City of Dubuque Public Hearing to Adopt the FY 2027 Budget | April 28, 2026

The City of Dubuque held a special City Council meeting on April 28, 2026, to conduct a public hearing and adopt the amended fiscal year 2027 budget. The meeting focused heavily on budget presentations by the CFO, Jennifer Larson, who detailed no increase in the property tax rate for 2027, maintaining it at just over $106. The budget included significant capital improvement projects totaling $240 million over six years, including water, sanitary sewer, storm water infrastructure, and solid waste collection equipment upgrades. The council also discussed utility rate increases, with water rates rising 3%, sanitary and storm water rates increasing 9%, and solid waste collection rates also rising. Public input was extensive, with many residents expressing concerns about the methodology used for administrative overhead cost allocations to enterprise funds, which some argued unfairly increased utility rates. Several speakers urged the council to reconsider these allocations to avoid excessive rate hikes. The council acknowledged these concerns and committed to reviewing the administrative overhead recharge methodology. Ultimately, the council voted 7-0 to adopt the amended budget and proceeded to establish the water rates for fiscal year 2027, suspending the usual ordinance reading requirements to expedite the process. The meeting underscored the city's efforts to balance infrastructure needs, fiscal responsibility, and community input in setting the budget and rates.