IOWA, USA — Bonds to build new city facilities will appear on the November ballot, but those improvements come with a cost in most cases.
Three big ones to know about are the Carlisle bond, the Polk City bond and the Dallas County bond. Voters have to live in either a city or county having a bond election to see the referendum on their 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 almost triple the space, going from about 3,600 square feet to 10,300 square feet.
However, the bond referendum would not raise property taxes.
“The population of Carlisle has grown over 40% since we built this library in 1981 and we are excited to be able to offer more of what the community is looking for,” Carlisle Public Library Director Stacy Goodhue said.
In Dallas County, all voters will see a $56.9 million bond to build a new three-story courthouse on their ballots. The new courthouse would be built next to the Dallas County Law Enforcement Center in Adel and have six courtrooms for criminal and juvenile cases.
For most homeowners, the project would raise property taxes by about $19 per $100,000 home evaluation.
Polk City voters will either approve or deny a bond to construct a new city park on the northeast side of the city. The park would include soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, a splash pad and playgrounds.
This project would raise property taxes by about $90 per $100,000 home evaluation.
“We have 500 kids out for soccer just this fall, and being able to find enough practice field space for them without completely destroying the fields really isn't possible right now,” said Kirk Haaland, North Polk United Soccer Club president.
Voters can participate in early voting from now up until a day before the election. Hours and locations of early voting sites can be found on the Polk County and Dallas County Auditor Office websites.