Turnout in the March special election remained extremely low across the participating districts. Across the 12 contests, just 6,336 votes were cast out of 136,901 registered voters — a turnout of only 4.6 percent. Individual district turnout varied significantly. The highest turnout occurred in Sibley-Ocheyedan CSD, where 34.8 percent of registered voters participated in the PPEL renewal election....
"Property taxes are an issue. And I think voters are being more picky," said Sarah Curry with Iowans for Tax Relief, a group that advocates for lower taxes.Curry says that while some metro voters were willing to accept higher taxes to fund new schools, many Iowans elsewhere were not."When we look statewide, there were actually 25 bonds that passed and 33 failed. Knoxville, Panorama, I-35 — all...
Iowa voters considered 58 bond proposals totaling more than $1.7 billion in potential new borrowing. A majority (57%) of those proposals failed, with only 25 proposals (43%) gaining approval. Many repeat proposals were rejected again, showing continued taxpayer concern about property taxes and government spending. Just over $1 billion in new debt was approved, with nearly $700 million denied.
It's important for voters to consider the ask, says ITR President Chris Hagenow."It's separating the wants versus the needs. If something needs to happen, then voters should be aware of that, and that, that obviously, may qualify for voting for a bond," Hagenow says. "These bond decisions are in large part driving the increase year over year in property tax burden. And we think that many times, ...
Yet despite the high cost of borrowing, 55 bond proposals totaling more than $1.6 billion will be on the ballot for Iowa voters this November. Even more striking in this interest rate environment is that 18 local governments — 15 school districts, two counties, and one community college — are returning with repeat bond requests.
Across Iowa, local officials are asking voters to approve more than $1 billion in new bond debt this November — often with the soothing assurance that these projects “won’t raise your taxes.” But that promise deserves scrutiny. It’s like paying off your car loan, immediately financing the purchase of a new one, and insisting it doesn’t cost more — just because the monthly payment stayed the same. ...
The results are in: every public measure on September 9, 2025, ballot passed across the state. That is notable, but the real headline should be the persistently low voter turnout in these September special elections—and whether it’s time to eliminate them altogether. On September 9, seven public measures appeared statewide. Three renewed the Physical Plant and Equipment Property Tax Levy (PPEL) fo...
The March 2025 special election results once again highlight the persistent challenges of low voter turnout. While many measures passed, the limited participation raises concerns about the fairness and transparency of the process.
On March 4, voters in 46 Iowa counties will go to the polls. In front of them there will be measures from 25 school boards, five city councils, and three county boards. Iowa law allows local governments to propose public measures for taxpayer approval in special elections, typically held in March and September. While not all measures will immediately impact taxpayers, each will influence local go...