Our View - Trying to cross Johnson County's urban-rural divide

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Jan. 26, 2010.

During last week's special election, there seemed to be a question as to whether the supervisors represent all county residents or only those in the unincorporated area. Although the supervisors do represent everyone in the county, regardless of where they are from, they also have a special obligation to be attentive to those county residents who live outside the city. Otherwise, the urban-rural divide in the county is likely to keep expanding.

That divide was evident in the Jan. 19 election results. Democratic incumbent Janelle Rettig won with 58 percent of the countywide vote, compared with 39 percent for Republican challenger Lori Cardella and 3 percent for Independent challenger Jim Knapp. Rettig also won with early voters (73 percent, compared with 24 percent for Cardella and 3 percent for Knapp) and with Election Day voters in Iowa City -- 64 percent, compared with Cardella's 33 percent and Knapp's 3 percent. But for Election Day voters outside of Iowa City, Cardella won with 55 percent -- compared with Rettig's 40 percent and Knapp's 4 percent.

The results are similar to what happened when voters were asked to decide the $20 million conservation bond issue in 2008. Because the election required a supermajority of 60 percent, the "Yes" folks -- led by Rettig -- made it over the countywide threshold by less than 1 percent. But the victory came largely because of the measure passing 70-30 in Iowa City. The "No" folks -- led by Cardella and others -- kept the measure from getting even a simple majority in the areas of the county outside of Iowa City.

(The comparison between the elections isn't exactly apples to apples, however. The 2008 conservation bond issue was put to the voters during a presidential election with distinct precinct ballots that allowed the auditor's office to go back and separate the early voting by district. In the Jan. 19 special election, every ballot was the same, and the auditor's office is not able to go back and separate the early votes by precinct.)

The 2008 election showed there was a mandate for conservation, but a mandate that was limited to voters in Iowa City and Coralville. That makes sense, of course, because it's the urban residents who were most worried about losing their connection to the countryside. But the concerns over the growth of county government have only expanded in the past 15 months. And those concerns were politicized -- especially in the rural areas -- after the initial appointing of Rettig fill out the remainder of the late Larry Meyers' term.

Unfortunately, those concerns probably will continue to rise as the supervisors decide:

• whether to raise pay for county officials and employees and

• whether to increase the rural tax levy in the next fiscal year to provide more money for secondary roads maintenance.

We think Rettig was the best candidate to figure how to represent all county residents, but now she and the other board members have to figure out how to supervise effectively in a county in which the urban-rural divide keeps growing.

Our View - Rettig is the right choice for Jan. 19 election

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Jan. 13, 2010.

It's clear that Janelle Rettig has an incumbent's advantage over her two challengers to fill the remainder of the late Larry Meyers' term on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. But Rettig's advantage isn't merely the result of having been appointed to the position in late October and serving as a supervisor for less than three months. It's the result of years of involvement in county politics and an acute understanding of the way local governments do and don't work.

Back in 2008, when Rettig chaired the Land, Water, Future campaign, we were very impressed with her knowledge of county issues. And the résumé she submitted when applying to be appointed to the supervisor position shows a strong amount of government experience working for Democrats and Republicans.

For two decades, in fact, Rettig has shown rare ability for a would-be politician: She examines issues from multiple perspectives. In her work with many local and state boards and commissions, Rettig repeatedly has shown she can seek and actually find compromise and common ground.

Rettig's past experience ranges from land use planning, to civil and human rights, to environmental and conservation issues, to government openness. And like her former boss, former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, she often answers questions by providing a tutorial on the broader issues at stake in the question.

We didn't agree with all of Rettig's positions on the issues facing the county -- she, for example, thinks the county needs to go back to square one on the justice center plans. But we do think that Rettig provided the most comprehensive answers for how our budget-tightening county needs to go about:

• reducing expenses by working more cooperatively with local cities and the state to streamline government functions;

• conducting public business in full view of the public and in as professional a manner as possible;

• ensuring that all residents have a voice in county government;

• updating and overseeing the county's land-use plan;

• keeping an eye on the operational expenses for the new joint emergency communication center; as well as

• deciding how best to address the problems needs on by inadequately sized county jail and county courthouse.

We agree with challengers Lori Cardella and Jim Knapp that Johnson County government could use a fresh voice and perspective. County government in Iowa, after all, is by its very nature inefficient. No matter how cost effectively any individual county operates, it can't by itself overcome the overwhelming inefficiency of having 99 individual counties in a state of barely 3 million people.

