Clive and Urbandale recognized for collaboration on Fire Station #43 in Urbandale

The Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa (TACI) has awarded the 2019 In the Public Interest Award to the cities of Clive and Urbandale. The award is given annually to an individual, local government, or intergovernmental project that best demonstrates the aggressive pursuit of efficiency over the past year. Clive and Urbandale were recognized for their collaboration on Fire Station #43, which when completed will provide emergency services to the growing western neighborhoods in both cities.

“Emergency services are an essential service for municipalities, but providing those services is expensive today and will be more expensive in the future,” said Gretchen Tegeler, President of TACI. “Cities must pursue innovative solutions to efficiently and sustainably deliver quality services to taxpayers. The Station #43 project is a great example of taxpayers benefiting when cities focus on their core responsibilities and value for taxes paid. Clive and Urbandale have strong traditions of fiscal stewardship and collaboration, and we applaud them for their work on this impressive project.”

As Clive and Urbandale have grown, many of their current or planned developments have extended beyond the recommended distance and travel time from existing fire stations. To correct this coverage gap, Clive and Urbandale could have each built and staffed their own stations, but this would have created millions in unnecessary taxpayer expenses.

Clive Mayor Scott Cirksena and Urbandale Mayor Robert Andeweg jointly thanked the Taxpayers Association for the recognition, and expressed optimism about future partnerships that would create more efficient and effective services for residents and businesses in Clive and Urbandale.

Station #43 will cost $4.7 million to build and equip, and annual operational costs will be over $2.2 million. Had the cities decided not to collaborate, taxpayers would have collectively paid over $50 million in the next ten years to build and operate two separate stations. Instead, Urbandale is paying for the construction, equipment, and annual operating costs of Station #43 while the staffing expenses are shared—Clive paying 40% and Urbandale paying 60%. Together, Urbandale and Clive expect to save $21.5 million in avoided costs over the next ten years.