Dallas County is asking voters to consider a new, almost $57 million courthouse

Dallas County voters will decide in November whether to approve an almost $57 million criminal court building to keep up with the county's state-leading growth.

The Dallas County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Aug. 27 to put the question on the Nov. 5 general election ballot of whether the county should issue bonds to pay for the new facility. The 78,000-square-feet, three-story, $56.9 million structure would be located next to the Dallas County Law Enforcement Center off U.S. 6, east of Adel.

The Board of Supervisors at the same meeting approved the final payment for the exterior renovation of the current courthouse at 801 Court St. in Adel, including restoration of its dome, bell tower and stonework, according to meeting minutes.

But that doesn't solve the space limitations of the venerable building. According to a news release on Friday from the county, "With a 40% overall increase in all types of cases over the past 10 years, combined with an overall county population increase of nearly 45% in the same timeframe, the historic courthouse, which was built more than 120 years ago, lacks sufficient courtroom capacity to handle the large volume of cases."

"Courtroom availability is at a premium, often resulting in delays in the scheduling of trials/hearings for court cases, or taxpayer dollars being spent to move cases to neighboring counties. A new criminal court building would alleviate those delays by having six courtrooms specifically for criminal and juvenile cases and would also free up space for other civil court operations to co-locate, resulting in a more efficient experience," the release added.

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Officials also are concerned about what's currently a shared entrance at the courthouse for the public and prisoners in criminal cases. The new building would feature a separate, secure entrance for those defendants.

Brad Golightly, chair of the county Board of Supervisors, said in the release the proposal for a new courthouse "is the culmination of years of conversational workshops with 5th Judicial District personnel and local Judges, along with our County Sheriff and County Attorney. The new building will be designed with expandability for future growth and future technology needs in mind."

How much would a new courthouse cost taxpayers in Dallas County?

Officials expect owners under the age of 65 of a $100,000 home would pay $18.56 per year. Homeowners over the age of 65 who would qualify for a Homestead Tax Exemption would pay $15.65 per year.

The tax increase on agricultural land would be about 52 cents per acre.

An information sheet from the county noted delaying construction of a new courthouse would "lead to significant cost increases at an estimated 3-5% ($1.7 million to $2.8 million) in inflation per year."

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Which county and court offices would be located where?

The existing, historic courthouse would be kept for civil law, civil equity, family law, divorce and foreclosure proceedings.

In addition to criminal proceedings, the new courthouse would also be home to the Dallas County attorney’s offices, juvenile court services, the Department of Corrections Parole and Probation staff, the criminal division of the clerk of courts and deputies from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

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The County Auditor’s Office would fully move to 902 Court St., "easing space concerns related to elections, specifically space for early voting," according to the county's news release.

The county already is been building a 54,000-square-foot, two-story administration building at the corner of Court Street and Nile Kinnick Drive South — on the north side of Adel Square — at the site of the former Dallas County Sheriff's Office. That building will be home to offices including those of the county assessor, treasurer, recorder and Board of Supervisors.

More information from the county about the proposed courthouse is available at dallascountyiowa.gov/2024bond.

Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at [email protected] or on X at @pslifeisabeauty.  

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New, almost $57 million courthouse to be on Dallas County ballot