County voters deserve answers from the candidates

All six general election candidates for the Greene County board of supervisors will take part in a public forum Monday evening. Sponsored by Greene County Farm Bureau and Greene County Development Corp., the forum will begin at 7 p.m. in the Greene Room at Wild Rose Casino and Resort in Jefferson.

It’s an important event.

Three of the five supervisor seats are up for election this year, and there are races for all three seats. In Greene County, voting for supervisors is at large: that is, each voter can vote in each of the three district races.

Elections for county offices directly affect everyone in the county, unlike school district or municipal elections.

Voters should expect supervisor candidates, like candidates in all elections, to be able to answer specific questions about their priorities. It’s not enough to say “I have new ideas” or “it’s time for a change” or “you should re-elect me because of my experience.” Those statements are legitimate starting points, but more is required.

There are several specific areas involving county government that deserve answers from the candidates. Here are a few:

1. The board of supervisors has determined that the skylight dome above the rotunda must be renovated, for safety’s sake as well as appearance. The winning bid came in at slightly over $100,000, well below the $175,000 estimate. How should the project be funded?

2. How about other repairs and maintenance at the courthouse, which is celebrating its 100th year? Is the heating and cooling system adequate? Should the county budget for an escrow fund for such upkeep projects?

3. Should it be the board’s top priority to reduce the property tax levy, or would maintaining the levy at a stable level allow maintenance and repairs to proceed on a regular schedule?

4. On a related subject, the county/city Law Enforcement Center (LEC) is no longer adequate to answer current law enforcement needs, including the increase in short-term jail inmates. Nor does the building any longer meet Iowa code standards.

Should the county consider replacement of the entire LEC, or possibly join with an adjoining county to build a new jail near the county lines?

5. The sheriff’s office now handles law enforcement calls for every town in the county except Jefferson. Is it time to add a seventh deputy to the staff?

6. The supervisors for many years have generously supported economic development efforts in the county. Are they satisfied with the return they’re getting on that investment in terms of increases in the tax base and job creation?

7. The county gets $50,000 a year from Louis Dreyfus Commodities under an agreement for its support in locating the firm’s ethanol plant near Grand Junction.

And under Iowa law, it gets one-half of one percent of the gross gambling revenues from Wild Rose Casino, which amounts to close to $150,000 a year. How should those funds be used?

8. The supervisors serve as trustees for nearly all the county’s drainage districts. Is their performance sufficient in that regard? Is the secondary road department meeting its responsibilities as well?

9. Additions to the county’s supply of confinement livestock facilities are controversial. Is the board following correct procedures in that regard, as well as taking into account public sentiment both pro and con?

Voters should expect the supervisor candidates to drill down in detail on topics like these. I’m sure there are others.

If we ask the questions, and demand specific explanations, we should expect no surprises from the winners when their 2017 terms begin.