But we think Rettig is the candidate best positioned for offering that watch-dog approach for the remaining months of Meyers' term. We heartily endorse having Johnson County voters remove the "appointment asterisk" next to her name by voting for her directly in Tuesday's special election.

Our View - Petition shows that the system is working

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Nov. 17, 2009

Our View - Petition shows that the system is working

The system works.

After the untimely death of one of the members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the county made the understandable decision to fill out the remainder of the term by appointment rather than hold a special election. Enough county residents have signed a petition disagreeing with that decision that now the county is forced to hold a special election.

Because of the estimated costs of a general election -- as well as the likelihood of low voter turnout -- we agreed with the county's decision to appoint someone to fill out the remainder of the late Larry Meyers' term. We likewise called upon the committee -- made up of Auditor Tom Slockett, Recorder Kim Painter and Treasurer Tom Kris -- to put aside ideological and personal concerns and to appoint a clearly qualified candidate.

We do think the committee picked a qualified appointee when it voted 2-1 for Janelle Rettig. But an asterisk gets left next to the name of anyone who rises to elected office through any process other than election. And the past political connections among Rettig and her supporters on the committee -- Painter and Slockett -- have made that asterisk bolder still.

Because the number of signatures required to force a special election (7,299) was based on the record-setting turnout in the 2008 presidential election, the petition organizers had to clear an extremely high bar. And although there are still a few days in which some of the signatures might be challenged, the organizers are to be commended for the commitment and energy needed to collect so many signatures in the few weeks since the initial decision to appoint.

Because of the winter holidays and the university's calendar, the county has set Jan. 19 as the first practical day for the election. That's enough time for the parties to re-constitute their county conventions, for independent candidates to collect signatures and for voters to petition for early satellite voting sites.

But we also think the county auditor should make sure to conduct this election as cost effectively as possible -- especially after his $75,000 estimate has been bandied about so frequently as the primary reason why the county decided to appoint rather than to hold a special election. Early voting, of course, needs to be available at the auditor's office, and state law does require the auditor to hold satellite voting in accessible locations after receiving a petition signed by at least 100 residents. But many other election expenses -- specifically, the number of un-petitioned satellite voting locations -- are at the auditor's discretion.

We're glad to see nearly 8,000 residents express their desire to participate in the choice of who serves on the county board of supervisors. If that number of valid signatures holds, we hope a large number of them actually will come out to the polls on Jan. 19 and do just that.

Our View - Rettig qualifed, but appointment adds an asterisk

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Nov. 3, 2009

Our View - Rettig qualifed, but appointment adds an asterisk

We want to congratulate Janelle Rettig on her appointment to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. We were impressed with her knowledge of county issues when Rettig chaired the Citizens for Our Land, Water and Future Committee last year, and the résumé she submitted to shows a strong amount of government experience working for Democrats and Republicans.

Earlier this year, Rettig had declared herself a candidate for one of the supervisor seats up for election in 2010. As an editorial board, we expect we would have little trouble endorsing her candidacy in that election -- if she were the most qualified candidate running.

But that's also why it's somewhat disappointing that Rettig, who was sworn in as supervisor Friday afternoon, will have an asterisk next to her name to say "appointed" rather than "elected." It's most disappointing, of course, because it comes as the result of the untimely death of Supervisor Larry Meyers. And it's likewise disappointing because appointment, by its very nature, offers less legitimacy to the office holder than election -- even for those who agree that price tag for a special election was too high for the county to pay in the current economic climate.

But it's also disappointing because the process didn't fully pass the smell test. Given that two members of the county appointment committee were at least one-time supporters of Rettig's 2010 run for office -- Auditor Tom Slockett (who said he was supportive early on) and Recorder Kim Painter (who was a member of Rettig's steering committee) -- critics understandably are questioning the degree to which the process was predetermined.

We think the committee has chosen a well qualified appointee. And Slockett and Painter did nothing wrong in appointing a person they've known well and whose candidacy they've supported at different levels. (We know of no official conflicts of interests that would have required any committee member to recuse himself or herself.)

But the decision to appoint Rettig is political enough that it might inspire the required 7,299 residents to demand a special election by Nov. 13. Those organizing a petition drive say they've already collected about 4,500 signatures.

Whether Rettig serves until the 2010 election or until a special election in a few weeks, we wish her luck in her new position.

