueyville and Oxford will begin collecting an additional 1% Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), bringing the total sales tax rate to 7%. For many businesses, this change will simply require updates to point-of-sale systems, online checkout settings, accounting software, and internal tax procedures. To help local businesses prepare, the following cities have created […]
North Liberty Grant Program Fuels Growth for Local Businesses
Greater Iowa City, Inc. opened applications for the North Liberty Targeted Economic Development Grant Program at the beginning of 2026. In partnership with the City of North Liberty, Greater IC designed the program to support small business growth, strengthen the local economy, and encourage long-term investment in North Liberty. Funded through the American Rescue […]
Data Bites from the 2025 Data Digest: Youth Profile
Nearly 40% of Johnson County residents are under age 25, and one in every four residents are under age 20. Since 2020, the only age groups that increased their share of the county’s total population were residents ages 45–54 (+0.3 percentage points) and residents aged 65 and older (+1.7 percentage points). Even with these demographic shifts, the county continues to have a […]
Aerospace Industry Cluster Initiative Gains Momentum
Last week, Iowa NASA EPSCoR, in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Eastern Iowa Airport, held its Iowa Aviation Industry Partners Meeting in Iowa City. Greater IC staff, along with aerospace companies, university researchers, community college instructors, and more, gathered to explore collaborations and resources needed to build an aerospace industry cluster in Iowa. Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer opened the meeting and shared her excitement about leveraging Iowa’s […]
Prepare for the June Primary with Greater IC’s 2026 Primary Election Voter Guide
As the June 2 primary election approaches, Greater Iowa City, Inc. has created a Primary Election Voter Guide to help community members learn more about the candidates running for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. While Greater IC does not typically create Voter Guides for primaries, we felt it necessary given the singular nature of this election with […]
Updates from the Capitol: The 2026 Legislative Session Comes to a Close
This past weekend, legislators in Des Moines passed their final proposals and officially concluded the 2026 legislative session. Governor Reynolds will now have 30 days to sign or veto the bills that have come to her desk. Property Taxes One of the largest issues legislators found a compromise on in the final hours of the session was property taxes. The final […]