Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of government borrowing plans were approved by voters in this year’s city-school elections in Iowa. Eighty percent of Polk County voters approved a 350-million dollar plan to build a new terminal and expand check-in, baggage claim and security checkpoint areas at the Des Moines Airport. Nearly 55 percent of voters in Webster County voted to borrow 45-and-a-half MILLION dollars for a new county jail, but bond issues have to pass with at least 60 percent support, so the plan failed. Voters in Pocahontas and Greene Counties crossed that 60 percent threshold and approved building new county jails. Bonding plans in 34 school districts were decided, too. Voters in the Cedar Rapids School District rejected a 220-million dollar bond issue to build a new middle school and make other improvements in the district. Voters in the Waukee district approved a 180 million dollar bond referendum to update district facilities. Hundreds of city council and mayor’s races around the state were decided Tuesday. Connie Boesen (BOH-sehn) is the first woman to be elected mayor of Iowa’s largest city. Boesen, an Iowa State Fair food vendor who’s been a member of the Des Moines City Council for six years, finished ahead of three others running for mayor. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson won a third term as mayor of Iowa’s third largest city. Candidates backed by the conservative “Moms for Liberty” group failed to win seats on the Linn-Mar School Board. Several Republicans have criticized the district’s policies for transgender students and Governor Reynolds has said the new state funded scholarships for private school expenses are an option for parents who feel trapped in districts that don’t share their values. Conservative slates of candidates campaigning on parental rights issues failed to win seats on school boards in the Des Moines suburbs of Johnston, Waukee and West Des Moines.

Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa