The bond referendum is intended to address the growing needs of the metro’s growing communities.
IOWA, USA — Bonds to build new city facilities will be on the November ballot, but these improvements will almost always come at a cost.
The three big bonds you should know about are Carlisle bonds, Polk City bonds, and Dallas County bonds. Voters must live in the city or county where the bond election is held for the referendum to appear on the ballot.
Carlisle voters will decide the fate of a $7.75 million bond to build a new library.
The current library was built more than 40 years ago, and the new building will nearly triple in area from about 3,600 square feet to 10,300 square feet.
However, the bond referendum does not raise property taxes.
“Since we built this library in 1981, Carlisle’s population has grown by more than 40 percent, and we’re excited to be able to provide even more of what the community needs,” said Stacey Goodhue, director of the Carlisle Public Library. says.
In Dallas County, every voter will see a $56.9 million bond to build a new three-story courthouse on their ballot. The new courthouse will be built next to the Dallas County Law Enforcement Center in Adel and will have six courtrooms for criminal and juvenile cases.
For most homeowners, this project will result in an increase in property taxes of approximately $19 per $100,000 of home assessed value.
Polk voters will approve or reject a bond to build a new urban park on the city’s northeast side. The park will include soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, a splash pad and a playground.
The project would increase property taxes by about $90 for every $100,000 of home appreciation.
“We have 500 kids participating in soccer this fall alone, and we need enough practice field space for them without completely destroying the field,” said Kirk Haaland, president of the North Polk United Soccer Club. It’s really impossible to find at this point.”
Voters can participate in early voting from now until the day before the election. Early voting hours and locations can be found on the Polk County and Dallas County Auditor’s Office websites.
