IOWA CITY

The number of hours of police protection for Lone Tree will go down next July, when the next fiscal year begins.

A Fiscal Year 2026 28E contract with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department calls for 19 hours of weekly patrols, down from its current 26.

The decrease, which was approved by the Lone Tree City Council, is due to rising costs. Johnson County has been attempting to shift more of the cost for patrols to the cities it serves. Other costs, including union-negotiated contracts, have driven the amount up.

“It was cost,” Lone Tree Mayor Josh Spilman said. “They have gone up $4 an hour for the last three years and the city can’t afford it. Johnson County sheriffs do a great job and I wish we could afford to keep them at the 26 hours.”

Under a five-year plan, which was presented to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors by Sheriff Brad Kunkel during the Board’s November 20 work session, hourly charges to cities, including Lone Tree and Hills, will rise to $57 in FY26, $61 in FY27, $65 in FY28, $69 in FY29 and $71 in FY30.

Kunkel said the rate increases are necessary to help cut down a financial gap in which the county is taking on an increased percentage of the cost. The Sheriff’s Department provides coverage for all the county’s rural and urban areas except for Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty, which have their own police departments.

Lone Tree, which currently pays $53 an hour for police, was the only city to lower its coverage hours in response to the rate hikes.

“I plainly disagree with that,” Kunkel said, “but I understand why. The other thing all the towns are running into is the cost.”

“I worry about small towns across the state,” Kunkel added, “because of the changes and their inability to capture the amount of revenue they need for services.”

Lone Tree is not the smallest in Johnson County.

The City of Hills is contracting for 14 hours of police service weekly. Oxford is at 13 hours.

Solon, on the other hand, is planning for more than 50 hours of weekly police patrols over the plan’s five years.

The Board approved the police contracts at its November 21 formal meeting by a 4-1 vote. Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz, who votes against most law enforcement proposals and contracts, voted against acceptance.

Supervisor Anger

A recent email sent by Supervisor Jon Green to other supervisors, and including incoming Supervisor Mandi Remington, fueled the fires of outgoing Supervisor Royceann Porter.

“Mandi Remington is not yet a member of this board and will not assume her role until January third,” Porter said during the Board’s work session November 20. “Including her in official communication regarding matters that are the responsibility of the current board is an outright disrespect to me in my position as a sitting supervisor. This action is unacceptable, it disregards protocol and undermines the authority of the current board.”

Remington defeated Porter in a Democratic primary election last June and won election to the Board in the November election. Her four-year term begins in January.

“I have 41 more days here, I’m still here, I’ve never seen this in the six years that I’ve come on,” Porter said.

Green declined to comment further, but did tell The News he wishes a Happy Thanksgiving to Porter.

New Exec Director

Erin Shane, Johnson County’s acting auditor, has been appointed as Executive Director of the Board of Supervisors. She begins her new job December 2.

“We’re super excited,” Rod Sullivan, Board Chair, said.

Board Action

The Board set a pair of public hearings: 9 a.m. December 5, for proposed plans, specifications and cost estimates for the remodel project at the county courthouse, third level; and 5:30 p.m. December 12, for the monthly evening meeting on zoning and platting applications.

The Board agreed to eliminate the employee bike program due to decreased use. The two bicycles will be donated to the Iowa City Bike Library.

Next meeting:

The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. December 5.