Iowa Highway Ends (etc.)

Altoona is currently in the midst of opening up a subdivision called Tuscan Estates — “a quiet country oasis”. (City regulation PDF) The development is near subdivisions or subsets of the subdivision called Tuscany and Tuscany Villas on, what else, Tuscany Drive. Says the website, “Tuscany is a Conservation Community, taking into account environmental principals and green spaces.” (The word they’re looking for is principles.)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Des Moines metro area, there is Tuscany Village at Reed’s Crossing, a name that veritably oozes everything you think about the Dallas County portion of West Des Moines.

On the first Tuesday after the first Monday (unless noted), Iowa looooves special elections this year. The Secretary of State lists seven allowable scheduled dates, and that doesn’t include votes that must be held within a certain number of days of a vacancy. Elections that I know of are listed below, aside from regular school and city elections in September and November.

• January: Jan. 22 special election for vacant Iowa House seat (resignation); Jan. 29 special election for Mahaska County Supervisor
• February: Multiple districts had merger votes and Iowa City school district voted on “revenue purpose statement”; West Des Moines City Council election Feb. 12 to fill seat vacated from Dec. 11 Iowa Senate special election (because of a death)
• March: Linn County approved asking for a casino
• April: Saydel, Van Meter, Woodward-Granger have school bond issue elections today. Fairfield, Anamosa, and Northeast (Goose Lake) had elections as well.
• May: Warren County’s turn to vote on a casino; Johnson County is trying again on justice center, voted down in November
• June 25: Exira and Elk Horn-Kimballton have a somewhat expedited merger vote because Exira’s accreditation is endangered. Johnston is trying again on a bond issue for a new high school, voted down in September.*

*The Johnston school district map linked in the article includes Grimes east of IA 141 (which, as late as the mid-’90s, wasn’t part of Grimes) and Urbandale north of Meredith Drive and east of 114th Street. Interesting. That means the Grimes Wal-Mart just east of 141 and businesses at the Merle Hay Road and 86th Street exits are part of Johnston’s tax base.

Legislators should consider further narrowing the elections calendar — quarterly, perhaps. That wouldn’t apply to vacancies, but two different casino votes and three school merger/bond issue days in six months seems excessive.

UPDATE 4/5: Added more school votes from April 2.