Former Elgin City Clerk Given a Small Fine For a Lesser Charge

The former Elgin city clerk, originally charged with theft in the alleged misuse of $131,213 in taxpayer money, has been fined $430 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offense.

In a recently published story by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Clark Kauffman reported that in March 2023, former Elgin City Clerk Rhonda Dales was named in a state audit report that identified $131,213 in improper disbursements by the city and an additional $7,532 in disbursements for which there was no supporting documentation.

Within days of the auditor’s report being released, Fayette County officials criminally charged Dales with felony first-degree theft. Dales pleaded not guilty, and the case was initially scheduled for trial in July 2023.

Court records show that on Aug. 22, 2025, Fayette County prosecutor Jason Dunn reduced the charge from felony first-degree theft to misdemeanor fourth-degree theft.

Dales pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $430 and placed on informal probation for one year. There was no restitution ordered in the case.