Dubuque City Council approves proposed FY2026 property tax rate after public hearing, 7-0

The Dubuque City Council approved a proposed maximum property tax rate of $10.06 per $1,000 of assessed value for fiscal year 2026 and received the related budget materials during a special public hearing March 25 in the Historic Federal Building.

City Manager Mike Van Milligen told the council the state-mandated taxpayer statement mailed in March, prepared by the Iowa Department of Management, will show a much larger city-only increase than Dubuque is proposing. “Dubuque property owners will soon receive notifications, which are required and prepared by the state of Iowa, showing a more than 14% increase in the city portion of residential property taxes next year when the proposed increase is actually 3.9%,” Van Milligen said. He said the difference comes from the state formula’s assumption of a 10% valuation increase and other state assessment and rollback calculations outside the city’s control.

The mailer is required by state legislation passed in 2023 and created by the Iowa Department of Management, Van Milligen said. He…