Election Day

We also encourage all our readers to exercise their democratic rights and to participate in today's city elections. We've already made our endorsements -- Iowa City at-large (Terry Dickens and Susan Mims), Iowa City District B (Connie Champion), Coralville (Tom Gill, Bill Hoeft and John Lundell) and North Liberty (Gerry Kuhl and Brian Wayson) -- but there are also elections in University Heights, Hills, Lone Tree, Oxford, Shueyville, Solon, Swisher and Tiffin.

For more election information, visit the Johnson County auditor's Web site at, www.johnson-county.com/auditor/voter/0911elec.htm.

Our View - Use funds for alternate project, not Sutliff Bridge

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Oct. 13, 2009

Our View - Use funds for alternate project, not Sutliff Bridge

As much as we value the 111-year-old Sutliff Bridge as a historic structure -- as much as we think the Sutliff Bridge Authority has done an admirable job maintaining the decommissioned bridge for nearly three decades -- the Sutliff Bridge essentially remains a flood-damaged bridge to nowhere.

With the state having to slash 10 percent of its budget -- and with officials recently deciding that the county couldn't afford to spend $75,000 on a special election for supervisor -- the Johnson County supervisors have a clear, though unfortunate, decision to make: take the money offered by FEMA, spend the $200,000 to remove the two spans of bridge still standing and then use the remaining money for other, necessary public infrastructure projects.

We were as surprised as the supervisors Thursday when FEMA officials said that alternative projects were even an option. Who would have thought that applying for FEMA funds to replace a beloved local historic structure would be akin to getting an insurance payment for car damage that you then have to decide whether to spend the money only on fixing the car or for other important household needs?

But this situation seems to fit perfectly FEMA's rationale for why it offers an "Alternate Project" option: "Occasionally an Applicant may determine that the public welfare would not be best served by restoring a damaged facility or its function to the pre-disaster design. This usually occurs when the service provided by the facility is no longer needed, although the facility was still in use at the time of the disaster." (www.fema.gov/government/ grant/pa/re_alternate.shtm).

So here are the options as they now stand:

• If the county decides to restore the bridge, FEMA would provide about $1.7 million (90 percent of the actual project costs to repair the flood damage). The total costs would range from $1.83 million (to connect the remaining two spans to land with a cable stay bridge) or more than $2 million (to replace the span with something that stays true to the original structure with modern construction techniques.)

• But if the county decides to use the money on alternate projects -- options include repairing roads, creating trails or maintaining facilities -- FEMA would cut the award down to about $1.4 million (75 percent of the repair costs). That would leave about $1.2 million after the county pays the money to remove the rest of the bridge.

At this time and in this current economic situation, there is simply no way the supervisors can justify using this money to restore a bridge that offers no other essential public service than providing a scenic picnic spot. The $1.2 million represents less than 1½ percent of the county's $85 million budget, but this is a time when every 1½ percent counts.

Our View - Appointment process must be transparent

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Oct. 9, 2009

Our View - Appointment process must be transparent

We continue to think Johnson County has better things to spend $75,000 on than a special election for supervisor -- especially one that would be lucky to attract the low number of voters that turned out Tuesday for the Iowa City primary. But questions have emerged about the process by which a committee will appoint a successor to Supervisor Larry Meyers.

After requiring the three-member committee to publicize its intention to appoint, state law provides little direction for how the county auditor, treasurer and recorder should go about making the appointment. State ethics rules require committee members to recuse themselves if they are considering their spouse or one of their dependent children, but otherwise their potential biases are not "conflicts of interest."

In order to make this process as transparent as possible, we've asked Auditor Tom Slockett, Treasurer Tom Kriz and Recorder Kim Painter to explain how they will be evaluating applications they receive before the 5 p.m. deadline on Oct. 16.

(Information on how to apply is available at www.johnson-county.com/auditor/vacancy09/vacmenu.htm#How_to_apply_).

Q: What are the most important qualities you are looking for in a supervisor?

Kriz listed "an ability to listen to people," "a passion to make decisions based on facts" and "the ability to do the work while representing everyone in the county."

Painter is looking for leaders from the public or private sector who are "comfortable" discussing "how they prioritize financially for an entity, how they conduct strategic planning and how they gather input prior to making critical executive decisions."

Slockett listed leadership, "commitment to financial discipline and the ability to set priorities" as well as an "appreciation for human rights."

Q: Are you encouraging specific people to apply for the position, or are you just waiting to see who sends in an application by 5 p.m. Oct. 16?

