Around Des Moines

On Tuesday, April 29, 2008, voters in Polk County, Iowa, should head to the polls to cast their ballots on a referendum. This particular referendum is about issuing general obligation bonds up to $132 million to build a new county courthouse and to renovate the historic current courthouse.

Neither proponents nor opponents of the plan have yet convinced me how to vote. They both have good reasons why I should support them but neither side has presented strong reasons. The vocal proponents tend to be elected officials and court officials. The vocal opponents tend to be people favoring strict tax oversight. There is a need to update the courthouse facilities for the dignity of victims, witnesses, and the accused, as proponents argue. The county government should be held responsible for the number and timing of requests it makes to taxpayers for special projects, as opponents argue.

The size of the courtrooms limits public observation of trials, other than what are in official records. This concerns me as I generally believe that a public presence is the best way to assure fairness under the law. I also support a new facility to make working conditions better for staff. They are performing a public service and the public should respect them enough to provide reasonable accommodations. I appreciate that the Board of Supervisors, eventually, included retaining the current courthouse as a courthouse. These are all reasons why I would vote yes.

The Polk County Comprehensive Plan that the Board of Supervisors passed a few years ago comes to mind as I ponder the courthouse referendum. I thought the supervisors ignored strong public concerns about retaining agricultural land and controlling sprawl. Similarly, I cannot ignore that the current courthouse plan, known as 5A, was created because the supervisors feared what voters would say about a more expensive proposal after they crushed Project Destiny at the ballot box. In addition, public bodies across the United States have a poor record on historic preservation when it comes to renovation of historic buildings. While I know of no specific examples relative to the Polk County Board of Supervisors, I am uncomfortable with the lack of details I’ve seen about the renovation plans for the courthouse. In addition, I am hesitant about new construction that is projected to be too small just when the bonds for the building’s construction are paid off. These are some of the reasons why I would vote no.

The Board of Supervisors holds meetings several times a month. Those meetings are not televised on local public access television and rarely receive any news coverage. In November’s election, District 1 Supervisor Robert Brownell (R-Clive) and District 2 Supervisor E.J. Giovannetti (R-Urbandale) will be up for re-election. At this time only Giovannetti has an opponent, John L. Scarpino (D-Ankeny).

For the April 29th vote, some voting places have been changed. This is also the first election where you can register and vote on the same day. See the County Auditor’s website for more information.

M.R. Field covers local news for AroundDesMoines.com.