11 hours ago
After survey, Bettendorf continues plan for new police station
The City of Bettendorf will continue planning for a new police station after nearly 60% of survey responses showed positivity toward the project, according to a news release.
On Monday, June 2, during the Committee of the Whole, the Bettendorf City Council heard a presentation from Community Perceptions, which created the survey that was sent out to residents in April 2024 as the first public step in the process, followed by two informational meetings that were held at the end of April. You can see the presentation here.
A summary (+/- 2% statistical margin of error)
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
'Receiving this feedback from our residents is immensely important, because they would pay for this project if 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.'
'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 the bond referendum, which would allow the city to take out a loan (issue) debt. To help residents see the tax impact on their property, the city has created an estimation for every address that can be assessed here.
'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 Reiter. 'It shows the fiscal responsibility and good stewardship that Bettendorf residents trust and respect in their City leadership.'
The next step in the process is for the 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 council's regular meetings in July 2025.
For more information on the city's process up to this point, visit here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
