Just days after the Iowa City City Council voted in favor of continuing discussions with the county about the shared law enforcement facility, Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel walked back his support.
Advantages to building a shared facility would have included roughly $10 million in savings, compared to building separate facilities, and a lower voter approval threshold for a potential bond initiative from 60% to 50%.
A new shared facility seemed increasingly likely — both the county and the city had formally agreed to continue discussions. But hearing from some city officials left a bitter taste in the sheriff’s mouth…