$30 million conservation bond proposed for Johnson County

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors, joined by the Johnson County Conservation Board, convened on Wednesday at Riverfront Crossings Park under sunny skies to announce a $30 million conservation bond referendum, slated for the Nov. 5 ballot. The conservation bond's ballot language was approved by the Board of Supervisors at a work session that morning. The bond will allow the Johnson County Conservation Board to purchase and develop lands with public access for the purpose of protecting forests, natural areas, water and wildlife habitat, as well as the creation of parks and trails, and will be similar to a $20 million bond that was passed in 2008. Advocating for the bond is the newly-formed committee “Our Land. Our Water. Our Future.,” co-chaired by THINK Iowa City president Josh Schamberger and former Johnson County supervisor Pat Heiden, who called the bond a “generational investment.” “When you talk about this bond issue, we're talking about water quality, saving the rivers and streams and lakes and protecting, you know, the forests and natural areas and wildlife,” she said, adding that the trails and parks are a form of recreation that everyone can participate in and benefit from. The general obligation bond is not to exceed $30 million over a 20-year period, Mr. Schamberger said at the press conference, and expenditures will be subject to an annual independent audit, according to a news release. Taxpayers can expect an increase of $5 annually per $100,000 of assessed value. “Most years will have little to no increase over current rates,” the news release said. The success of the 2008 conservation bond was mentioned several times during the press conference. The bond enabled the county to acquire nearly 1,200 acres of land, create nine miles of paved trails and leverage an additional $17 million in grants, donations and revenues. “This has all contributed not only substantially and tremendously to local quality of life, but it has provided significant economic impact boost to the county and all of the communities since 2008,” said Mr. Schamberger. “We really have to continue as a people and society to pay it forward for future generations,” he told the CBJ. “And I think (of) those in 2008 that worked hard to pass this; we’re reaping awards today. And we're hoping to do the same for future generations. We really are nothing more than disciples to the land here.” V. Fixmer-Oraiz, Johnson County supervisor, said it’s important to instill a connection to nature in the upcoming generations so water quality and soil health continue to be protected. “From a county perspective, we want to make sure that we're preserving these lands for future generations,” they said. “I know that the residents of Johnson County really value the ability to connect with nature.” Ms. Heiden said there are no set projects in mind for the potential funds yet. The $30 million will not act as a “blank check” to the Conservation Board – rather, funds will be allocated as projects develop. “I think the best scenario is for people to go to the website, come in and hear us speak, and see this slide presentation where we talk about Pechman Creek, where we talk about the Hoover Trail, where we talk about Two Horse Farm, and they can see for themselves what these 15 projects (since 2008) look like and anticipate that that we’ll build on those.” For more information on the proposed bond, visit www.ourlandwaterfuture.org.