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Local taxes › Scott County › Davenport

City

Davenport

Scott County · How cities work

$3,410 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($40.45 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,400 a yearof that goes to the city ($16.58 per $1,000)
$92.5Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$218.6Mcity 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 JobgenDavenport City Council Ward 6 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jade BurkholderDavenport City Council Ward 4 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jason GordonDavenport Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Jazmin NewtonDavenport City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • John BlunkDavenport City Council Ward 5 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Kyle GrippDavenport City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mark Holloway Sr.Davenport City Council Ward 7 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Matt LienenDavenport City Council Ward 8 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Paul VasquezDavenport City Council Ward 3 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Rick DunnDavenport City Council Ward 1 · elected November 4, 2025
  • Tim DunnDavenport City Council Ward 2 · 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.

Agendas will appear here as they’re posted. 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 Davenport

Homes and businesses in most of Davenport pay a combined $42.45 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Scott County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $16.58. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Davenport pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.42$16.78
FY21$39.45$16.78
FY22$39.37$16.78
FY23$39.64$16.78
FY24$42.58$16.78
FY25$37.63$16.61
FY26$41.18$16.61
FY27$40.45$16.58
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$39.42$16.78
FY21$39.45$16.78
FY22$39.37$16.78
FY23$39.64$16.78
FY24$42.58$16.78
FY25$37.63$16.61
FY26$41.18$16.61
FY27$40.45$16.58

Compared with places this size3

Davenport’s city property tax rate of $16.58 per $1,000 is the 3rd highest of 8 Iowa cities with 67,000–138,000 people. The middle of the group is $15.47.

Waterloo: $21.77Cedar Rapids: $16.66Sioux City: $15.51Iowa City: $15.43West Des Moines: $10.80Ames: $10.27Ankeny: $9.90Davenport: $16.58$9.90 lowest$21.77 highestmiddle
See all 8
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Waterloo$21.7767,477
2Cedar Rapids$16.66137,904
3Davenport$16.58100,938
4Sioux City$15.5186,875
5Iowa City$15.4376,710
6West Des Moines$10.8073,664
7Ames$10.2769,026
8Ankeny$9.9076,727

The $8.10 limit

Davenport’s general levy is $8.22 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.12 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 140 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.47 · FY26 $8.39 · FY27 $8.22 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $8.36 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$4.91 · $27.0M
  • Debt Service Levy$2.05 · $11.6M
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$0.95 · $5.2M
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.45 · $2.5M

Tax increment financing (TIF)

$157.8M of taxable value in Davenport is in TIF districts’ increment (3% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $8.2M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$7.5M
$7.2M

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 $2.3M of the city’s own.

  • Scott County$936,409
  • North Scott schools$756,138
  • Davenport schools$622,223
  • Bettendorf schools$27,378
YearTIF revenue
FY16$4.8M
FY17$5.6M
FY18$7.3M
FY19$7.0M
FY20$5.8M
FY21$6.5M
FY22$7.5M
FY23$7.2M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$4.8M
FY17$5.6M
FY18$7.3M
FY19$7.0M
FY20$5.8M
FY21$6.5M
FY22$7.5M
FY23$7.2M

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$45.1M49%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$27.0M30%
  • Debt Service Levy$11.6M13%
  • Opr & Maint publicly owned Transit$5.2M6%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$2.5M3%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Davenport’s budget goes, FY26

Business Type / Enterprise: 26¢ of every dollar26¢Capital Projects: 22¢ of every dollar22¢Public Safety: 19¢ of every dollar19¢Debt Service: 9¢ of every dollar9¢Community and Economic Development: 7¢ of every dollar7¢Everything else: 16¢ of every dollar16¢

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 7 Iowa cities closest in size (67,000–138,000 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (7)
Business Type / Enterprise26¢42¢
Capital Projects22¢18¢
Public Safety19¢13¢
Debt Service9¢8¢
Community and Economic Development7¢4¢
Everything else16¢14¢