None of the three committee members said they had sought out any individuals to encourage them to apply. Slockett, however, said he "may or may not" seek out potential applicants -- especially women and minorities -- in the "days ahead."

Painter said she thought "the self-selection aspect of the application process is actually a positive and important thing."

Kriz said that, back in 1999 when the all three officials were on a similar committee appointing a replacement for then supervisor and now state Sen. Joe Bolkcom, they had "a marvelous pool of very qualified people." He fully expects to have an equally good batch of candidates this time.

Q: To what degree does someone's suitability as a candidate in 2010 affect your decision?

Kriz said that he would gladly consider appointing someone who was only interested in filling out this term. But he also said he didn't have a "strong preference" one way or the other.

Painter said she won't be able to answer the question until she sees all the applications. She added, however, that becoming the incumbent candidate is not necessarily a campaign advantage.

"The person who gets the appointment, should they choose to run, will have that mixed blessing and curse of elected life: a track record," Painter said.

Slockett said that, because this is an elected position, it's his "duty" to make sure the appointment would be someone the voters would view as a viable candidate. He said the appointment period would give "the community a 'test drive' of the office holder until the election."

Q: Do you have a bias against appointing past supervisors who failed to win re-election?

Slockett said he does "not believe this committee should second guess the voters and overrule their decision." Kriz, however, said that he would not preclude anyone from applying.

"Circumstances can show us that, over time, we have had excellent people running against each other, and the voters had to pick one," Kriz said.

Painter said the committee's votes should not and would not overrule the voters.

"The law clearly envisions situations in which an unexpected vacancy needs to be filled," Painter said. "The people also have the option to petition for a special election instead. That is up to them. For the three of us, our job as per the statute is to select the very best person we can to fill the seat for now."

Our View - Officials need to be held to high standards

Printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Oct. 1, 2009

Our View - Officials need to be held to high standards

A three-person committee composed of the county auditor, treasurer and recorder is accepting applications to fill the seat sadly left open by the recent death of Supervisor Larry Meyers. The applicant the committee chooses to appoint will serve on the Board of Supervisors until the next countywide election, Nov. 2, 2010.

We usually prefer vacancies be filled by special election rather than appointment. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to put this race on ballot for the Nov. 3 city election. And because these are hard economic times, we don't think spending $75,000 for a special election is the best use of county funds.

Of course, if there is a candidate who wants this position badly enough to get 7,299 signatures on a petition and force a special election, then the decision is taken out of the committee's hands. But we think the committee made the right decision to appoint rather than order an election now.

And that's what makes it all the more important for the committee to be equally right about whom they appoint. The committee members need to make sure they choose the most qualified applicant, rather than limit their choice only to candidates who match their political ideology. If they don't appoint someone who instantly engenders countywide respect, then the county is likely to have to shell out the $75,000 on a special election anyway.

Serving in county government is often a thankless and sometimes an impossible job in Iowa. No matter how cost effectively any individual county operates, it can't by itself overcome the overwhelming inefficiency of having 99 individual counties in a state of barely 3 million people. The county lines were set in a different age, and their sheer number often becomes an argument against -- rather than for -- increasing local control of important issues about public safety, roads, human services, zoning and elections.

And with the county's political autonomy checked by the state government above and by city governments below, supervisors not only need to have a vision for how best to serve their constituents' needs, they also need to understand the limits of their office in order to take practical steps to enact those visions.

Voters usually get to decide which applicants have the right skill set for the job. The committee now needs to make sure that its appointee is up to the task.

Sullivan's e-mails

Given the recent stories about the uncivil -- downright vulgar -- tone in some of Supervisor Rod Sullivan's e-mails to constituents, the committee will want to rank "effective communication skills" and "professional demeanor" on the top of the list of qualities it is seeking from applicants. And given how supervisors Terrence Neuzil and Pat Harney seem to have a lackadaisical attitude concerning how Sullivan's comments affect the board as a whole, the committee might also want to look for an applicant with experience in human relations.

We know that being a supervisor can be a frustrating job, but that's not an excuse for an elected official to take their frustrations out on the constituents they represent. We expect law enforcement officers to maintain their composure despite how verbally belligerent a citizen might be. We definitely expect our elected officials to maintain their professionalism as they hear from the public in person or electronically.

Because these officials have asked the public to place them in a position of trust, their actions and their words will be judged by a higher standard.