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Peosta

Dubuque County · How cities work

$2,410 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($28.61 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$830 a yearof that goes to the city ($9.82 per $1,000)
$2.1Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$9.5Mcity budget, FY27, without city-run utilities (not yet reported)2

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.

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.

YearCombinedCity’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
YearCombinedCity’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.

Eldora: $26.87Pocahontas: $20.79Rockwell City: $20.74Bloomfield: $20.41Belmond: $19.86Sibley: $19.77Sac City: $19.69Traer: $19.56Corning: $19.36Lake City: $19.32Corydon: $18.22Toledo: $18.21La Porte City: $18.08Tama: $17.74Clarion: $17.74Britt: $17.72Missouri Valley: $17.68Madrid: $16.93Manson: $16.87Nashua: $16.81Ackley: $16.63West Union: $16.60Audubon: $16.52Grundy Center: $16.36Belle Plaine: $16.34Colfax: $16.25Durant: $16.24Lamoni: $16.15Marengo: $16.10Holstein: $15.81Pleasantville: $15.80Postville: $15.68Tipton: $15.54Brooklyn: $15.49Stuart: $15.48Mount Ayr: $15.32Granger: $15.22Sigourney: $15.20Guttenberg: $15.19Sumner: $14.83Woodbine: $14.80Bedford: $14.66Van Meter: $14.60Rock Rapids: $14.57Jesup: $14.31Urbana: $14.20Parkersburg: $14.15Hartley: $14.11Ida Grove: $14.10Guthrie Center: $14.04Lake Mills: $13.82Wilton: $13.62Avoca: $13.51Wapello: $13.29Hudson: $13.19Center Point: $13.19Greenfield: $13.13Hawarden: $13.02Akron: $12.93Leon: $12.93Garner: $12.86Slater: $12.79Bellevue: $12.67Milford: $12.57New London: $12.56Lisbon: $12.50Dallas Center: $12.42Onawa: $12.32Remsen: $12.32Monroe: $12.28Denver: $12.27Alta: $12.13Reinbeck: $12.10Atkins: $11.99Wellman: $11.88Blue Grass: $11.79Hull: $11.79Columbus Junction: $11.71Cascade: $11.64West Branch: $11.63Mitchellville: $11.54Solon: $11.53Palo: $11.49Prairie City: $11.38Northwood: $11.28Mediapolis: $11.27Ely: $11.08Ogden: $10.99Farley: $10.91Oakland: $10.85Moville: $10.67Kalona: $10.37Walcott: $10.29West Burlington: $10.15Epworth: $9.42Fairfax: $8.10Peosta: $9.82$8.10 lowest$26.87 highestmiddle
See all 97
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Eldora$26.872,595
2Pocahontas$20.791,848
3Rockwell City$20.742,185
4Bloomfield$20.412,773
5Belmond$19.862,405
6Sibley$19.772,787
7Sac City$19.691,992
8Traer$19.561,547
9Corning$19.361,509
10Lake City$19.321,656
11Corydon$18.221,563
12Toledo$18.212,372
13La Porte City$18.082,267
14Tama$17.742,997
15Clarion$17.742,751
16Britt$17.722,001
17Missouri Valley$17.682,638
18Madrid$16.932,824
19Manson$16.871,646
20Nashua$16.811,515
21Ackley$16.631,538
22West Union$16.602,435
23Audubon$16.522,008
24Grundy Center$16.362,821
25Belle Plaine$16.342,335
26Colfax$16.252,305
27Durant$16.241,798
28Lamoni$16.152,072
29Marengo$16.102,415
30Holstein$15.811,475
31Pleasantville$15.801,696
32Postville$15.682,418
33Tipton$15.543,059
34Brooklyn$15.491,474
35Stuart$15.481,887
36Mount Ayr$15.321,616
37Granger$15.222,095
38Sigourney$15.201,974
39Guttenberg$15.191,804
40Sumner$14.832,032
41Woodbine$14.801,707
42Bedford$14.661,474
43Van Meter$14.601,840
44Rock Rapids$14.572,709
45Jesup$14.312,541
46Urbana$14.201,635
47Parkersburg$14.151,986
48Hartley$14.111,584
49Ida Grove$14.101,988
50Guthrie Center$14.041,579
51Lake Mills$13.822,077
52Wilton$13.622,914
53Avoca$13.511,685
54Wapello$13.292,026
55Hudson$13.192,916
56Center Point$13.192,578
57Greenfield$13.131,988
58Hawarden$13.022,630
59Akron$12.931,545
60Leon$12.931,779
61Garner$12.863,049
62Slater$12.791,626
63Bellevue$12.672,321
64Milford$12.573,258
65New London$12.561,853
66Lisbon$12.502,238
67Dallas Center$12.421,993
68Onawa$12.322,795
69Remsen$12.321,681
70Monroe$12.282,021
71Denver$12.271,955
72Alta$12.132,039
73Reinbeck$12.101,673
74Atkins$11.992,168
75Wellman$11.881,531
76Blue Grass$11.791,707
77Hull$11.792,459
78Columbus Junction$11.711,794
79Cascade$11.642,396
80West Branch$11.632,876
81Mitchellville$11.542,686
82Solon$11.533,284
83Palo$11.491,554
84Prairie City$11.381,722
85Northwood$11.282,047
86Mediapolis$11.271,679
87Ely$11.082,371
88Ogden$10.991,970
89Farley$10.911,723
90Oakland$10.851,519
91Moville$10.671,707
92Kalona$10.372,762
93Walcott$10.291,556
94West Burlington$10.153,249
95Peosta$9.822,195
96Epworth$9.422,042
97Fairfax$8.102,937

