Dallas County Board of Supervisors Ballot Question

The board meets regularly to consider and act upon official business for Dallas County. It sets rules and policy for the county, such as what the county’s portion of property tax revenue is spent on.  

• What is a supervisor on this board responsible for? All supervisors attend regular board meetings to talk about proposed changes and make official decisions on legislation, policies, and budgets. They answer questions and requests from residents, business owners, and other elected officials.  

• What does adding supervisors mean for you and Dallas County? Dallas County has added thousands of people in recent years, and more are moving here every day. That means each of the three supervisors we have today has more people than ever before to represent. A five-member board would allow for greater representation for the residents within Dallas County now as well as into the future as the County continues to grow in population. The additional two members would also offer additional insight and diversity into the decisions made at the County level. 

More than 5,000 Dallas County residents signed a petition to add this question to the ballot in November. Iowa law allows residents to ask (petition) their county government for changes like this. Since enough people signed the petition, the issue is up for a county-wide vote in the Tuesday, November 5 election. 

Dallas County has a mix of small towns, rural areas and suburban cities, which means there are many different needs, interests, and points of view that the Board of Supervisors should consider when making decisions for all of Dallas County. By adding two more spots on the board, representation of these many different needs could be managed more efficiently. 

If voters approve the expansion, the two new supervisors would be included as a part of the November 2026 election for seating in January 2027. The election process would follow Iowa’s guidelines for county board elections. 

A resident could expect the County to account for things like new salaries or health insurance costs related to adding two new board members. Additional costs associated with the increase in number of supervisors would need to be determined as a part of the budgeting process for the County. 

Many counties of similar size to Dallas County have boards with five or more members. As counties grow, larger boards are sometimes used to ensure that a broader range of people can be effectively represented. 

With more members, discussions or deliberations on some topics may take longer. However, standard procedures and rules of order would continue to guide meetings and ensure that decisions are made efficiently, regardless of the number of board members. 

If voters do not approve the measure in November, the Dallas County Board of Supervisors will remain at three members, and the current structure will continue without changes. A simple majority is required for the measure to pass, meaning it needs 50% + 1 vote.