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$63.8M29%
  • Public Safety$59.0M27%
  • Debt Service$27.4M13%
  • Public Works$19.7M9%
  • Community and Economic Development$19.3M9%
  • General Government$15.6M7%
  • Culture and Recreation$13.8M6%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($78.4M in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$19.1M$20.3M
Public Safety$51.2M$51.7M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$13.7M$15.7M
Debt Service$33.0M$24.5M
Culture and Recreation$14.7M$15.1M
Community and Economic Development$17.8M$18.0M
Capital Projects$43.9M$40.5M
Business Type / Enterprise$68.1M$72.7M

What it spent each year

FY24 left out8

$341.6M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Davenport owes

$229.1M at June 30, 2026: $2,252 per resident. 356th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9

$242.7M
$229.1M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$229.1M$2,252
2025$232.7M$2,288
2024$230.8M$2,269
2023$239.0M$2,350
2022$233.3M$2,294
2021$233.3M$2,293
2020$229.2M$2,253
2019$230.6M$2,267
2018$231.9M$2,279
2017$242.7M$2,386
2016$241.2M$2,371
2015$199.9M$1,965
2014$216.5M$2,129
2013$221.7M$2,180
2012$231.9M$2,280
2011$178.7M$1,757
2010$164.9M$1,621
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$229.1M$2,252
2025$232.7M$2,288
2024$230.8M$2,269
2023$239.0M$2,350
2022$233.3M$2,294
2021$233.3M$2,293
2020$229.2M$2,253
2019$230.6M$2,267
2018$231.9M$2,279
2017$242.7M$2,386
2016$241.2M$2,371
2015$199.9M$1,965
2014$216.5M$2,129
2013$221.7M$2,180
2012$231.9M$2,280
2011$178.7M$1,757
2010$164.9M$1,621

Up 39% since 2010.

The 5% limit10

General obligation debt is $202.6M, 43% of the limit of about $467.8M (5% of $9.36B, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

26 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General ObligationSeries 2026 Proceeds of the bonds are being issued for the sewers, storm water, public safety, facilities, parks, IT, equipment2041$27.4M
General Obligation2022A REFUNDING OF 2014A AND PROCEEDS OF THE BONDS ARE BEING USED TO PAY COSTS OF CARRYING OUT ESEENTIAL AND GENERAL CORPORATE PURPOSE PROJECTS.2037$21.2M
General ObligationSeries 2024 Proceeds of the Bonds are being issued for sewers, storm water, public safety, facilities, parks, IT, equipment2039$21.1M
General ObligationSeries 2025 Proceeds of the bonds are being issued for sewers, storm water, public safety, facilities, parks, IT, equipment2040$20.3M
General ObligationSeries 2023 are issued for: sanitary sewers, streets, parks, vehicles, IT, Library, bridges, streetscapes, sidewalks.2038$19.3M
General Obligation2016A GO streets, sewer, equipment, solid waste, facilities2031$16.4M
General Obligation2020A Improvements to sewers, streets, streetscape, sidewalks and paths, airport, housing proj., fire & police, and refunding 2012A & 2012D.2035$14.1M
General Obligation2020B improvements to sanitary sewers, sewage treatment works, storm sewers, streets, streetscape, sidewalks & paths, airport, and miscellaneous2036$14.1M
General Obligation2019A Sanitary sewers, storm sewers, streets, airport, municipal housing projects, fire & police department parks and equipment2034$12.3M
General ObligationSeries 2018A Proceeds of the bonds are being issued for sewers, storm water, public safety, facilities, parks, IT, equipment2033$11.7M
General Obligation2017A2032$9.1M
Revenue BondsSRF #4 1930'S sanitary sewer riverfront interceptor2040$7.6M
Revenue Bondssrf #1 loan2041$6.2M
Revenue BondsSRF #5 UV disinfection project & gray water system addition project2041$5.7M
General Obligation2015 GO issue sewers, streets, solid waste, buildings2030$4.8M
General Obligation2021A refunding 2013A2032$4.0M
General ObligationSeries 2018B, Refunding of 2010A & 2010B issues2033$3.7M
Revenue Bondssrf #3 plant optimization2036$3.7M
Revenue Bondssrf #22034$2.4M
General Obligation2017B REFUNDING OF 2009C COMMUNICATION BONDS2029$2.2M
General Obligation2016b advance refunding of 2008d and 2009b2028$800,000
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchaseAXON-Cameras2028$302,506
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchaseHarris (Yamaha) golf cars | 2025-20292029$269,438
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchaseAXON-Taser 10-Holster2029$259,345
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchaseHARRIS GOLF CARTS 4889-0001252027$10,960
Capital Leases/Lease to PurchaseM&M GOLF CARS 4889-4-0001232028$6,610

