Roundup of ballot issues in Eastern Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS - Solon voters on Tuesday rejected a city plan to borrow $1.35 million to buy and convert a funeral home into a city hall and community center.

The bond issue, which required 60 percent approval, was defeated 66 percent to 34 percent, or 307 “no” votes to 160 “yes” votes, according to unofficial totals from the Johnson County Auditor's Office. The bond was to be repaid with property taxes and tax increment financing revenue.

It's not the last voters will hear of the issue, Solon Mayor Rick Jedlicka said. The current city hall isn't big enough to house a meeting chamber, he said.

“We are in dire need of a new facility,” he said. “The important thing to take away is the fact that we have people now at least talking about it.”

Meanwhile, a ballot measure in North Liberty that would have switched city council representation to a five-ward system from the current at-large system also was defeated by voters. The measure, which required a simple majority, had 408 “no” votes and 268 “yes” votes, according to unofficial results.

Across town, an easy majority of electors in University Heights voted to renew a tax levy allowing the community of about 1,000 people, which does not have a library, to continue contracting with the Iowa City and Coralville libraries.

University Heights has been paying for residents to use the neighboring libraries, in part with a tax levy voters first approved in 2005. Tuesday's election results renew the levy and keep it in effect indefinitely. A simple majority was needed, and 79 percent of residents who voted gave their approval, according to preliminary tallies.

Council member Brennan McGrath said he was hoping for an even higher approval percentage but he was pleased it passed easily.

“I think we have great support in our community for the library,” he said. “Not just checking out books, but utilizing all of the different services they offer.”

Passage allows the city to continue setting the levy at up to 27 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation. That equals $26.21 per $200,000 home in University Heights.

In Washington County, all six of the nine cities that asked voters to renew a 1 percent local-option sales tax got approval, according to preliminary results. People in Ainsworth, Brighton, Crawfordsville, Riverside, Wellman and West Chester voted to renew the local-option sales tax in their respective cities; the existing tax measures approved in 2002 were scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2012.

Voters in Clayton County approved a $895,000 bond referendum to renovate a building for use as county office space. The measure passed with 1,940 “yes” votes to 812 “no” votes.