Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Ben HantenPeosta City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- James BoxleiterPeosta City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- John KraftPeosta City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Russell PfabPeosta Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Brian Wade SchatzPeosta City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Jeff BuxtonPeosta City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
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 Peosta
Homes and businesses in most of Peosta pay a combined $28.61 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, $9.82. Estimate your bill.
- Western Dubuque schools$10.8938%
- City of Peosta$9.8234%
- Dubuque County$5.7320%
- Northeast Iowa Community College$1.044%
- Sunnycrest Manor County Hospital$0.712%
- 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 Peosta pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $27.29 | $8.13 |
| FY21 | $26.91 | $8.13 |
| FY22 | $26.73 | $8.13 |
| FY23 | $26.39 | $8.26 |
| FY24 | $27.58 | $9.75 |
| FY25 | $27.69 | $9.75 |
| FY26 | $28.07 | $9.82 |
| FY27 | $28.61 | $9.82 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $27.29 | $8.13 |
| FY21 | $26.91 | $8.13 |
| FY22 | $26.73 | $8.13 |
| FY23 | $26.39 | $8.26 |
| FY24 | $27.58 | $9.75 |
| FY25 | $27.69 | $9.75 |
| FY26 | $28.07 | $9.82 |
| FY27 | $28.61 | $9.82 |
Compared with places this size3
Peosta’s city property tax rate of $9.82 per $1,000 is the 3rd lowest of 97 Iowa cities with 1,500–3,300 people. The middle of the group is $14.10.
See all 97
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eldora | $26.87 | 2,595 |
| 2 | Pocahontas | $20.79 | 1,848 |
| 3 | Rockwell City | $20.74 | 2,185 |
| 4 | Bloomfield | $20.41 | 2,773 |
| 5 | Belmond | $19.86 | 2,405 |
| 6 | Sibley | $19.77 | 2,787 |
| 7 | Sac City | $19.69 | 1,992 |
| 8 | Traer | $19.56 | 1,547 |
| 9 | Corning | $19.36 | 1,509 |
| 10 | Lake City | $19.32 | 1,656 |
| 11 | Corydon | $18.22 | 1,563 |
| 12 | Toledo | $18.21 | 2,372 |
| 13 | La Porte City | $18.08 | 2,267 |
| 14 | Tama | $17.74 | 2,997 |
| 15 | Clarion | $17.74 | 2,751 |
| 16 | Britt | $17.72 | 2,001 |
| 17 | Missouri Valley | $17.68 | 2,638 |
| 18 | Madrid | $16.93 | 2,824 |
| 19 | Manson | $16.87 | 1,646 |
| 20 | Nashua | $16.81 | 1,515 |
| 21 | Ackley | $16.63 | 1,538 |
| 22 | West Union | $16.60 | 2,435 |
| 23 | Audubon | $16.52 | 2,008 |
| 24 | Grundy Center | $16.36 | 2,821 |
| 25 | Belle Plaine | $16.34 | 2,335 |
| 26 | Colfax | $16.25 | 2,305 |
| 27 | Durant | $16.24 | 1,798 |
| 28 | Lamoni | $16.15 | 2,072 |
| 29 | Marengo | $16.10 | 2,415 |
| 30 | Holstein | $15.81 | 1,475 |
| 31 | Pleasantville | $15.80 | 1,696 |
| 32 | Postville | $15.68 | 2,418 |
| 33 | Tipton | $15.54 | 3,059 |
| 34 | Brooklyn | $15.49 | 1,474 |
| 35 | Stuart | $15.48 | 1,887 |
| 36 | Mount Ayr | $15.32 | 1,616 |
