A new public health and youth services building is kicking up some controversy in Linn County over an unusual funding and construction plan.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller started an

drive last week to force a reverse referendum vote on the county’s Harris building project.

The planned building to house Linn County Public Health, youth development services, as well as a community center and public gym will be named in honor of the late local civil rights icons Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris.

Linn County Supervisors will debate, and likely vote, on a $31.5-million dollar proposal, following a public hearing on Wednesday.

Miller says he launched an online petition drive to force a reverse referendum because that’s the only way county voters will be able to cast a ballot on the proposal.

The project, set to go up on 7th Street S.E. in Cedar Rapids, is on county-owned land where a building was damaged in the 2008 flooding. Iowa lawmakers voted to allow reconstruction projects in such an urban renewal zone without voter approval unless enough signatures are collected to force a referendum.

Miller says he would need more than 11,000 signatures and has only slightly more than 100 as of early Tuesday. He says he has no hopes of getting enough by the meeting but will argue supervisors should ask permission of voters even if not required by law.

“It seems like we’re spending an awful lot of money here and we’re doing it without the consent of the voters and if they’re going to do it without the consent of voters the least they can do is answer questions,” Miller said.

But Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson says county leaders have kept the public informed about the project and unusual lease-purchase proposal.

Oleson says the not-to-exceed price tag of $31.5-million dollars includes furnishings and other costs not normally part of a construction bid.

“When we go out to bond for this, we have to put a maximum price never to exceed so that’s where we came up with the $31-million dollars. I expect it (the building) to come in around $28-million,” Oleson said.

Oleson says the project will not be put up for the normal open bidding but rather local contractors will be invited to submit proposals with the county weighing a number of factors including cost.

Oleson says structuring the deal this way will allow more of the work to go to local companies and local workers.

The public hearing on the proposal is set for 10 a.m. at the Linn County Public Service Center.