Council Bluffs Missed $4.3 Million From Google Over Utilities Ordinance
Council Bluffs missed out on $4.3 million in revenue from Google in 2024 due to an outdated utilities ordinance that offered Google a preferential rate that was not compliant with Iowa law. The city council has since corrected the ordinance,…
Omaha, NE, October 25, 2026 —
Council Bluffs missed out on $4.3 million in revenue from Google in 2024 because an outdated city utilities ordinance offered the company a preferential rate that was not compliant with Iowa law, according to the information provided.
The city council has since corrected the ordinance. The summary does not specify when the change was made, what the preferential rate was, or how the revised ordinance affects the city’s utility charges or future revenue.
Mayor Jill Shudak is also reviewing how property tax abatements for Google’s development were implemented. The information provided does not state the scope or timing of that review, identify the development’s details, or say whether the review has produced any findings.
The $4.3 million figure refers to revenue Council Bluffs missed in 2024. No further breakdown is provided about how that amount was calculated or which utilities were covered by the ordinance. The summary also does not identify who determined that the preferential rate did not comply with state law.
The ordinance correction and the mayor’s review are separate developments described in the summary: the council has changed the utilities ordinance, while Shudak is examining the implementation of property tax abatements. No additional decisions, outcomes, or actions following the review have been provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Katrina Markel on www.3newsnow.com, see more information here.
