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Pottawattamie County approves $6 million bond for public-safety communications upgrade
Summary
The Board of Supervisors authorized $6 million in general obligation capital loan notes to fund new peace‑officer and emergency‑services communications equipment, including towers and consoles; the sale was awarded in April and a tax schedule to repay the notes was adopted.
The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors voted to issue $6 million in general obligation capital loan notes to finance new peace‑officer equipment and upgrades to the county’s emergency communications systems.
The Board set and held required public hearings before adopting the authorizing resolutions and levy schedule. The notes will pay to acquire and install towers, microwave links, consoles and related hardware to modernize radio and emergency‑dispatch infrastructure countywide. The Board identified the Debt Service Fund as the repayment source and approved a multiyear tax levy schedule to cover principal and interest.
At the Feb. 24 public hearing and subsequent meetings the Board adopted Resolutions 18‑2026 and 15‑2026 to institute proceedings and authorize issuance; the sale was later awarded to Robert W. Baird (sale documented in Resolution 25‑2026). The Board completed closing steps in April, including appointing UMB Bank, N.A., as paying agent, note registrar and transfer agent. The final bond schedule adopted shows levelized annual levies through fiscal 2035 to cover debt service.
County officials described the financing as necessary to replace aging systems and to support interoperability across partner agencies. Chief Financial Officer Mitch Kay provided fiscal context during hearings, noting the Board had calculated estimated tax impacts per household and planned the issuance to coincide with the county’s capital priorities. Supervisor Tim Wichman recorded a dissent on some actions, but the sale and authorizations passed by majority roll‑call votes.
The county will proceed with contracting and equipment procurement under the financing plan. The Board directed staff to file required documentation with auditors and to publish notice of the sale and final details.
