Lang
9/17/25
In a surprising move, Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel has pulled his support for a proposed joint sheriff’s office/jail and Iowa City police station.
Kunkel sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday stating that he came to that decision after the proposal was discussed at a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors and the Iowa City city council last week and Tuesday night’s Iowa City city council meeting.
A recent Shive-Hattery study indicates the county and city could save a combined $10.25 million by merging the facilities of the Johnson County Sheriff’s office and jail with a new Iowa City Police headquarters.
Kunkel says the facility was proposed with three goals in mind: a good location for both entities, a proposal that would reach the needed voter threshold, and to meet the growing infrastructure needs of both organizations.
But some supervisors and city councilors have expressed reservations over the proposal. The project has been criticized by members of both groups for having too many beds, and for only needing a 50% majority to pass when a standalone jail would require 60%.
A Tuesday night vote from the city council on supporting moving forward with the project only passed 4-3, with councilors Laura Bergus, Oliver Weilein, and Mazahir Salih voting “no”.
After the recent meetings, Kunkel says he sees no viable path forward for a joint facility. He added that instead, he thinks the best option is now a standalone sheriff’s office facility and jail.
Kunkel has scheduled a news conference for 9:30 Thursday morning to further discuss his decision.