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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 21, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/23/10 I have observed the recent Tea Party movement with great interest. The protesters obviously lean more right than left, but I see a great deal of populist rage among the protesters. Populism can come from left, center, or right on the political spectrum. I have always viewed myself as a populist, and I have always felt that the Democratic Party is most successful when it stays close to its populist underpinnings. I wish Democrats in all elected offices spent more time thinking about the little gal/guy. Still, it has always seemed to me that Democratic Party represents a more populist platform than the Republicans. With a few notable exceptions, it seems that the Democratic Party platform should have greater appeal to the average gal/guy. The fact that Dems are not faring well on the national stage is due in large part the fact that they have veered away from the populist issues that matter to Americans. Some very interesting analysis from Nate Silver at 538.com backs this up. I urge you to follow the link and read the whole article at: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/02/republicans-not-obama-more-often-on.html. In summary: of 25 issues, Obama's position appears to be on the side of public opinion on 14: the bank tax, repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, campaign finance, the credit card bill, D.C. voting rights, fair pay, financial regulation, gays in the military, hate crimes, the jobs bill, mortgage relief, PAYGO, SCHIP, and Sotomayor. Obama would appear to be on the wrong side of public opinion on five issues: the GM/Chrysler bailout, Guantanamo Bay, health care, the extension of the TARP program, and terrorist trials. On the other six issues, the polling is probably too ambiguous to render a clear verdict. While I find this interesting, polls are only worth so much. There is an inherent flaw in attempting to govern by polls. For one thing, polls are merely a picture in time, whereas public opinion is in constant flux. Another issue is that it is tough to ask the right questions. Follow ups are often not permitted. Even when the polling data is good, using it can be problematic. For example, polls will pretty much always say that people want more government services, yet want to pay less in taxes. How does one use that data? Similarly, polls always show that while folks dislike Congress, they tend to like and respect their own Representative. Obviously, there is more to governing than simply following public opinion. For example, in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s it took courage from Presidents of both parties to end the most egregious racist policies in the US. The end of Jim Crow may not have been popular with most Americans of that era, but it was the right thing to do. On the other hand, routinely failing to listen to public opinion is a surefire recipe for disaster. Time will tell if our leaders grasp this notion. A quick follow-up on a couple issues highlighted in recent editions of Salvos: While much of the damage is done, you still have an opportunity to ask the Joint Emergency Communication Center (JECC) Board to back off on hiring for several unnecessary positions. See http://www.rodsullivan.org/2010/01/1-27-10.html and http://www.rodsullivan.org/2010/02/2-2-10_19.html for more info. On another topic, Iowa City acted on annexing 132 acres of land just north of I-80. Now is the time to begin charging an impact fee to developers in this area! I do not want to say “I told you so” in 20 years; I want us to do this correctly now! For more info, see http://www.rodsullivan.org/2010/01/1-19-10.html Save the date! Night of 1,000 Dinners—Haiti Benefit is going to be held Thursday, March 4 from 5-7pm at the Old Brick. Tickets are $10 and proceeds will go to the United Nations Development Fund for Women’s (UNIFEM) efforts in Haiti. This year’s event (like in previous years) will feature international foods, speakers, and music. This year’s speakers are Drs. Ginny and Chris Buresh two Iowa City locals who recently organized a medical aid trip to Haiti. The Iowa UNA is currently looking for cosponsors ($50 or more and/or food) and for food donors. If you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll pass it on. The Iowa City Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness/Bioscience Committee is providing two scholarship opportunities for youth involved in agriculture. The first scholarship is the “2010 Outstanding Farm Youth Scholarship.” The applicant for this scholarship must demonstrate exceptional achievement in farming, academics and community involvement. 2010 high school graduates who live in Johnson County are eligible for the $750 scholarship. The second scholarship is the “Community Foundation of Johnson County and Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Flood 2008 Agriculture Scholarship” This scholarship is intended for individuals involved in agriculture who were directly affected by the flood of 2008. Finalists will go through an interview. Scholarships would range from $500-$2500, at the discretion of the selection committee. To learn more about either scholarship contact Heather Johnson at 337-9637 or heather@iowacityarea.com. Applications are due April 1 to the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. DID YOU KNOW? Iowa City had 270 homes damaged to the tune of $52 million in the floods of 2008. (Source: Iowa City.) Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website- www.johnson-county.com. "Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents. These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned. If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line. As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
February 19, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/16/10
Happy Mardis Gras! The Saints get their first Super Bowl victory, and now Mardis Gras! Congrats to the fine folks of New Orleans! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
The City and County Conference Boards met recently to discuss the performances and budgets of the Iowa City and Johnson County Assessors.
