IOWA CITY

Johnson County’s path toward a $94.5 million bond referendum vote for a new jail did not flow easily.

Two Board of Supervisors meetings last week drew 20 speakers during public comment sessions, including two supervisor candidates in the November 3 election and former supervisor Royceann Porter, a failed amendment to a resolution and an attempted reading of hundreds of pages from “Robert’s Rules of Order.”

When it was all over and the feisty dust had settled Thursday morning, a split 3-2 Board decision cleared the way for the referendum to be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot.

On that same ballot, in all five newly drawn districts, there will also be a supervisor election.

After a long discussion about the referendum language during an August 5 work session, the issue again took up most of the time in a formal session August 6.

When a vote was finally on the table, Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz attempted to amend the referendum language so that an approximate $30 million in interest charges would be included, and when that failed, Fixmer-Oraiz began reading from Robert’s Rules of Order, which is over 800 pages long, as some jail opponents in the chambers snickered.

When interrupted, Fixmer-Oraiz responded, “You can’t stop me.”

A “call to vote” action halted the reading, by a 3-2 vote, which was followed by the final 3-2 vote in favor of the bond referendum. Board Chair Jon Green, and Supervisors Rod Sullivan and Lisa Green-Douglass voted in favor of placing the referendum on the ballot; Supervisors Fixmer-Oraiz and Mandi Remington voted against.

“I find it ironic that in two weeks we are going to rename our county after Dr. Lulu Merle Johnson (the first African-American woman to receive a PhD from the University of Iowa) and yet we are going to invest even further in a system that, quite frankly, is entirely racist,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “I know that we can do better.”

While some public commentators said there was not enough public input, former Supervisor Royceann Porter, the first African-American Supervisor in Johnson County history, said there were 69 Board meetings with the jail and sheriff’s office on an agenda with public comment available.

“This vote is not just about a building,” Porter said. “It is about our values. It is about whether we are willing to address a problem that has been discussed publicly for years.”

Both candidates for a supervisor district that includes southwest Johnson County north of Kalona (Sharon Center, Frytown, Stringtown, Joetown), Jennie Wunderlich of rural Kalona and Sue Dvorsky of Coralville, support movement for a new jail.

“This facility is about safety, but it’s also about dignity, creating a healthy functional environment for everyone involved; law enforcement, staff and those who are incarcerated,” Wunderlich said. “It’s also about equipping our county to meet today’s challenges and those ahead.”

“Jennie and I have been out in Coralville, Tiffin, Sharon Center, Joetown, Frytown,” Dvorsky said. “We are in agreement, absolute agreement, because of what we’re hearing from constituents on all sides, Democrats, Republicans and independents. There are people out there who actually look at you and say, ‘Aren’t we done with this?’”

In November, the answer will arrive.

Voters, not county supervisors, will decide on a proposal of borrowing $94.5 million in general obligation bonds to build a new 120-bed jail and expanded sheriff’s office on a property located near the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm.

A 60% approval rate is needed for the referendum to pass.

Over 12 years, the cost is expected to be $88 in additional property tax for each $100,000 of assessed property.

The current jail, located in downtown Iowa City, is more than 40 years old and is undergoing structural repairs, due to structural cracks and an aging roof, that cost at least $3 million. At the same time, some Johnson County detainees are shipped to other county jails due to a lack of space.

“The current sheriff’s office and jail have been inadequate, and this question represents county residents’ investment in our shared future,” Board Chair Jon Green said in a statement. “I recognize the project cost is significant, but as we’ve seen over the past two decades, the price will only continue to increase so long as we fail to address the problem.”

Critics of a new jail call for the county to spend more money on diversion programs, housing and food assistance.

The county has already scheduled three informational sessions: August 18 in Solon, September 1 at the Health & Human Services building in Iowa City and October 6 in North Liberty. No sessions have yet been scheduled for southern areas of Johnson County.

“I’m happy the Board is moving in the right direction and putting this on the ballot for the voters to decide,” Sheriff Brad Kunkel said in a statement. “This issue is about solving a critical infrastructural need for Johnson County and better serving our staff and those in our custody.”

Speed Limits

Another road in Johnson County, Sutliff Road NE located northeast of Solon, is having its speed limit lowered by the county after the Iowa Department of Transportation raised the statewide speed limit to 60 mph.

The speed limit was 55 mph before a new state speed law took effect July 1.

Johnson County Secondary Roads is examining other roadways, including some in rural southwestern portions of the county.

Board Action

The Board approved an FY27 license user agreement of $54,292 with Granicus Carahsoft.

Next Meeting

The next formal session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. August 13. This is the monthly evening session that includes a number of rezoning and platting applications, and public hearings.