The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is finalizing the language for a $96 million bond proposal for a new jail and sheriff’s office.
The bond, if approved by county voters in November, would raise property taxes by $107 per $100,000 of taxable valuation for 10 years, Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green said. For a home with a taxable valuation of $300,000, that would mean a $321 increase in property tax.
The board will officially approve the proposal at its June 25 meeting.
The county settled on a 10-year bond rather than the 20-year bond previously discussed because it will provide more favorable terms for the county amid economic fluctuations, Green said.
To pass, the county will need at least 60% of voters to approve the bond, since Iowa law requires a supermajority for bond votes.
Johnson County has a storied yet unsuccessful history with bonds for a new jail, with the measures rejected by voters twice in the last 15 years.
The new jail facility is expected to open in August 2029, with construction beginning in August 2027.
Proposal is for 120 bed facility, with room to expand to 140
The $96 million bond will pay for a new sheriff’s office and county jail to be built under the same roof. The estimated cost for the building alone is around $80 million, with additional funds reserved for purchasing the site and utility projects.
The jail is expected to have 120 beds, with room to expand to 140 to accommodate county growth. The average population of the Johnson County Jail was just over 86 inmates, according to Sheriff Brad Kunkel’s 2024 annual report. Currently, the jail has 92 beds.
The new facility will include a fully functional sheriff’s office, at least two classroom spaces and conference rooms. Schematics for the new jail have not yet been drafted because the bond must first be approved by voters.
Details of the proposed site have not yet been finalized, Green said. The supervisors have yet to release the proposed jail site as they finalize negotiations. The board expects a purchase agreement with the property owner to be finalized in the coming weeks.
Jail infrastructure crumbling, transportation costs millions
The Johnson County Sheriff’s office has long advocated for a new jail because the current facility has exceeded its typical lifespan since its 1981 construction. Johnson County has nearly doubled in size since, according to census data.
Space constraints and poor conditions have limited the number of inmates the facility can safely hold, requiring Johnson County to pay almost $380,000 in out-of-county housing costs and roughly $132,000 in transportation costs to shuttle inmates to other counties, according to the sheriff’s 2024 report.
Kunkel previously told the Iowa City Press-Citizen that housing inmates in other counties over the last decade has cost more than $20 million.
In a July 2024 report by Shive-Hattery, a consulting firm, it found that the jail is “crowded and aging” and has “long-term structural issues.”
Kunkel has expressed concerns about the structure’s stability, with frequent exterior wall cracks, common plumbing leaks, and growing wear and tear.
The county has pledged more than $3 million to address the structural concerns.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: $96M bond vote expected for new Johnson County jail, sheriff’s office
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