| 37 | Granger | $15.22 | 2,095 |
| 38 | Sigourney | $15.20 | 1,974 |
| 39 | Guttenberg | $15.19 | 1,804 |
| 40 | Sumner | $14.83 | 2,032 |
| 41 | Woodbine | $14.80 | 1,707 |
| 42 | Bedford | $14.66 | 1,474 |
| 43 | Van Meter | $14.60 | 1,840 |
| 44 | Rock Rapids | $14.57 | 2,709 |
| 45 | Jesup | $14.31 | 2,541 |
| 46 | Urbana | $14.20 | 1,635 |
| 47 | Parkersburg | $14.15 | 1,986 |
| 48 | Hartley | $14.11 | 1,584 |
| 49 | Ida Grove | $14.10 | 1,988 |
| 50 | Guthrie Center | $14.04 | 1,579 |
| 51 | Lake Mills | $13.82 | 2,077 |
| 52 | Wilton | $13.62 | 2,914 |
| 53 | Avoca | $13.51 | 1,685 |
| 54 | Wapello | $13.29 | 2,026 |
| 55 | Hudson | $13.19 | 2,916 |
| 56 | Center Point | $13.19 | 2,578 |
| 57 | Greenfield | $13.13 | 1,988 |
| 58 | Hawarden | $13.02 | 2,630 |
| 59 | Akron | $12.93 | 1,545 |
| 60 | Leon | $12.93 | 1,779 |
| 61 | Garner | $12.86 | 3,049 |
| 62 | Slater | $12.79 | 1,626 |
| 63 | Bellevue | $12.67 | 2,321 |
| 64 | Milford | $12.57 | 3,258 |
| 65 | New London | $12.56 | 1,853 |
| 66 | Lisbon | $12.50 | 2,238 |
| 67 | Dallas Center | $12.42 | 1,993 |
| 68 | Onawa | $12.32 | 2,795 |
| 69 | Remsen | $12.32 | 1,681 |
| 70 | Monroe | $12.28 | 2,021 |
| 71 | Denver | $12.27 | 1,955 |
| 72 | Alta | $12.13 | 2,039 |
| 73 | Reinbeck | $12.10 | 1,673 |
| 74 | Atkins | $11.99 | 2,168 |
| 75 | Wellman | $11.88 | 1,531 |
| 76 | Blue Grass | $11.79 | 1,707 |
| 77 | Hull | $11.79 | 2,459 |
| 78 | Columbus Junction | $11.71 | 1,794 |
| 79 | Cascade | $11.64 | 2,396 |
| 80 | West Branch | $11.63 | 2,876 |
| 81 | Mitchellville | $11.54 | 2,686 |
| 82 | Solon | $11.53 | 3,284 |
| 83 | Palo | $11.49 | 1,554 |
| 84 | Prairie City | $11.38 | 1,722 |
| 85 | Northwood | $11.28 | 2,047 |
| 86 | Mediapolis | $11.27 | 1,679 |
| 87 | Ely | $11.08 | 2,371 |
| 88 | Ogden | $10.99 | 1,970 |
| 89 | Farley | $10.91 | 1,723 |
| 90 | Oakland | $10.85 | 1,519 |
| 91 | Moville | $10.67 | 1,707 |
| 92 | Kalona | $10.37 | 2,762 |
| 93 | Walcott | $10.29 | 1,556 |
| 94 | West Burlington | $10.15 | 3,249 |
| 95 | Peosta | $9.82 | 2,195 |
| 96 | Epworth | $9.42 | 2,042 |
| 97 | Fairfax | $8.10 | 2,937 |
The $8.10 limit
Peosta’s general levy is $7.86 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.24 below the limit.4 647 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $7.14 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $7.94 · FY26 $8.10 · FY27 $7.86 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $1.95 more5
- Debt Service Levy$0.81 · $215,695
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$0.81 · $171,638
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.33 · $70,811
Tax increment financing (TIF)
$54.4M of taxable value in Peosta is in TIF districts’ increment (20% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $1.1M in TIF revenue for FY25.
What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY277
Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $489,584 of the city’s own.