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. Davenport’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF).

Audits12

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Monday, June 30, 2025 (PDF), released Thursday, January 29, 2026, by a CPA firm.

7 earlier reports for Davenport

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? 13

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: $17.9M in FY25, up 2% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 19% less. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$13.5M$14.1M$14.4M$14.4M
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$4.7M$4.3M$3.8M$3.5M

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.

$5.7M
$3.2M
  • State grants$2.7M84%
  • Gambling Profits$499,41016%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$4.7M
FY20$2.4M
FY21$5.7M
FY22$1.6M
FY23$3.2M
FY24$2.5M
FY25$3.2M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$4.7M
FY20$2.4M
FY21$5.7M
FY22$1.6M
FY23$3.2M
FY24$2.5M
FY25$3.2M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$13.0M → $14.4M, up 11% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−39%$4.5M → $3.5M, down 24% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 39% 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 41% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.

$25.3M
$24.7M

Federal grants, for comparison: $35.4M in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

State economic development awards

5 businesses have state awards in DAVENPORT: $12.7M in grants, loans and tax benefits, for 908 jobs. Closed projects promised 434 jobs; 284 were there at the end.14

  • Vemerald, LLC
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY24 · Under contract: Building · 35 jobs required
    $0
  • Fair Oaks Farms, LLC dba Fair Oaks Foods
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY23 · Under contract: Building · 247 jobs required
    $3.4M
  • Sub-Zero Group
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY22 · Under contract: Building · 192 jobs required
    $3.7M
  • Carleton Life Support Systems Inc.
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY19 · Closed: Paid it all back · 150 jobs required, 0 at the end
    $1.5M
  • Sterilite Corporation
    High Quality Jobs Program · FY17 · Closed: Met its contract · 284 jobs required, 284 at the end
    $4.1M

Community college new jobs training: 97 contracts since 1990 worth $36.8M, for 5,005 pledged jobs.

Awards statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 285 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)15.

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 · 10

2 seats: the top 2 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Davenport; 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.

  • Davenport City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Kyle Gripp, Jazmin Newton
  • Davenport City Council Ward 1
    Now held by Rick Dunn
  • Davenport City Council Ward 2
    Now held by Tim Dunn
  • Davenport City Council Ward 3
    Now held by Marion Meginnis
  • Davenport City Council Ward 4
    Now held by Jade Burkholder
  • Davenport City Council Ward 5
    Now held by Tim Kelly
  • Davenport City Council Ward 6
    Now held by Ben Jobgen
  • Davenport City Council Ward 7
    Now held by Mhisho Lynch
  • Davenport City Council Ward 8
    Now held by Paul J Reinartz Jr
  • Davenport Mayor
    Now held by Jason Gordon

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here16.

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 ballot17.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress18

Kerry Gruenhagen (Sen. 41, 82%)Cindy Winckler (Sen. 49, 14%)Scott Webster (Sen. 47, 4%)Daniel Gosa (Rep. 81, 82%)Monica Kurth (Rep. 98, 9%)Ken Croken (Rep. 97, 5%)Mike Vondran (Rep. 94, 4%)

U.S. House:District 1

Scott CountyBettendorf schoolsDavenport schoolsNorth Scott schools