Assessors are the folks who determine the value of all our taxable real estate. Every county has an Assessor; so do several of the larger cities. In some areas, notably Des Moines/Polk County and Waterloo/Black Hawk County, the City Assessor’s Office has been absorbed by the County Assessor’s Office.
The Iowa City Assessor handles all the property inside Iowa City proper; the Johnson County Assessor does everything else. The IC Assessor is responsible for about $4.3 billion in appraised value; the JC Assessor is responsible for about $5.5 billion. Both serve a little over 65,000 residents.
Houses, businesses, farms and the like all go up and down in value. Because Johnson County has historically been viewed as a very good place to live, property values here have gone up steadily. While property values across the country crashed as the housing bubble broke, property values in Johnson County have remained fairly flat.
Property tax-levying governmental units (county, cities, schools) are represented on the Conference Boards. So the IC Assessor’s Office is overseen by Johnson County, Iowa City, and the ICCSD. The JC Assessor’s Office is overseen by Johnson County, ten cities (all but IC), and ten school districts (including the ICCSD).
Now for some very good news: Assessors are measured for accuracy and ranked every year. The IC Assessor’s Office ranked #8 in the state out of about 115 offices. The JC Assessor’s Office ranked #1. That is correct – Johnson County was number one!
In addition to being number one as a simple matter of pride, we should be extremely pleased by these results. This means that property tax payers are likely paying their fair share. You are not likely paying too much, nor are you paying too little, relative to all property tax payers. That is a very good thing.
We are being well served by our Assessors. Congratulations to Iowa City Assessor Denny Baldridge, Johnson County Assessor Bill Greazel, and all their employees on these tremendous accomplishments!
I have not yet weighed in publicly on the ICCSD redistricting discussions, but I certainly do have some thoughts:
First, parents (and other adults) need to chill. If you make statements such as, “this will do irreparable damage to the psycho-social well-being of my child”, you may be correct. But it will not be the ICCSD doing the damage… it will be overreactive parents.
Secondly, the ICCSD is a great district. I am confident that it will remain outstanding regardless of how this turns out. There are hundreds of millions of children in this world less privileged than those in the ICCSD. Let’s count our blessings.
Thirdly, parents need to try to look at the overall good of the community. There is a substantial body of scholarly evidence showing that elementary schools achieve much better academically when the percentage of students getting free and reduced lunch is under 50%. So let’s try to reduce these concentrations of poverty. We know right now that Shimek will never have the same percentage as Twain. It makes no sense to try to make them exactly the same. But Shimek’s percentage can easily go up without adverse affects, while Twain would benefit from less poor kids. So why not see if this can be achieved through reasonable means? It is better for EVERYONE if we improve in this regard.
Fourthly, Board and Administration… you KNEW people were going to have a fit about this. So do whatever you can to eliminate extraneous issues. (Have plenty of parking at meetings, allow plenty of time for comments, have mikes that work, etc.) Then, make some decisions. Decide quickly, but take some time with implementation.
Fifthly, and most importantly… this process has uncovered some real ugliness. We cannot back down from these challenges; we must address them. My children are African American. It pains me to know that people hold so many preconceived negative notions about them. Johnson County is home to lots of good people of all different backgrounds; unfortunately, we have a few residents who cause a lot of problems. Hold those folks accountable, but do not blame a whole ethic group for the transgressions of a few people.
Finally, once the dust settles and a decision is made, let’s support our schools. Get involved. Volunteer. Read to kids. Lead a scout troop. Coach a youth team. Become a foster parent. You can make a significant difference in the lives of our children.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
DID YOU KNOW? In 1930, Iowa had 230,000 farms. In 2008, Iowa had 90,000. (Source: ISU Extension.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/9/10
I continue to have significant difficulty with my E-mail. Mediacom changed things, and they do not support Entourage, which is my E-mail system. So I had to try to migrate Salvos to Mediacom’s webmail; now several servers see my weekly E-mail as spam.
