Reinbeck voters approve new levy
Special election poll workers pictured this past Tuesday at the Reinbeck Memorial Building. From left, Susan Keller, precinct co-chair Sue Buskohl, Nyola Shaffer, and precinct co-chair Donna Cooley.
T-R PHOTOS BY RUBY F MCALLISTER The entrance to the Reinbeck Memorial Building pictured Tuesday, Sept. 8, during the city special election. Less than 17% of the 1,232 total registered voters in the City of Reinbeck participated in the election, either in-person or by absentee.
Special election poll workers pictured this past Tuesday at the Reinbeck Memorial Building. From left, Susan Keller, precinct co-chair Sue Buskohl, Nyola Shaffer, and precinct co-chair Donna Cooley.
T-R PHOTOS BY RUBY F MCALLISTER The entrance to the Reinbeck Memorial Building pictured Tuesday, Sept. 8, during the city special election. Less than 17% of the 1,232 total registered voters in the City of Reinbeck participated in the election, either in-person or by absentee.
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REINBECK - Reinbeck voters overwhelmingly approved a public measure to establish a continuing capital improvements reserve fund and corresponding levy this past Tuesday as part of a city special election.
Public Measure IS passed with 71.36% support, garnering 142 votes in favor of establishing the fund and imposing a levy of 67.5 cents per $1,000 of taxable value. A total of 57 votes were cast against the public measure, which only needed a simple majority to pass.
Turnout was relatively low, with 16.2% of total registered voters casting a ballot either in person Tuesday or by absentee. According to Grundy County Assistant to the Auditor Angela Silvey, turnout for city special elections varies widely. In 2020, a hotel/motel tax special election in nearby Grundy Center garnered only 2.7% voter turnout, she told the newspaper, while in 2018, Dike's fire station bond referendum elicited 27.2% voter turnout.
Reinbeck's special election Tuesday was called for in June by the city council amid tightening municipal budgets.
"We decided to move forward on this because of continued budget restraints," Mayor Jamie Eiffler told the newspaper earlier this summer. "We have compiled a lengthy list of projects within the city, some more urgent than others, (that) in recent years we struggle to obtain enough funds for, (allowing) our departments to function as they should."
The city estimates the levy - the maximum allowed under Iowa Code - will generate roughly $50,000 annually for the new fund beginning in fiscal year 2027. There is no end date attached to the levy.
During the Sept. 1 regular city council meeting, councilors adopted a five-year Capital Improvements Plan for fiscal years 2027-31 as a blueprint for future capital projects along with estimated costs. The plan is available on the city's website or at City Hall.
A flyer distributed by the City of Reinbeck prior to Tuesday's election estimated the annual cost to property taxpayers with residential assessed values of $100,000 (taxable value of $44,535) would result in an increase of $30. For commercial properties with assessed values of $300,000 (taxable value of $201,802), the estimated increase would be $136.
According to the advocacy and lobbying organization Iowans for Tax Relief, a total of 25 public measures were voted on statewide during Tuesday’s special election, the vast majority addressing school district proposals.
At the city level, Ankeny was the only other community besides Reinbeck with a special election on the ballot. Ankeny's public measure to establish a 1% local option sales tax passed after previously failing at least seven times, according to reporting by the Des Moines Register.
Upcoming fire station vote
This November, Reinbeck voters will again be asked to weigh in on a public measure -- whether or not to fund a new $4 million fire station.
"Shall the City of Reinbeck, in Grundy County, State of Iowa, enter into a loan agreement and issue general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding $4,000,000 for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent, of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new municipal fire station?" the ballot question reads.
The measure will require a supermajority of at least 60% of the total votes cast to pass.
The current fire station is located on Broad Street adjacent to the Memorial Building. The size of the building is chief among its issues, according to department officials, and has led to overly congested quarters, severely narrow entry and exit points, and communication difficulties due to tangled lines of sight in the building.
The fire department has been hosting town halls at the Memorial Building ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election. Remaining dates include this Sunday, Sept. 13, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m.; and Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m.
Those who would like to donate to the Reinbeck Fire Department's building fund can make a tax-deductible donation by dropping off checks payable to Reinbeck Firemen Inc. at City Hall (414 Main St., Reinbeck, IA 50669). The fire department can also be supported through Venmo: @Reinbeck-Fire.
For more information, follow the department on Facebook or stop by City Hall.