Des Moines ditches soccer stadium district, stink detection
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The Pro Iowa Stadium project would include an events plaza that could reduce street closures. Rendering: Courtesy of Pro Iowa
Des Moines officials are proposing $11.5 million in budget savings that would shrink staffing and services across city government as new state property-tax restraints squeeze the city's finances.
Why it matters: Des Moines' fiscal crunch is no longer abstract — the proposals could mean fewer workers, leaner services and less room for transformative projects.
Driving the news: The City Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 14 on the recommendations, which include about $5.5 million in staffing reductions, $2.8 million in program cuts and $3.1 million in revenue changes.
- Des Moines projects a $12 million shortfall in fiscal year 2028 and a $5 million shortfall in fiscal year 2029.
Zoom in: The city's budget problems are also casting new uncertainty over the long-planned downtown soccer stadium after Des Moines ended seven years of negotiations with Krause Group tied to surrounding development.
- Krause Group president and COO Helen Aboah tells Axios the company was "surprised and deeply disappointed" and believed negotiations were continuing until about 10 minutes before the city's announcement.
- The Iowa Soccer Development Foundation separately told Axios it remains in discussions with city officials.
State of play: Economic Development Administrator Carrie Kruse tells Axios the city's existing agreements with the foundation for the stadium, environmental cleanup and Global Plaza remain active.
- The stadium itself remains possible but ending the separate development negotiations creates a funding gap, she said.
Here are some of the budget proposals from city manager Scott Sanders on Wednesday.
Public safety and neighborhoods
- Police: Three neighborhood-based officers would return to other duties and the next academy would be reduced by three positions, saving about $566,000. The city also projects about $300,000 in additional police-related revenue, including higher parking fines.
- Fire: One firefighter and one civilian position would be eliminated, resulting in about $260,000 in savings.
- Neighborhood services: Five positions would be eliminated and the city would end its remaining mosquito treatment and odor-monitoring contract, resulting in nearly $800,000 in combined staff and program savings.
Libraries and parks
- Libraries: Funding would drop $750,000, with the library board deciding how to absorb the reduction.
- Parks: Five positions would disappear, reducing mowing, landscaping, trash pickup and cemetery maintenance for about $526,000 in staffing savings.
- Park programming: Summer police patrols and some community events or educational programming would be cut, resulting in about $350,000 in program savings.
City Hall and development
- City manager's office: Five positions would be eliminated — one layoff and four vacancies — saving about $800,000, while reduced mailings, sponsorships and facility security would save another $261,000.
- Civil rights: The Community Impact and Relations Department would be eliminated as a standalone department, with three positions cut and about $426,000 in savings.
- Development: Seven positions would go, slowing site-plan reviews, inspections and some responses, for about $1 million in savings.
- IT: Five positions would be eliminated, saving about $800,000, while eliminating overlapping software would save another $400,000.
What's next: The city plans another public feedback exercise this fall before the council tackles the remaining gap in January.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include comments from Kruse.