Urbandale Voters to Consider New Police Station With No Property Tax Levy Increase for the Project

URBANDALE, Iowa – Urbandale voters will consider a bond referendum for a new police station on November 3, 2026. The City’s financing plan is designed to build the station without raising the City’s property tax rate for this project.

At the City Council meeting tonight, the Urbandale City Council approved ballot language asking voters whether the City may issue up to $25 million in bonds for the design, construction and equipping of the proposed station. The measure requires at least 60 percent voter approval.

“We take seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Mayor Robert Andeweg said. “By planning carefully, using a combination of funding sources and making strategic use of the City’s existing financial capacity, we have developed a plan that would meet this important public safety need without raising the City’s property tax rate for the project.”

The proposed station would cost an estimated $60 million. The financing plan includes $25 million in voter-approved bonds, $25 million supported by revenue from the Northwest Market Center (Urban Loop area) tax increment financing (TIF) district, and $10 million from City reserves and Local Option Sales and Services Tax revenue.

By combining those funding sources and coordinating the borrowing with existing City debt that is being paid off, the City’s plan can finance the station without increasing its current property tax rate for debt payments. The project-related borrowing would be repaid within approximately 15 years.

The proposed 95,000-square-foot station would be built on City-owned property at the southwest corner of Douglas Avenue and 100th Street. The current station was constructed in 1982, when Urbandale had approximately 18,000 residents and 26 police officers. Today, the city has nearly 50,000 residents and 62 officers. The building is expected to meet department capacity needs as Urbandale grows.

“Our officers are serving a community that has nearly tripled in population since the current station was built, and the department has grown significantly along with it,” Police Chief Rob Johansen said. “A modern police station would give our personnel the space and infrastructure needed to serve Urbandale effectively today while preparing the department for the community’s needs in the decades ahead.”

Additional information about the proposed station, financing plan, and referendum is available at www.urbandale.org/vote.