SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 16, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 12/20/16
In this edition:
*Merry Christmas!
*Salvos Salutes Next Week!
*Remember the Upcoming Wage Increase!
*Serving as Chair
*Listen For Yourself!
*Saturday Hours for Veteran’s Affairs
*Did You Know?
*Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to those of you who
celebrate it. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!
*Salvos Salutes Next Week!
We live in a GREAT county! Why? Because of the great people that
live here! Unfortunately, we rarely do enough to acknowledge these wonderful
people and the wonderful things they do.
That
is why I really look forward to Salvos Salutes. It provides an opportunity to
mention just a few of these cool people and the good things they do. I hope you
look forward to it as well!
*Remember the Upcoming Wage Increase!
Remember - the
minimum wage in Johnson County will increase another $.95 to $10.10 per hour
starting January 1st!
Johnson County
raised the wage $.95 to $8.20 on November 1, 2015, and another $.95 to $9.15 on
May 1, 2016. Since then, the unemployment rate has remained static, while
low-wage workers have enjoyed a higher standard of living. So far, so good!
There
are still plenty of critics out there. But their protestations are sounding
more and more like a case of ideological sour grapes. Increasing the minimum
wage has been a very good thing for Johnson County.
Remember - this law applies
to everyone who works in Johnson County more than two hours in a two-week
period. No other employment laws were changed when the minimum wage was raised.
If you have questions about the minimum wage in Johnson County, please visit
the County website at www.johnson-county.com.
*Serving As Chair
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has a tradition of
rotating the position of Board Chair. Each year, a different member of the
Board takes over at the first meeting of the year.
Though
it is basically a formality, the Board still votes to select its leader. There
have been a couple notable instances when the “rotation” did not happen. Dick
Myers and Joe Bolkcom, who both went on to serve notable careers in higher
office, were both passed over by their peers.
In
some counties, the Chair rotates amongst the political party in charge. In Polk
County, for example, the three Democrats rotate the role of Chair, effectively
shutting out the GOP. In Muscatine County, the GOP used to do the same thing to
Democratic Supervisors. In other counties, one individual has held the role of
Chair for decades. So there is no set method other than holding the election.
Personally,
I do not see any reason to shut anyone out. While it can get cumbersome, we
have always operated on the premise that three members (a majority) of the
Board can put anything they wish on the agenda, even over the objection of the
Chair.
Additionally,
individual Board members can impact the agenda without being Chair. I am proud
of the fact that at my suggestion, agendas were changed to allow public
discussion at both the beginning and end of each meeting. When I first started,
public discussion was only at the end of the agenda. So if you showed up for a
5:30 PM meeting, you might not get to raise your issue until 9 PM. That was not
friendly toward the public. But when I brought it up, others were happy to
oblige.
To
me, the biggest job of the Chair is ensuring that meetings run smoothly. The
public deserves efficiency and effectiveness. A well-run meeting can also save
hours of staff time – and that means money!
I
am finishing up serving as the Chair for 2016. I hope I acquitted myself well
in that role!
*Listen For Yourself!
There
have been recent social media posts questioning things said at meetings of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. If you ever have any
questions as to exactly what is said at any meeting, you can listen in for
yourself!
Regular Thursday meetings have
both video and audio feeds. Work sessions, etc. are available audio only. You
can find both at the Johnson County website - www.johnson-county.com.
Don’t
assume that what you hear on social media is true – just listen in for
yourself!
*Saturday Hours for Veteran’s Affairs
The Johnson County Commission of
Veterans Affairs is offering limited Saturday office hours in upcoming months.
The office will be open December 3, 2016; January 7, February 4, and March 4,
2017, from 9 am to noon. Its regular business hours are Monday through Friday
(excluding holidays), 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Veterans Affairs Director Gary Boseneiler
said the weekend hours are intended to accommodate veterans. “I’ve spoken with
people who have difficulty getting to my office because of their work schedules.
Boseneiler said his office can help connect Veterans to the benefits they have
earned, including:
• Approving Veteran Designation on Drivers Licenses
• Filing for Service Connected Disabilities
• Filing for Veterans Pension
• Obtaining Military Documents
• Providing Temporary Emergency Financial Assistance with
rent, utilities, or food
• Enrolling for VA Health Care
• Assisting with signing up for military property tax
exemption
• Assisting with ordering Veterans license plates
Although walk-ins are
welcome, in order to better serve Veterans, Boseneiler recommends making an
appointment by contacting him at 319-356-6049 or gbosenei@co.johnson.ia.us.
More information is available on the Veterans Affairs page at
www.johnson-county.com.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The real Saint Nicholas was born in Turkey in 270 AD.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"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
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 2:32 PM
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