Election date for park bond referendum delayed three months

The election date desired for the proposed $1.6 million park bond referendum has been pushed back three months, in part because the city attorney and his staff did not take into account or were unaware that public measure elections cannot be held on primary dates any longer.

City attorney Matthew Brick said in his staff’s haste to get the bond referendum on the ballot as quickly as possible, they learned the state no longer allows elections for public measures to be held in June. Council members and city staff originally planned to put the park bond up to a vote on June 7.

“When we started looking at this, the code said one thing and now says another, so we incorrectly told you guys we could get this done in June,” Brick said on Feb. 7. “It’s not going to be able to get done until the fall, unfortunately. That is 100 percent yet another blunder by me, as I’m always making blunders.”

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, public measures elections can only take place on the first Tuesday in March, the second Tuesday in September and the day of the regular city and school election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an odd-numbered year.

As a result, the city is now aiming for a Sept. 13 election date for the proposed park bond referendum, which is still in need of council approval.

Newton City Administrator Matt Muckler asked council members how soon they would like to see an action for the park bond published in an agenda, because city staff can do that as early as Feb. 21. Mayor Mike Hansen said the sooner council can vote on it the better for all in involved.

“It then gives the partner organizations and those that want to advocate on behalf of a certain project for them to go and do their work and due diligence and make sure the public understands completely,” Hansen said, noting that includes what the projects are and how many money will be divided amongst them.

Council member Mark Hallam saw the delayed election date as something positive, noting the extra time will allow the advocacy groups to visit the parks and the golf course in the summer and explain the benefits of the park bond.

“I think this may be to our advantage,” Hallam said.

If council approves the park bond and put the matter up to a vote, the city attorney and mayor advised elected officials and city staff to remain impartial and to not advocate in favor of or against the referendum. Staff and council members may only present citizens with the facts.

Brick referenced a 2018 decision from the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board regarding the City of Windsor Heights, in which taxpayer dollars were used in a mailer whose language stated: “Make sure to vote, it makes a lot of cents.” Des Moines Register’s Kim Norvell reported the city received a $500 fine.

Brick said, “We want you all to be exceedingly careful. That’s why the advocacy groups are so important to protect other people. And we had two elected officials who got individually fined in that case. So I don’t want any of you to do that.”

Council member Randy Ervin responded in jest, “So we can’t say this is a clear drive down the fairway to vote for this?”

“Oh, God, no,” Brick said.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com