Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Alicia SoppeGraf Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Joshua LameyGraf City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Ryan SchillingGraf City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Thomas HefelGraf City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
Officials are worked out from election results: every member whose four-year term is still running, plus appointments and titles Iowa Funnel has been told about. A resignation may not show yet.
Meetings and agendas
What the council is deciding: each agenda, the resolutions and ordinances on it, and a plain-language summary.
Iowa Funnel doesn’t read this city’s agendas yet. Every council and board posts its agenda at least 24 hours before it meets.
Property taxes
How the bill is collected · What each levy is for
Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Graf
Homes and businesses in most of Graf pay a combined $22.96 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Dubuque County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $2.56. Estimate your bill.
- Dubuque schools$12.4854%
- Dubuque County$5.7325%
- City of Graf$2.5611%
- Northeast Iowa Community College$1.045%
- Sunnycrest Manor County Hospital$0.713%
- Dubuque County Assessor$0.321%
- Dubuque County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.11<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Graf pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $25.37 | $3.00 |
| FY21 | $25.21 | $3.00 |
| FY22 | $24.89 | $3.00 |
| FY23 | $23.85 | $3.00 |
| FY24 | $24.62 | $3.00 |
| FY25 | $23.03 | $2.82 |
| FY26 | $23.15 | $2.79 |
| FY27 | $22.96 | $2.56 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $25.37 | $3.00 |
| FY21 | $25.21 | $3.00 |
| FY22 | $24.89 | $3.00 |
| FY23 | $23.85 | $3.00 |
| FY24 | $24.62 | $3.00 |
| FY25 | $23.03 | $2.82 |
| FY26 | $23.15 | $2.79 |
| FY27 | $22.96 | $2.56 |
Compared with places this size3
Graf’s city property tax rate of $2.56 per $1,000 is the 4th lowest of 91 Iowa cities with 50–110 people. The middle of the group is $9.44.
See all 91
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castana | $34.13 | 103 |
| 2 | Dougherty | $25.38 | 61 |
| 3 | Hansell | $23.66 | 85 |
| 4 | Whitten | $22.65 | 98 |
| 5 | Stanley | $20.69 | 86 |
| 6 | Ricketts | $19.22 | 105 |
| 7 | Varina | $19.09 | 69 |
| 8 | Sharpsburg | $18.93 | 69 |
| 9 | Grant | $18.71 | 82 |
| 10 | Derby | $18.13 | 89 |
| 11 | Vining | $16.97 | 53 |
| 12 | Waterville | $16.25 | 112 |
| 13 | Northboro | $15.81 | 52 |
| 14 | Popejoy | $15.80 | 76 |
| 15 | Marne | $15.03 | 109 |
| 16 | Baldwin | $14.91 | 99 |
| 17 | Truesdale | $14.56 | 64 |
| 18 | Yorktown | $14.48 | 60 |
| 19 | Ferguson | $13.53 | 98 |
| 20 | Lanesboro | $13.53 | 112 |
| 21 | Cylinder | $12.52 | 84 |
| 22 | Aredale | $12.19 | 59 |
| 23 | Colwell | $12.14 | 52 |
| 24 | Arion | $12.14 | 99 |
| 25 | Dolliver | $11.85 | 63 |
| 26 | Morley | $11.74 | 94 |
| 27 | Toronto | $11.68 | 101 |
| 28 | Matlock | $11.44 | 74 |
| 29 | Melrose | $11.27 | 110 |
| 30 | Nodaway | $11.20 | 74 |
| 31 | Promise City | $11.13 | 91 |
| 32 | Plover | $11.10 | 52 |
| 33 | Masonville | $11.00 | 98 |
| 34 | Numa | $10.80 | 69 |
| 35 | Pacific Junction | $10.56 | 99 |
| 36 | Oto | $10.45 | 71 |
| 37 | Bradgate | $10.37 | 76 |
| 38 | North Washington | $10.23 | 107 |
| 39 | Dawson | $10.19 | 110 |
| 40 | Guernsey | $10.13 | 59 |
| 41 | Hartwick | $9.90 | 91 |
| 42 | Gray | $9.85 | 62 |
| 43 | Webster | $9.55 | 94 |
| 44 | Nemaha | $9.53 | 65 |
| 45 | Martinsburg | $9.49 | 109 |
| 46 | Kirkman | $9.44 | 60 |
| 47 | Wiota | $9.32 | 91 |
| 48 | Fraser | $8.81 | 107 |
| 49 | Macksburg | $8.81 | 103 |
| 50 | Andover | $8.28 | 106 |
| 51 | Knierim | $8.13 | 53 |
| 52 | Unionville | $8.10 | 74 |
| 53 | Rome | $8.10 | 112 |
