The Dallas County Board of Supervisors hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday night at the Adel Public Library to discuss the proposed law enforcement center.

The center requires a $22.9 million bond referendum which will be voted on during a special election on May 2nd. The town hall meeting started with an explanation by Sheriff Chad Leonard about the necessity of a new law enforcement center. He explained the costs associated with how they currently transport prisoners to and from the Dallas County Jail, and emphasized the dangers and costs associated.

Next Jerry Purdy of Design Alliance, which is the architecture firm hired to design the proposed center, gave a rundown of the features of the new facility and how it’s better than what they currently have. Then Sid Samuels of the Samuels Group, which was hired to project the costs associated with the new facility, talked about the financial benefits of passing the referendum.

A concerned citizen asked questions regarding the taxation implications of the referendum, and he was answered by another member of the crowd. Mark Powell of Perry, who is a member of the citizen’s committee, said, “We’re wasting close to $500,000 a year, sending our taxpayer dollars to other counties. When we lose 12 beds, if this thing doesn’t pass, in March 2018 that number goes up significantly. Probably $650,000 to $800,000.”

Supervisor Mark Hanson then presented information boards, which seemed to alleviate some of the concerns a few attendees had. The meeting finished with a short question and answer session. The Supervisors will be holding two more town hall meetings before the vote, the first being Thursday night at the West Des Moines Police Department, and the second next Monday at the Waukee Community Center. The Sheriff’s Office will also be holding its final jail tour Sunday. People with questions are encouraged to attend the town halls and jail tours, or visit DallasCountyVote.com.