The Ames City Council voted to schedule a special meeting to consider placing a bond question to relocate Fire Station No. 2 on the November 2025 ballot, after lengthy discussion about public outreach, timing and project cost. Mayor and council members debated whether to wait until 2026 to allow more time to educate voters; Council member Gloria favored postponement but the motion to set a special meeting passed.

Nut graf: The council did not finalize a bond amount tonight but agreed to return with project cost details, tax‑rate impacts and outreach plans; staff said estimates put the project around $20.26 million and that some site‑selection steps would not be complete by the ballot deadline.

Public works and fire staff briefed council that relocation would lower citywide emergency response times and that the project has timing constraints — to place a council‑initiated referendum on the November ballot an ordinance must be adopted by Sept. 18. Fire Department leadership urged prompt action but several council members said the community needs a clear, short education campaign if the question goes before voters in November.

Staff noted two required legal notices if council places the question on the ballot: a county auditor mail notice to registered voters (no fewer than 10 days and no more than 20 days before the vote) and a city publication notice (no fewer than 4 days and no more than 20 days before the vote). Several council members said turnout for off‑year or low‑profile elections tends to be small and worried that a November special measure could be decided by a low‑information electorate.

Council directed staff to prepare a workshop packet and return with full project cost estimates, tax‑rate impacts and draft outreach materials for the special meeting; staff emphasized location negotiations were still underway and would not likely be finalized by the vote but said they had no indication the site would change.

Ending: The council’s vote schedules the next procedural step; any final decision to place the bond question on the ballot will require a later council vote after staff returns with the detailed project information, tax impact estimates and an outreach plan.