In short, if you know someone who used to get Salvos but seems to get it no longer, contact me. I’ll try to fix it. Another option - Salvos get posted each week on my website: http://rodsullivan.org. You can find them all there.
I apologize for all these technological difficulties. They hurt me more than they hurt you - I assure you!
Happy 90th birthday to the League of Women Voters! Not only is the national organization celebrating 90 years, but so is the Johnson County chapter!
Good government does not just happen. It occurs because people pay attention and get involved. The League has done this better than any other group over the past 90 years.
If you have ever seen a Legislative or candidate forum in Johnson County, odds are it was sponsored by the League. These are but a few of the valuable services this group provides.
This might also be an appropriate time to give a shout out to League member Jean Lakin, who is assigned to observe the Board of Supervisors. Jean is diligent about attending Board meetings, and clearly understands the issues we are facing. It is great to know that Jean is “keeping us honest”, so to speak.
The League is celebrating 90 years with a luncheon from 11:30 -1:30 on February 24 at the Linn Street Café. See http://www.lwvjc.org for more details.
There has been a bit of public discussion lately as to the proper roles of elected officials in relation to that of their professional staffs.
On one hand, you have members of the public demanding that elected officials “listen”, “represent the people”, and “do their jobs”. On the other hand, you have elected officials voicing concerns over “micromanaging” staff. Which side is correct? Like most situations, there are shades of gray here.
Elected bodies adopt rules and regulations to control the behavior of their members. Every so often, a “rogue” elected official makes things uncomfortable for her/his peers. Then the body rushes to pass rules to rein her/him in. I understand this motivation.
I see electeds err on this side too frequently, however, and I think it stifles them. Many groups tie themselves into knots with procedural rules. A School Board member cannot speak directly to a parent because of protocols. A City Council member cannot speak directly to a city staff person due to chain of command. These internal structures and rules exist for a reason, but they often paralyze elected officials. They become more concerned with process than with doing what is right.
I like the model used by the Board of Supervisors. All 5 Supes are directly elected by the people. The ultimate responsibility for what happens in Johnson County lies with us. We often have differences of opinion regarding the “micromanaging” of staff. When that happens, it is up to a majority of the Board to rein in our “rogue”.
So what is the answer? It is actually quite easy! Most importantly, ELECT GOOD PEOPLE! Once good people are elected, they need to HIRE GOOD EMPLOYEES! Most of the debate over the proper role of elected officials occurs because SOMEBODY is not doing her/his job.
One of the neatest things I have had the privilege to do in my 5 years as a County Supervisor is to serve on the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) Scholarship Committee.
Each year, ISAC gives one scholarship of a couple thousand dollars in each of 6 geographical districts; one of these 6 gets a top overall award of roughly $7,500. So this scholarship money can make a real difference! To be eligible, students must have a parent who works for county government.
During the three years I have served, I have met some truly amazing young people – including some Johnson County kids. Iowans, our future looks bright! I travelled to Des Moines recently for yet another scholarship competition. It left me impressed once again!
I attended the Grand Opening of the new Swisher Library on Saturday. Congratulations to this wonderful town on this wonderful accomplishment!
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
DID YOU KNOW? 7% of Iowa’s farmers are under 35; 29% are over 65. (Source: ISU Extension.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
February 17, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
February 16, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/10
2-2-10
I am still steamed about the Joint Emergency Communications Center. To be completely clear… this is no Johnny-come-lately thing for me. I have been fighting what I see as problems with the JECC since the very beginning. If you need proof, check our minutes and check their minutes. (There isn’t much to their minutes, but they do show me in attendance twice.)
Some JECC members think they should have had the same levy forever. I always thought the first year amount of .77 was a max. Once you have paid for the building, towers, and radios… why would you need that same amount of money over and over again?
An analogy… I buy a $4000 car. I pay for the car, tax, title, license, insurance, etc. Then I have some gas and maintenance costs. So my first year of car ownership actually costs $6000.
So when I sit down to do my family budget, do I plug in $6000 for the next year? Of course not – I already own the car! I still have some expenses, and I should probably set aside a little extra just in case. But I will not need $6000 again.
