Dubuque City Council receives recommended FY2026 budget; proposes $10.06 tax rate and major capital projects

DUBUQUE — The Dubuque City Council on March 31 voted 7-0 to receive and file the City Manager's recommended fiscal year 2026 budget, a presentation that lays out proposed property tax and rate increases, major capital projects and a multi‑year debt plan.

Jennifer Larson, the city’s chief financial officer, presented the budget overview. Larson said the recommendation centers on the five‑year capital improvement program (CIP), public safety and streets and noted the budget process began with council goal‑setting in August. "The theme of this budget recommendation centers around major capital improvement program projects, public safety, and streets," Larson said.

The recommended levy is $29,861,901, a 5.77% increase over fiscal 2025, and the recommended tax rate is $10.06 (a 1.38% increase). Larson told the council the residential impact would average $33.88 for the typical homeowner; commercial and industrial average city shares were shown as $74.26 and $85.68, respectively. The presentation also described state tax changes that affect local revenue, including the residential rollback factor rising from 46.3428% to 47.4316% and the ongoing loss of…