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $294,535 |
| FY17 | $228,171 |
| FY18 | $245,968 |
| FY19 | $156,002 |
| FY20 | $152,305 |
| FY21 | $301,748 |
| FY22 | $592,779 |
| FY23 | $591,401 |
Show the numbers
| Year | TIF revenue |
|---|---|
| FY16 | $294,535 |
| FY17 | $228,171 |
| FY18 | $245,968 |
| FY19 | $156,002 |
| FY20 | $152,305 |
| FY21 | $301,748 |
| FY22 | $592,779 |
| FY23 | $591,401 |
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 Peosta’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 96 Iowa cities closest in size (1,500–3,300 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (96) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 29¢ | 41¢ |
| Capital Projects | 16¢ | 14¢ |
| Debt Service | 16¢ | 7¢ |
| Public Safety | 12¢ | 11¢ |
| Community and Economic Development | 10¢ | 3¢ |
| Everything else | 17¢ | 24¢ |
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.
The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($1.9M in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $343,458 | $286,165 |
| Public Safety | $749,296 | $758,196 |
| Health and Social Services | $0 | $0 |
| General Government | $344,748 | $326,512 |
| Debt Service | $832,686 | $823,375 |
| Culture and Recreation | $1.1M | $911,360 |
| Community and Economic Development | $303,864 | $310,095 |
| Capital Projects | $3.8M | $2.0M |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $1.8M | $3.7M |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out8
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Peosta owes
$13.0M at June 30, 2026: $6,833 per resident. 55th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $13.0M | $6,833 |
| 2025 | $14.8M | $7,740 |
| 2024 | $16.0M | $8,400 |
| 2023 | $16.4M | $8,618 |
| 2022 | $10.8M | $5,672 |
| 2021 | $11.3M | $5,942 |
| 2020 | $3.6M | $1,882 |
| 2019 | $3.4M | $1,792 |
| 2018 | $3.4M | $1,802 |
| 2017 | $2.1M | $1,115 |
| 2016 | $2.5M | $1,301 |
| 2015 | $2.2M | $1,148 |
| 2014 | $2.8M | $1,452 |
| 2013 | $4.5M | $2,368 |
| 2012 | $2.4M | $1,245 |
| 2011 | $2.5M | $1,336 |
| 2010 | $3.0M | $1,558 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $13.0M | $6,833 |
| 2025 | $14.8M | $7,740 |
| 2024 | $16.0M | $8,400 |
| 2023 | $16.4M | $8,618 |
| 2022 | $10.8M | $5,672 |
| 2021 | $11.3M | $5,942 |
| 2020 | $3.6M | $1,882 |
| 2019 | $3.4M | $1,792 |
| 2018 | $3.4M | $1,802 |
| 2017 | $2.1M | $1,115 |
| 2016 | $2.5M | $1,301 |
| 2015 | $2.2M | $1,148 |
| 2014 | $2.8M | $1,452 |
| 2013 | $4.5M | $2,368 |
| 2012 | $2.4M | $1,245 |
| 2011 | $2.5M | $1,336 |
| 2010 | $3.0M | $1,558 |
Up 339% since 2010.
The 5% limit10
General obligation debt is $7.4M, 36% of the limit of about $20.4M (5% of $407.6M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).
5 obligations at June 30, 2026
| Kind | For | Paid off by | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Bonds | Wastewater Treatment Facility construction loan | 2041 | $5.1M |
| General Obligation | Highway 20 lift station project, utility installations, streets and storm sewers, park development | 2036 | $4.0M |
| General Obligation | GO Bond for PCC improvements, feed line, dump truck, cap imps, turn lane | 2037 | $3.0M |
| Revenue Bonds | Wastewater Treatment Plant project completion | 2043 | $525,000 |
| General Obligation | Wastewater Collection System Improvements/Cox Springs Booster Station/Tennis Lane Reconstruction Project/Water Main Extensions | 2028 | $375,000 |
General obligation bonds are repaid from property taxes; revenue bonds and loans from the fees or revenue they’re tied to. On the Treasurer’s site
Money in reserve
The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances11. Peosta’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF).
