Quote du jour: Paying your fair share

"I continue to be extremely disappointed by Dallas County. ... They like to brag about us being the fastest-growing county ... but I want to see more contribution from them in helping us to be that fastest-growing county."

During a West Des Moines City Council meeting this month, Mayor Russ Trimble said that the Dallas County Supervisors have not paid their fair share toward the region's economic development.

Flashback: In 2019, Trimble says he asked Dallas County Supervisors for funding assistance to construct the MidAmerican RecPlex.

• To get a $1 million state grant for the project, Trimble says the city needed to show broad regional support for the RecPlex. He says he asked the supervisors to provide $1 million in support for the $60 million project, but they declined.
• Later, the supervisors committed $50,000, but when the city received only $500,000 from the state grant, Dallas County supervisors reduced their support to $25,000.
• Meanwhile, Trimble says West Des Moines city staff had raised $15 million for the project.

What they're saying: Dallas County Supervisor Chair Julia Helm says she wasn't on the board in 2019, but she says the supervisors approved providing $100,000 in 2025 to support expanding the RecPlex.

What's next: Dallas County's Board of Supervisors expands from three to five members this November — additions, Trimble says, he hopes will be good partners.