For several months, the cities in Dallas County had been devoting a lot of time and energy to the countywide local option sales and services tax. At the recent election, the citizens of the county made it abundantly clear that it was a worthwhile endeavor.

The local option sales tax measure was on the ballot for each city in Dallas County, except for Adel where the tax was already in place with no sunset date. It was even up for vote in the unincorporated areas of the county, and the contiguous Des Moines metro area. In each location the measure was on the ballot, it passed, in most cases by a comfortable margin. The cities with the highest percentage of yes votes were Dexter with 96.4% and Dawson with 94.3%. Even in the city with the lowest percentage of yes votes, Dallas Center with 72.7%, the measure passed easily.

The only area where there was some doubt was unincorporated Dallas County, where the measure passed with only 51.1%. There was also a question on whether the contiguous metro cities — which includes Clive, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines — would pass the measure, given three of the cities have the majority of their population in Polk County. However, the measure did pass with 61.2% approval, meaning the Jordan Creek Town Center area now falls under the local option sales tax.

The inclusion of the metro is a considerable boon for the rest of the county, as the tax dollars are combined and distributed countywide. In Perry, where the measure passed with 79.5% approval, the City was anticipating approximately $1 million in annual revenue from the tax before the inclusion of the metro. With the area added, Perry will receive an estimated $1.6 million a year. With the contiguous cities on board with the local option sales tax, the Polk County side is now also considering the tax.

See below for how each city in Dallas County voted on the measure.

Bouton: Yes — 79.3%
Dawson: Yes — 94.3%
Dallas Center: Yes — 72.7%
DeSoto: Yes — 77.6%
Dexter: Yes — 96.4%
Granger: Yes — 75.1%
Grimes: Yes — 100% (2 votes)
Linden: Yes — 87.8%
Minburn: Yes — 81.8%
Perry: Yes — 79.5%
Redfield: Yes — 85.7%
Van Meter: Yes — 77.3%
Woodward: Yes — 78.0%
Unincorporated Dallas County: Yes — 51.1%
Contiguous Des Moines Metro Area: Yes — 61.2%