Audits12
The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF), released Monday, October 19, 2026, by a CPA firm.
AI summary13
- The auditors found that too few employees are handling all parts of financial transactions, which prevented the city from catching a significant error in its financial records.
- The city stated it is continuing to work on improving how it separates these accounting duties despite having a limited number of staff.
The findings, as the report states them
14 earlier reports for Peosta
- Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025Monday, December 1, 2025
- Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024Monday, December 23, 2024
- Financial Statement, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023Friday, January 19, 2024
- Financial Statement, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022Wednesday, November 9, 2022
- Financial Statement, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2021Thursday, September 30, 2021
- Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2020Thursday, September 24, 2020
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2019Wednesday, November 20, 2019
- Annual Examination, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2018Monday, October 29, 2018
- Annual Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2017Friday, September 29, 2017
- Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2016Monday, December 19, 2016
- Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2015Thursday, January 28, 2016
- Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2014Friday, February 13, 2015
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2013Wednesday, February 12, 2014
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Thursday, January 24, 2013
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? 14
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: $298,368 in FY25, up 19% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 6% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $250,510 | $262,562 | $269,510 | $270,973 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | $68,487 | $54,789 | $41,092 | $27,395 |
Grants and project money
State grants and money for specific projects (roads, development, natural resources) vary with what the city applies for and wins, so they aren’t counted as the state’s regular support.
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $13,116 |
| FY20 | $4,573 |
| FY21 | $0 |
| FY22 | $0 |
| FY23 | $5,792 |
| FY24 | $3,745 |
| FY25 | $14,066 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $13,116 |
| FY20 | $4,573 |
| FY21 | $0 |
| FY22 | $0 |
| FY23 | $5,792 |
| FY24 | $3,745 |
| FY25 | $14,066 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)+21%$177,889 → $270,973, up 52% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 21% more
- Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−70%$73,803 → $27,395, down 63% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 70% 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 85% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 48% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $122,785 in FY25.
Business awards
State economic development awards
1 business has state awards in PEOSTA: $222K in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 40 jobs. Closed projects promised 40 jobs; 40 were there at the end.15
- Camso Manufacturing USA Ltd.High Quality Jobs Program · FY22 · Not going ahead: Contract ended · 33 jobs required$600K
- Camso Manufacturing US Ltd.High Quality Jobs Program · FY17 · Closed: Met its contract · 40 jobs required, 40 at the end$222K
Community college new jobs training: 21 contracts since 1998 worth $5.2M, for 780 pledged jobs.
Elections
Running for mayor and city council
Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 days.
For the Tuesday, November 2, 2027 election, candidates file Monday, August 23, 2027 to Thursday, September 16, 2027 with the county auditor (or the city clerk, if the auditor names the clerk to take them)16.
In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.
Most recent: November 4, 2025
City · 2
3 seats: the top 3 win.
- James Boxleiter Winner23925.9%
- Ben Hanten Winner23825.8%
- John Kraft Winner23024.9%
- Eric J. Ostermann 21723.5%
- Russell Pfab Unopposed291100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Peosta; official results are on each county auditor’s site.
Who has filed for Tuesday, November 2, 2027
Filing hasn’t opened. These seats are expected on the ballot.
- Peosta City Council At-Large (2 seats)Now held by Brian Wade Schatz, Jeff Buxton
Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here17.
Past ballot measures
None found since 2022.
When a measure can be on the ballot
- Tuesday, March 2, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
- Tuesday, September 14, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
- Tuesday, November 2, 2027 · any question, including bonds
- Tuesday, March 7, 2028 · no bond or debt questions
Bonds and other borrowing can only go on the November ballot18.
Related places
At the Statehouse and in Congress19
Carrie Koelker (Sen. 33)Shannon Lundgren (Rep. 65)
U.S. House:District 2
Dubuque CountyWestern Dubuque schoolsWestern Dubuque Co schools