The JECC has gotten somewhere in the neighborhood of $17 million in two budget years. (Maybe more, maybe less… they couldn’t answer the question until 5 days ago.) They cannot possibly require $8.5 million per year forever.
Sure, they need to put away some money for contingencies. But more than the total reserve of Johnson County? The public really needs to weigh in as to what is the appropriate amount of savings. The JECC Board needs to listen to some people who understand financial policy and not their consultants.
While I am pleased that the JECC Board reduced their levy, they did the exact opposite of what I requested. They STILL have a bloated budget; they simply dipped into reserves to pay for it. They needed to cut spending instead!
This is even worse, in some ways, because they are still going to hire several unnecessary staff people. When we have this same fight in a year, those people will be entrenched. These unneeded positions will NEVER go away – NEVER. So next year, we will see the same bloated budget, just more difficult to fix. The problem was simply kicked down the road.
It was also disappointing to find that they overspent an $11 million equipment budget by $1 million dollars! (They made up the difference through unspent operational funds.) I am told this is because the consultant could only give them an estimate in terms of the number of radios needed. I would argue that this simply points out that the consultant is likely not worth the money he was paid, and should not be trusted to offer advice on things - such as staffing.
At least now they seem to know how much they have in each account. If I have accomplished nothing else, at least we have that. The Board of Supervisors has requested a quarterly financial report; I hope the cities and other groups do so as well.
Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have inquired into this venture. We need the public to get involved in these issues; government produces a better product that way. Please continue to pay attention!
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl event is Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30 at the Quality Inn, Highlander. Tickets are $20.00 at the door.
This annual event is DVIP’s biggest fundraiser, and goes a long ways toward providing shelter to victims of domestic violence in Johnson County.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be Bowling For Kids Sake once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
The Compensation Board met recently to recommend the salaries of our County elected officials. For the record, here is where we stand now:
Johnson County is either the 4th or 5th most populous county. (Blackhawk and Johnson counties have extremely similar populations, both at just over 130,000.) Given that, it seems to make sense that the salaries of elected officials would rank in the #3 to #6 range. If we maintain that type of comparability, we would be doing well.
Office Salary Rank Comparisons
Supervisors 51,107 4 $10,000 behind #3; $5,000 ahead of #5
Attorney 121,246 4 $7,000 behind #3; $12,000 ahead of #5
Sheriff 94,393 6 $2,000 behind #5; $3,000 ahead of #7
Auditor 73,287 5 $1,000 behind #4; $5,000 ahead of #6
Recorder 73,040 4 $1,000 behind #3; $7,500 ahead of #5
Treasurer 73,040 5 $1,000 behind #4; $7,000 ahead of #6
As the chart demonstrates, every elected official in Johnson County ranks between #4 and #6 in salary. In addition, each job pays about 10% more than the next highest paid in the state, the exceptions being the Auditor, who is 7% ahead of #6, and the Sheriff, who is 3.2% ahead of #7.
Then you have the issue of benefits. Elected Officials do not have to punch a clock. They do not have to request sick time, vacation time, or personal days. They come and go as they please. Most county employees – those who break a sweat, punch a clock, and work on the front lines – will be getting a 2.75% raise.
Given all this, I find it hard to argue that elected officials deserve a raise. The Comp Board had 4 members vote for a 2% raise, and 2 people vote for zero. So the official recommendation was 2%.
When it came time for the Board of Supervisors to vote, the motion was made for 1.4%. I asked for less, but three members approved a 1.4% raise for each elected official. So 1.4% it is. More than I would like, but the Board works by democracy.
But let’s also address the fact that some folks see the answer to every budget as no raises for elected officials.
The ten elected officials combined earn about $689,000. A 1.4% raise = $9,646 total for ten people. (Sups will earn an additional $700 each next year.) A $75 million dollar budget cannot be fixed (nor broken) by $9,000.
So go ahead and make the argument that elected officials do not deserve raises. I agree. We both wish the issue had gone differently. Just don’t pretend that $9,000 is a magic bullet.
DID YOU KNOW? Half of Iowa’s 3 million people live in the ten most populous counties. (Polk, Linn, Scott, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Pottawattamie, and Dallas.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
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