| 54 | Carpenter | $8.10 | 92 |
| 55 | Orchard | $8.10 | 64 |
| 56 | Turin | $8.10 | 69 |
| 57 | Struble | $8.10 | 72 |
| 58 | Shannon City | $8.10 | 73 |
| 59 | Chillicothe | $8.10 | 79 |
| 60 | Clio | $8.10 | 67 |
| 61 | Scarville | $8.10 | 75 |
| 62 | Buckeye | $7.94 | 82 |
| 63 | Gruver | $7.89 | 63 |
| 64 | Redding | $7.86 | 64 |
| 65 | Morrison | $7.86 | 101 |
| 66 | Oyens | $7.86 | 88 |
| 67 | Ralston | $7.86 | 76 |
| 68 | Chatsworth | $7.86 | 72 |
| 69 | Cromwell | $7.81 | 104 |
| 70 | Arispe | $7.71 | 95 |
| 71 | Luzerne | $7.69 | 111 |
| 72 | Westwood | $7.67 | 96 |
| 73 | Kinross | $7.57 | 80 |
| 74 | Bevington | $7.41 | 62 |
| 75 | Garber | $7.35 | 76 |
| 76 | Spring Hill | $7.26 | 68 |
| 77 | Greenville | $7.24 | 69 |
| 78 | Spragueville | $7.20 | 92 |
| 79 | Craig | $7.01 | 78 |
| 80 | Zwingle | $6.93 | 86 |
| 81 | Pleasant Plain | $6.79 | 83 |
| 82 | Willey | $6.69 | 72 |
| 83 | Tennant | $6.29 | 83 |
| 84 | Sandyville | $6.06 | 59 |
| 85 | Plano | $4.66 | 57 |
| 86 | Hardy | $4.36 | 55 |
| 87 | Keomah Village | $3.15 | 107 |
| 88 | Graf | $2.56 | 76 |
| 89 | Gibson | $1.88 | 58 |
| 90 | North Buena Vista | $1.78 | 107 |
| 91 | Balltown | $0.12 | 78 |
The city’s levies, FY27
What the city raises from each levy. The general levy is capped by state law; the others are set aside for one purpose.
Budget and spending
Where each dollar of Graf’s budget goes, FY26
Planned spending from all funds, including city-run utilities like water and sewer (“business type”), which some cities run and others don’t. Transfers between funds are left out. “Cities this size” is the average for the 92 Iowa cities closest in size (50–110 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (92) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | 78¢ | 31¢ |
| General Government | 19¢ | 32¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 2¢ | 6¢ |
| Public Safety | 1¢ | 11¢ |
Planned spending, FY27
All funds: property taxes, utility and other fees, state and federal money. “Business type” is city-run utilities and enterprises like water or sewer.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $10,100 | $8,913 |
| Public Safety | $628 | $500 |
| Health and Social Services | $0 | $0 |
| General Government | $7,500 | $7,977 |
| Debt Service | $0 | $0 |
| Culture and Recreation | $750 | $287 |
| Community and Economic Development | $0 | $0 |
| Capital Projects | $0 | $0 |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $0 | $0 |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out4
State money
What the State of Iowa pays the city each year, and whether it has kept up with prices. Does state money keep pace? 5
What the state pays the city every year
Road Use Tax for streets, the commercial and industrial tax “backfill”, and ambulance reimbursement, paid every year by formula: $5,046 in FY25, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $5,067 | $4,899 | $5,019 | $5,046 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−18%$4,887 → $5,046, up 3% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 18% less
Collected by the state for the city
The local option sales tax is a city tax voters approved; the state collects it with the state sales tax and sends it back. It isn’t state aid. It’s up 30% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 3% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $6,056 in FY23.
Elections
Most recent: November 4, 2025
City · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- Joshua Lamey Winner1135.5%
- Ryan Schilling Winner1135.5%
- Thomas Hefel Winner929.0%
- Alicia Soppe Unopposed9100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Graf; official results are on each county auditor’s site.
Related places
At the Statehouse and in Congress6
Carrie Koelker (Sen. 33)Shannon Lundgren (Rep. 65)
U.S. House:District 2