Warren County residents to vote on new courthouse, jail Aug. 7

Paige Godden | The Des Moines Register

Warren County residents can vote on whether they want Warren County to build a new courthouse and jail from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Voters will be asked whether the county should borrow $29.9 million to bulldoze down the old, nearly vacant courthouse on the Indianola square in favor of a newer and larger building.

The 80-year-old courthouse has caused multiple problems for the county and has been declared a safety hazard by two organizations due to decaying infrastructure that includes plumbing leaks, sewer gas, odors, leaking windows and leaks in the foundation.

Arthur Gamble, the chief judge in Iowa's 5th Judicial District, ordered court services to move from the Warren County Courthouse in February of 2016.

And, the jail, which is located on the third-floor of the courthouse, was closed in February 2018 due to code violations. Three inmates escaped in the two years prior to the jail closing.

Warren County's jail would be too small to house all the county's inmates even if it were still open, as it only has room to house 17 inmates. The county was responsible for 46 inmates July 25, and the jail averages 40 inmates per day, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office.

While city councils in Indianola, Norwalk and Carlisle have passed a resolution in support of the plans to build a new courthouse on The Square, the Warren County Board of Supervisors are still split on whether the plan is best for the county.

Supervisor Crystal McIntyre has been posting reasons on social media as to why she'll vote against the project.

According to McIntyre, the project doesn't include enough space for the county to store impounded vehicles, the county didn't explore all available land options for the new building and she believes construction will cost between $33 million and $34 million.

"Where is the money coming from to built out what is presently promised?" McIntyre asks in one post. "So, what you read on the ballot is great if we were really building all that but, we aren’t. Trust. I will Vote NO-August 7"

Warren County Auditor Traci VanderLinden said the election will cost the county anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000.

The following polling locations will be open: