Voters in a vast majority of the counties served by Iowa Western Community College, narrowly approved a $14.5-million dollar bond issue, Tuesday. The funds will be used to improve security and safety at the main campus in Council Bluffs, and the satellite centers in Atlantic, Clarinda, Shenandoah and Harlan. A 60-percent super majority was needed for approved. In Cass County, nearly 59-percent of the voters (186) approved the bond measure, while just over 41-percent (131) opposed it, according to the Cass County Auditor’s Office. The voter turnout in Cass County was just over three-percent.

Numbers in late Tuesday night indicated just over 64-percent of the voters in seven out of the 13 counties served by the college had approved the bond measure, which college officials have said will pay for security features such as cameras, new locks and doors and/or door frames. It also includes electronic monitoring methods that will improve safety in the event of an intruder or lockdown situation.

College officials had promised that if the bond was approved, residents would see a reduction in one of the property tax levies the college uses, from 34-cents per thousand dollars to 13-cents per thousand. That’s because an early retirement levy is set to expire on June 30^th. It will be replaced by the less taxing 20-year bond referendum approved Tuesday night.