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Red Oak, IA

Government

Red Oak, the county seat of Montgomery County, operates under the mayor-council form of government, with a City Council composed of five elected members. Day-to-day operations are overseen by a City Administrator.

Red Oak has 24-hour fire and police protection, accessible through 911 services. The Red Oak Police Department is staffed by full-time certified officers; the department also includes a K-9 unit. The Red Oak Police Department engages in community outreach and partnership programs like Neighborhood Watch; additionally, there is a school resource officer on staff who acts as a liaison with local schools.

The Red Oak Fire Department is staffed by both paid full-time and volunteer professionals, offering round-the-clock firefighting and rescue services to the city and surrounding unincorporated areas. The professional staff includes firefighters, paramedics and EMTs, whose available equipment includes fire engines, specialized rescue apparatus and ambulances. Red Oak currently has an ISO rating of 4.

Red Oak Municipal Airport is a modern facility with 24-hour fuel availability, plane rental, courtesy car service, flight instruction, a paved runway and a cross-wind runway; the longest is 4,100 feet in length and is being expanded to 5,100 feet. Many improvements have been made to the airport facilities throughout recent years. The airport is staffed by a full-time Airport Manager.

Red Oak Public Library offers free services and checkout of materials to community residents. In addition to a wide selection of books, magazines, videos and books on tape, the library offers reference assistance, reading programs, audio-visual equipment for loan, meeting space and computers for public use.

Multiple parks and recreational opportunities exist within the city, including 11 neighborhood parks with a vast range of sizes and amenities, a beautiful sports complex, a swimming pool, tennis courts and a skate park. Also located in Red Oak are the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, which host the annual Montgomery County Fair along with a variety of other events and activities throughout the year.

Utilities are provided through a combination of public and private sources. Water and sewer service for the city is municipally owned and operated, while Mid American Energy provides electric and natural gas. Cable television, high-speed Internet, and local and long distance telephone service are also available.

As the seat of Montgomery County, Red Oak is also home to the historic Montgomery County Courthouse and county government offices.