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.

$592,779
$591,401

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.

  • Dubuque County$298,768
YearTIF 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
YearTIF 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.

  • Consolidate General Fund$1.7M78%
  • Debt Service Levy$215,69510%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$171,6388%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$70,8113%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Peosta’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 29¢ of every dollar29¢Capital Projects: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Debt Service: 16¢ of every dollar16¢Public Safety: 12¢ of every dollar12¢Community and Economic Development: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Everything else: 17¢ of every dollar17¢

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 goesOf each dollarCities this size (96)
Business Type / Enterprise29¢41¢
Capital Projects16¢14¢
Debt Service16¢7¢
Public Safety12¢11¢
Community and Economic Development10¢3¢
Everything else17¢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.

  • Capital Projects$4.5M47%
  • Culture and Recreation$1.4M15%
  • Debt Service$1.1M11%
  • Public Safety$1.0M11%
  • Community and Economic Development$682,3137%
  • Public Works$485,9455%
  • General Government$408,6934%

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
FunctionBudgetSpent
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

$10.4M
$10.0M

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

$16.4M
$13.0M
June 30OwedPer 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 30OwedPer 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
KindForPaid off byOwed
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Facility construction loan2041$5.1M
General ObligationHighway 20 lift station project, utility installations, streets and storm sewers, park development2036$4.0M
General ObligationGO Bond for PCC improvements, feed line, dump truck, cap imps, turn lane2037$3.0M
Revenue BondsWastewater Treatment Plant project completion2043$525,000
General ObligationWastewater Collection System Improvements/Cox Springs Booster Station/Tennis Lane Reconstruction Project/Water Main Extensions2028$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
Schedule of Findings and Responses SECTION I – FINDINGS RELATED TO THE BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2026-001 Lack of Segregation of Accounting Duties Criteria: An effective internal control system provides for adequate segregation of duties so no one individual handles a transaction from its inception to completion. In order to maintain proper internal control, duties should be segregated so the authorization, custody and recording of transactions are not under the control of the same employee. The segregation of duties helps prevent losses from employee error or dishonesty and maximizes the accuracy of the City's financial information. Condition: The City has a lack of segregation of accounting duties due to a limited number of office employees. The lack of adequate segregation of accounting duties could adversely affect the City's ability to initiate, record, process, and report financial data consistent with the assertions of management in the financial statements. This lack of segregation can be demonstrated in the following areas, which is not intended to be an all-inclusive list: This finding impacts the internal control for all significant accounting functions. Additionally, this control deficiency contributed to a material audit adjustment identified during the audit. Because key accounting functions were not adequately segregated, management did not detect the misstatement through its normal review and reconciliation processes. As a result, a material adjustment was required to correct the financial statements. This indicates existing controls were not operating effectively to prevent or detect material misstatements on a timely basis. Cause: The City has a limited number of employees and procedures have not been designed to adequately segregate duties or provide compensating controls through additional oversight of transactions and processes. Effect or Potential Effect: Inadequate segregation of duties could adversely affect the City's ability to prevent or detect and correct misstatements, errors, or misappropriations on a timely basis. During the current year, this control deficiency contributed to a material audit adjustment required to correct the financial statements. Recommendation: The City should segregate accounting duties to the extent possible. ### Page 54 City of Peosta Schedule of Findings and Responses SECTION I – FINDINGS RELATED TO THE BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) 2026-001 Lack of Segregation of Accounting Duties (Continued) Views of Responsible Officials: The City continues to improve where we can in the area of segregation of duties. With limited staff available, it makes it hard to be efficient as well as consistent with our accounting functions. Conclusion: Response accepted. ### Page 55
14 earlier reports for Peosta

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
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
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.

$14,066
  • State grants$9,06664%
  • Iowa DOT projects$5,00036%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$13,116
FY20$4,573
FY21$0
FY22$0
FY23$5,792
FY24$3,745
FY25$14,066
Show the numbers
YearGrants 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.

$308,328

Federal grants, for comparison: $122,785 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

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.

Awards statewide

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.

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