City of Bettendorf leaders announced last week that planning will go forward on a possible new police station after nearly 60% of respondents to a recent community survey said they were supportive of the project.
On Monday, June 2, during the Bettendorf Committee of the Whole council meeting, city officials heard a presentation from Community Perceptions, which created the survey that was sent out to residents in April 2024. It was the first public step in the process.
That was followed by two informational meetings held at the end of April. Those interested can view the entire presentation here.
Results of the community survey include:
- 2,497 respondents (17.8% response rate).
- 34% of respondents say they would “definitely” support paying for a new police station.
- 25% of respondents say they would “probably” support paying for a new police station.
- +/- 2% statistical margin of error.
The next step is for the Bettendorf City Council to decide whether to put the bond referendum on the November 2025 ballot. That decision is expected to take place at one of the city council’s regular meetings in July.
“Receiving this feedback from our residents is immensely important, because they would pay for this project if the City Council approves putting it on the ballot as a bond referendum,” said Jeff Reiter, assistant city administrator. “Cities have very limited ability to levy taxes beyond what is necessary to fund a single year’s obligations. The voted referendum tool is the only arrow in the City’s quiver for projects such as this police station.”
Responses ‘very telling’
“The data is very telling, especially when you include the +/- 2% margin of error,” said John Mahon, vice president–Quad Cities, Bray Architects. “The referendum’s threshold is 60% plus one, so this is very encouraging that even very early in the process, people already see the merits of a potential move.”
Sixty percent, plus one, of Bettendorf voters would need to approve a bond referendum, which would allow the city to take out a loan (issue) debt.
“The last time the city put a bond referendum on the ballot was in 1995, when the city asked voters to support the construction of The Learning Campus,” said Decker Ploehn, city administrator. “The project included building the Family Museum and making renovations to the Bettendorf Public Library, both of which are incredible amenities in the city today.”
“Our City Council takes the referendum process very seriously, which is why the city has not put a bond referendum on the ballot in three decades,” added Mr. Reiter. “It shows the fiscal responsibility and good stewardship that Bettendorf residents trust and respect in their city leadership.”
For more information on the City’s process up to this point, please see our earlier press releases below. In addition, the City has created a webpage with FAQs about the project at www.bettendorf.org/PoliceStationFAQ.
