For the second time in two years, bond referendums for new jails in Sac and Dallas Counties have failed.
The $12.5 million jail plan in Sac County got the support of nearly 57% of voters, but fell short of the required 60% needed for approval. Sac County Sheriff Katie Stange said it was tough to see the measure come so close to passing. “It’s not the super majority that we want, but at the same time Sac County voters have demonstrated two years in a row that over half of voters agree that Sac County needs a new jail,” Stange said, “so although it’s not the 60%, it’s still encouraging.”
The Sac County Jail opened over 80 years and is the oldest county jail operating in the state. Due to its age and safety issues, it’s at risk of being closed by the state. Stange indicated she and other county officials will spend the next few weeks reviewing voter feedback and whether changes in the design of a new jail could be made and another bond issue be presented to voters. “We’ve obviously put a spotlight on the liability of our jail, but the liability on Tuesday in 2025 is the same liability that’s been in the Sac County Jail for 5, 10, 15, 20 years,” the sheriff said, “so I would hope that we would have some options moving forward.”
The Sac County Jail’s next state inspection is scheduled in the summer of 2026. If state officials order the jail to be closed, Sac County officials will have to transport prisoners to jails in other counties and deal with higher transportation costs and room/board fees.
The bonding plan in Dallas County for a new jail and law enforcement offices in Adel got 51% support, far short of the 60% needed for passage. Voters in Bettendorf approved a plan for a new police station. A bond for a new fire station was approved by 97% of Ames voters, while 70% of voters in Le Mars rejected a plan for a new fire station.
(Nathan Konz, KCIM, Carroll contributed to this story)