Iowa Record
Dubuque
BC

Brad Cavanagh

Mayor2026-01-02 – 2029-12-31 (new term won at the November 4, 2025 election began January 2, 2026 under Iowa Code §376.2 (terms begin at noon on the first January day that is not a Sunday or legal holiday after a regular city election); the city council page states 'Term Expires: Dec. 31, 2029'; first elected mayor in 2021 per KWWL, earlier-term start not carried here)

No biography on file yet.

At a glance

News mentions
1

Term ending Dec 31, 2029.

Voice

Meetings spoken in
17
Total speaking time
6:51:43
Avg per meeting
24:13
Segments
8885

Want every word Cavanagh has said?

The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Cavanagh said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.

Top issues during term (20)

high→Jun 2026[29]

City Manager Executive Recruitment

GMP's flat fee is $20,000, with an estimated $5,000-$7,000 in pass-through advertising and job board costs.

high↑Oct 2026[26]

City Hall space needs at 1398 Central Avenue

About $760,000 in annual savings and $9 million over ten years, funded partly by avoiding $6 million in HVAC spending.

high↑Jul 2026[22]

Valeria Street Rezone and Housing Density

Urban revitalization plans can enable tax increment financing for housing projects.

high↑Oct 2026[22]

School district restructuring impacts

Residents warned of unquantified city budget impacts on traffic and infrastructure from school consolidation.

high↑May 2026[19]

Lead Service Line Replacement Phase II

$3.32 million project, with funding to be set in the FY27 first budget amendment.

high↓Aug 2026[19]

Hyperscale data center moratorium

Potential protections could include letters of credit or bonds from any future data center developer; taxes would flow from assessed property value.

high↑Jul 2026[17]

Port of Dubuque hotel development closing

Base rent of ~$94,486 in year one rising 3% annually, plus 10 years of TIF rebates against a $9.5M private investment.

medium↑Nov 2026[15]

Solidarity Mural covering during presidential visit

Taxpayers could end up covering the cost of policy reviews, staff time, or legal challenges tied to how the city handled the protest.

high↑Oct 2026[15]

Housing vouchers for unhoused residents

It's a federal program, so the vouchers use existing HUD budget the city already fully deploys — no big new local cost.

medium↑Oct 2026[13]

Central Avenue and White Street corridor plan concerns

Removal of on-street parking could impose hardship on residents and businesses along the corridor.

high↓Sep 2026[10]

City Manager Transition and Executive Search

The search firm's fees and the next city manager's salary aren't set yet — a salary range will be built from the city's compensation study and the ICMA annual salary survey.

medium↑Nov 2026[10]

Jule transit network redesign

The study itself is 90% federally funded with a $25,000 city share; any network changes would stay within the existing budget (modeled at plus/minus 10%).

high↑Nov 2026[10]

$21.1 million general obligation bond issuance

Roughly $800,000 a year in added principal-and-interest payments, repaid mostly from local option sales tax, refuse fund and downtown TIF.

medium↑Nov 2026[10]

ImOn Ice Arena cooling tower replacement

Estimated $225,000 construction cost.

high↑Oct 2026[10]

Business attraction and site readiness

Site certification can cost around $300,000 per site, but ready sites attract tax base and jobs.

medium↑Oct 2026[10]

Receiving homes for foster children

low↑Oct 2026[10]

Old Mill Road church building reuse

high↓Aug 2026[10]

Housing Incentive Policy Direction

Ten years of tax abatement on 73% of the increased value of a ~$12M project; state law limits the city's capture of that growth.

high↓Jun 2026[8]

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets to 2050

No direct cost tonight, but future climate action without federal IRA funding likely falls on local budgets and utility ratepayers.

critical↓Aug 2026[7]

Iowa Senate File 2472 fiscal impacts

Locking in longer TIF capture preserves future incentive money for the city, but developers of market-rate housing can now only be rebated public improvement costs.

Decisions during term (314)

Recorded while Cavanagh was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.

approvedVoted yes7-0Nov 2, 2026

Consent Agenda (Items 1-19, 21)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Ruby Sutton Humanitarian Award Plaque and Program (Consent Item 20)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Set Public Hearings: T-Mobile Tower Lease, MacHom Windows Lease, FY2027 Budget Amendment

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Sky Blue Housing Urban Renewal Plan, Version 2026.1 (Resolution 421-26)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Dubuque Technology Park Urban Renewal Plan, Version 2026.1 (Resolution 422-26)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

ImOn Ice Arena Cooling Tower Replacement (Resolution 423-26)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

General Obligation Bonds Series 2026A and 2026B (Resolution 424-26)

approvedVoted yes5-2Nov 2, 2026

Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan Revision — Homeless Preference (Resolution 425-26)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

