Hunter
03/08/26
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved additional funding for the architect tasked with developing a new Sheriff’s office and jail.
The Daily Iowan reports the original agreement with Shive-Hattery was from 2023, but an amendment was added to include services in preparation for a bond referendum vote scheduled for this November. With this vote, Johnson County residents will decide if the county should begin construction on a new sheriff’s office.
Plans for a new jail have been in the works for decades but previous bond referendums have been defeated. The issue has become more urgent after a 2023 assessment determined the sheriff’s office and jail are near the end of their useful life.
Sheriff Brad Kunkel told KCJJ earlier this month that the county will be spending over a million dollars this year to keep the building safe for employees and jail inmates.
If the bond referendum passes, the timeline includes about nine months of design and planning, with construction to begin in August 2027. It would take about two years to complete.