Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DISCOUNTED UTILITY-BILL PROGRAMS
DISCOUNTED UTILITY-BILL PROGRAMS. In an effort to help low-income residents with the payment of their utility bills, city officials instituted a discounted utility bill program for garbage, sewer, stormwater, and water fees. The program reduced monthly bills by 50% in each of the four areas if recipients re-certified their income levels yearly. To choose who would be eligible for the program, the city used the test and income guidelines written by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Anyone who qualified for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher also qualified for a discount on utilities. In 2025 the poverty rate in Dubuque was 12.2%.
Discounted trash rates were extended to 551 customers in February, 2025. This was a decline in participation from 578 in 2024. The City had fewer trash customers because it did not provide solid waste services to apartments with more than six units. (While it was not stated in this source, it is presumed that apartments with more than six units had to private trash collection by provide agencies.)
It was unclear why enrollment for so many people who would benefit from the reduced costs was so low. Efforts to make enrollment easier included placing the existence of the programs on the front of the utility bill instead of the back in fine print. Any email to customers also included enrollment procedures and benefits to the consumer. Community Impact personnel went door-to-door greeting residents and explaining the program and its benefits.
The program's cost to the city in 2025 was about $140,000 annually. The loss of revenue was filled by gambling and property tax revenues. Increasing the rates 9% in 2025 was also being proposed. If passed this would be the fourth annual increase. In 2025, with the 9% increase, Dubuque would have the second-highest rates among the major Iowa communities for water, sewer and stormwater. (1)
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Source:
1. Gray, Gray, "City Programs for Low-Income Residents Not Widely Utilize," Telegraph Herald, April 20, 2025, p. 1A