1398 Central Avenue Space Needs Analysis RFQ Authorization

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Ordinance No. 48-26 Repealing Ordinance No. 35-19 (Sky Blue Housing TIF)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Ordinance No. 49-26 — Sky Blue Housing Tax Increment Ordinance

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Ordinance No. 50-26 — Dubuque Technology Park Tax Increment Ordinance (Subarea D)

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Minutes and Reports Submitted

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Notice of Claims and Suits

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Disposition of Claims

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Approval of City Expenditures

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Resolution Approving Fund Transfers for Capital Projects and Other Expense Reimbursements in Fiscal Year 2027 – Period 3

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Conlon Enterprises LLC 2025 and 2026 Property Tax Appeal Stipulation of Settlement Notice

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Walmart, Inc. and Sam's Real Estate Business Trust 2025 and 2026 Property Tax Appeal Stipulation of Settlement Notice

approved7-0Nov 2, 2026

Kwik Trip, Inc. 2025 and 2026 Property Tax Appeal Stipulation of Settlement Notice

Voting record (110)

103 yes3 no4 abstained

Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.

Voted yesNov 2, 2026

Consent Agenda (Items 1-19, 21)

Voted yesNov 2, 2026

Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan Revision — Homeless Preference (Resolution 425-26)

Voted yesOct 26, 2026

Approving Closing Documents Pursuant to the Development Agreement with Kinseth Hospitality Company, Inc.

Voted yesOct 26, 2026

Approving the Third Amendment to Development Agreement with Kinseth Hospitality Company, Inc.

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Consent Agenda (Items 1-22)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Items Set for Public Hearing (Bonds, Ice Arena, Five Urban Renewal Areas)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Text Amendment for Receiving Homes (Ordinance No. 46-26)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Old Mill Road Rezoning (Ordinance No. 47-26)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Thunder Valley Urban Revitalization Plan (Resolution No. 399-26)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Eastgate Court Urban Revitalization Plan (Resolution No. 400-26)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Water Revenue Loan Notes — Lead Service Line Replacement Phase II (Resolution No. 401-26)

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

Purchase of 1398 Central Avenue and 148 Parking Spaces

Voted yesOct 19, 2026

City Manager Compensation and Total Rewards Structure

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Consent agenda (Items 1-17)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Setting public hearings on water loan and two urban renewal necessity resolutions

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Peru Road Urban Renewal Plan, Version 2026.1 (Resolution 375-26)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Dubuque Industrial Center plan, Version 2026.2 (Resolution 376-26)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Dubuque Industrial Center plan, Version 2026.3 (Resolution 377-26)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

North Jackson Urban Renewal Plan (Resolution 378-26)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Switch Homes Housing Urban Renewal Plan, Version 2026.1 (Resolution 379-26)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Consultant selection for Downtown Master Plan update (Resolution 380-26)

The moment is right and it broadens community voices

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Tax Increment Ordinance 40-26, Peru Road Urban Renewal Area

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Tax Increment Ordinance 41-26, North Jackson Urban Renewal Area

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Ordinance 42-26 repealing Ordinance 34-23, Switch Homes

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Tax Increment Ordinance 43-26, Switch Homes Housing Urban Renewal Area

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Ordinance 44-26 amending TIF Ordinance 14-26, Dubuque Industrial Center (2026.2)

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Tax Increment Ordinance 45-26, Dubuque Industrial Center sub-area Z

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

City Manager recruitment — job description, timeline and stakeholders

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

Work session request: Community Foundation Housing Data Walk

Voted yesOct 5, 2026

September 2026 Housing Creation Update video

Voted yesSep 28, 2026

Motion to Receive and File GMP Kick-Off Materials and Discuss

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Consent Agenda (except Item 4)

Voted noSep 21, 2026

Austin Bodenhofer Claim Appeal — Denied

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Public Hearings Set: Eastgate Court, Thunder Valley, Housing Choice Voucher Plan

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Lease (Resolution 352-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Sale of City Property on Valeria Street (Resolution 353-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Off-Premise Sign Text Amendment (Ordinance 36-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Virtual Velocity Grant Assignment to L'Apostolat (Resolution 354-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Miller Companies Loan Assignment at 131 W 10th St (Resolution 355-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

$2.06M Water Revenue Notes for Lead Service Line Replacement (Resolution 356-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium (Ordinance 37-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

ATVs on Asbury Road Section (Ordinance 38-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Long-Term Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets (Resolution 357-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Central Avenue/White Street Corridor Phases 2 and 4

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Weapons Code Conforming Amendment (Ordinance 39-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

Jeffris Family Foundation Grant for Eagle Point Park (Resolution 358-26)

Voted yesSep 21, 2026

City Manager Executive Recruitment Contract with GMP Consultants

Voted yesSep 9, 2026

GMP Consultants Presentation

Voted yesSep 9, 2026

CPS HR Consulting Presentation

Voted yesSep 9, 2026

Consultant Selection for City Manager Executive Recruitment Services

In the news (1)