Rexburg Police Department bond back on the ballot – this time with a lowered asking price
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REXBURG — Returning for a second attempt, voters will decide on May 19 whether to accept a bond to allow the Rexburg Police Department to build a new police station for a lowered asking price.
This second go-around, the city is asking voters to approve a 15-year bond for $14,995,000, with interest of $4,309,500, for a total cost of $19,304,500.
Rexburg Police Chief Joshua Rhodes told EastIdahoNews.com that the changes were made in response to community feedback from a survey sent out after the initial bond failed.
“Some of the bigger concerns were the tax impact on the members of the community. So, that was one aspect that we reduced, the scope of the building,” Rhodes said.
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These changes are “grey spaces,” or unfinished areas, of the new building that were included in the plans for future growth. Some of the changes include more details on how the money will be used and additional information made available on the county’s website.
According to the Rexburg Police Department’s website, the lowered tag price reflects a $3.29 million reduction in design costs and a decrease in overall borrowing costs. The interest on this bond is 3.22%.
The initial bond, which was also set for a 15-year term and sought a grand total of $22.5 million, failed in the November election, as it did not meet the required supermajority to pass. The bond received 1,443 votes in support, but only 62.6% of the vote.
The proposed police building will include more space for the department to grow over the next 20 years.
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Other changes were announced by Rexburg Chief Financial Officer Matt Nielson. During a candidate forum in Rexburg, he said the city planned to defer the additional tax charge on from showing up on residents’ bills until 2028.
Part of the reasoning behind the deferral is to allow for other bonds or levies to go through, such as those for the Madison Library and the Madison School District. Nielson said it’ll come off residents’ tax notices or just be shy of ending.
With the reductions made to lower the bond’s asking price, the proposed police department will measure 28.4310 square feet.
EastIdahoNews.com has previously reported that the land where the proposed police department will be built is an open 5-acre field on the west side of Pioneer Road near U.S. Highway 20.
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This land was purchased for about $3 million, and the website states it was done in November.
Looking at the feedback, Rhodes said that in addition to cost, the location has also been a concern for some residents.
“We had looked at other locations throughout the city for the past several years, trying to find the best location. … There’s pros and cons to everywhere we go,” Rhodes said.
According to the website, the location on Pioneer Road offers the quickest access to major roads, and response times are within are moderatley similar distance from the current station.
Regarding noise from the sirens on the patrol vehicles, Rhodes said those are items that can be changed within department policy to see when an officer should activate their lights.
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Overall, Rhodes is appreciative of the support the station has provided during this process and hopes the changes made will help the community better understand the project.
“We’re here to listen to the voice of the people, and to do our best to have a facility that can serve the people better and into the future,” Rhodes said. “Through the process, we’ve learned of different ways that we can improve and things that we can do better as a department.”
Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to call Chief Rhodes at the police department or City Council members. The Rexburg Police Department can be reached at 208-359-3008. The number for City Hall is 208-359-3020.
You can also visit the Rexburg’s website to learn about the bond at the link at rexburg.org/o/cor/page/rpd-station-bond.
Wanting to know where to vote or check registration before May 19? Visit VoteIdaho.gov.