To help Dubuque homeowners and property owners avoid going into shock when they open up an upcoming taxpayer statement they will be receiving in the mail soon, the City is issuing an explanation of what will be received beforehand.
The city says the notifications, which are required and prepared by the State of Iowa, will show a more than 14% increase in the City portion of residential property taxes next year when the proposed increase is actually 3.9% to residential property. The taxpayer statement will also indicate a 15.57% increase in the City portion of taxes for commercial property, when the proposed increase is actually 1.9% for commercial property.
The calculation used in the taxpayer statement by the Iowa Department of Management assumes a 10% increase in the valuation of both residential and commercial properties from 2025 to 2026. City of Dubuque properties were not assessed for revaluations last year so there is no basis for a 10% increase in valuations. Generally, only property owners who took out building permits to make property improvements might have increased assessments.
The Dubuque City Council will hold a March 25th public hearing to set the maximum property tax rate for the city.
