Waukee Councilman: Group Opposing County Bond Vote Using Misleading Figures

Editor's Note: Waukee City Council member Isaiah McGee submitted the following opinion piece on Tuesday's Dallas County bond referendum.

As citizens prepare to vote for public safety and administrative needs of this growing county on August 6th, it has been extremely disappointing to see repeated misinformation being distributed by the small but vocal group that ironically claiming to be Dallas County Taxpayers for Responsible Spending.  

I recently read a full-page misinformed advertisement from this group that inflates the cost of the project with estimated interest costs and a false overall cost. The question on the ballot is whether to approve not more than $16.85 million to construct a proposed county administration and public safety building on county-owned land. Yet, the "responsible spenders" claim the county would borrow $22 million and boost the "estimated cost" to $30 million. Both numbers are wrong and hide the truth that delay of the project would indeed cost Dallas County taxpayers. It does a tremendous disservice to Dallas County residents to mislead them about the true cost of the project.

The group also claims we need to "fully investigate all options" and asks, "What's the rush?" The truth, which its members know, since 2005, county officials have been through a deliberate and thorough process commissioning two studies that fully investigated the option to identify space needs and potential sites.  

The group claimed for weeks that the county could renovate the former Adel middle school and move its offices there. The truth is that the school district owns the building and has plans to use it for its own administrative offices, meaning it never was an option for the county. Interestingly, the group leader was part of a group that reviewed the site and rejected it as unsuitable for the county administration and public safety facility.

The group also asks "Why was new technology and changes to state law not taken into account in the design of this new facility?" alluding to new state laws allowing some Iowans to renew their driver's licenses online. The truth is that the new state law has already been taken into account and that county officials have made use of new technology to keep pace with ever-growing demands for services from a population that has more than doubled since 1997.

As a city council member in one of the fastest-growing communities in the state, I understand the citizens deserve adequate infrastructure that meets the public's growing needs. Dallas County officials have done the responsible thing by addressing the county's need for modern space to efficiently and effectively serve its citizens.

Because our population continues to rapidly grow, this need is not going to go away. Waiting does nothing but increase construction and financing costs.

Nile Kinnick once warned "Do not quibble or quarrel over trivialities, but stand firm as the rock of Gibraltar on matters of principle.” The board of supervisors have been principled on this issue and have done their due diligence in building this proposal. It deserves the public's support. Please vote yes on Aug. 6.

Isaiah McGee, Waukee