The first in-person public information session on the upcoming Secondary Roads Department Bond referendum in Jasper County will take place in Prairie City tomorrow night, August 29th. Details of the project and proposed $6,400,000 bond issue will be shared at the Prairie City Community Building at 503 South State Street starting at 6:30 p.m.. Other in-person informational meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on September 19th at Lynnville City Hall, 308 East Street; October 10th at Baxter’s Community Building/City Hall; October 17th in Newton at the County Administration Building’s Large Conference Room, 315 West. 3rd Street. North; and October 24th in Kellogg’s Amboy Grange Building at 220 High Street. The Jasper County Secondary Roads Shop at 4800 Liberty Avenue will also host an Open House from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. October 29th.  If given voter approval on Tuesday, November 5th, Jasper County will issue up to $6,400,000 in general obligation or capital loan notes to pay for a new Secondary Roads maintenance building and shop. County Board Chairman Brandon Talsma says no tax increase would be involved and no services or equipment needs sacrificed if the referendum passes. 

“ We will not be raising taxes. We have significant debt coming off the books next year, We will just try to maintain that debt service levy and our large capital projects moving forward, so we don’t have a spike in property taxes”

The facility would be constructed on seven-acres of County owned land on Newton’s eastern edge, just south of Interstate 80. Jasper County Supervisors just had a new 11,900 square foot truck storage building built there. It has maintenance bays and storage for fuel and salt.