SOLON — During the June 4 Solon City Council meeting, Sheriff Brad Kunkel updated local leaders on staffing progress and future planning efforts underway at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Kunkel, who served on the Solon council for six years, shared that while the sheriff’s department is currently in a strong position with staffing, a much larger conversation is emerging about the future of the county jail and local residents are being asked to weigh in.

“As of now, we’re fully staffed on the deputy side,” Kunkel said. “We do have a few open detention officer positions in the jail, but overall, we’re in a really good place right now both staffing- and budget-wise.”

Still, the facility itself is facing serious challenges.

“We’re spending $3.5 million this year just to hold the building together,” Kunkel told the council, referencing the current jail’s deteriorating condition. “Overcrowding remains a constant issue despite an increase in diversion programs aimed at reducing incarceration.” Past efforts to replace the jail have fallen short. A bond referendum over a decade ago failed to pass, but Kunkel noted that the need hasn’t gone away. Now, the county is preparing for another potential referendum in fall 2026 and this time, community input is being gathered in a more intentional, data-driven way.

To better understand public knowledge and concerns about the jail and sheriff’s operations, a scientific survey is being conducted by the University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science and Innovation (CSSI). Roughly 4,000 households across the county were randomly selected to receive the survey in the mail.

“The goal is to gauge what people actually know about the condition of the facility, what services the sheriff’s office provides, and where the gaps in understanding may be,” Kunkel explained.

The survey includes questions on basic demographics as well as perceptions of the jail, the sheriff ’s department, and broader public safety concerns. It will also help inform how the county presents options to voters next year. One possibility being explored is a joint facility with the Iowa City Police Department, which is also facing space challenges. Johnson County is currently comparing its own space study completed about 18 months ago, identifying the need for a 140-bed jail and a new sheriff’s office—with Iowa City’s study to determine whether a shared building might be feasible.

“These two tracks are starting to converge,” Kunk said. “By the end of the summer, we’re hoping to have a clearer vision of what the facility could look like, how big it needs to be, and what the cost might be to voters.”

In the meantime, local leaders are urging anyone who receives a survey to complete and return it.

“I’m really hoping this gets a lot more response from the public,” Kunkel said. “This issue comes up everywhere I go, and that tells me it matters to people across the county. We serve everyone in one way, shape, or form so everyone’s opinion matters.”

The county is aiming for a 10% response rate but hopes for more. Residents are encouraged to watch for the survey in their mailbox and make their voices heard in shaping the future of public safety infrastructure in Johnson County.