SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 15, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/19/19
In this edition:
*NL Special Election Results
*County Budget Vote
*Did You Know?
*NL Special Election Results
Congratulations to RaQuishia Harrington, who won Tuesday’s Special Election to fill an unexpired term on the North Liberty City Council.
This seat will be back on the ballot in November, along with two other seats. So there are more opportunities coming soon for those who wish to get involved.
As always, thanks to everyone who threw a hat into the ring. We need people to step up in order for government to work!
*County Budget Vote
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted on our FY20 budget on Tuesday. It passed 4-1, with Supervisor Rettig in the negative.
In my opinion, voting against the budget is a big deal. That is why I have chosen to write about it here. Voting no on the budget means voting against EVERY individual thing in the budget. It means voting against Ambulance services. It means voting against Mental Health Services. It means voting against funding for the Crisis Center, Shelter House, and other social services. It means voting against the raises promised to union employees. It means voting against EVERYTHING.
Frankly, that is why voting against the budget used to be a very rare thing. We spend scores of hours going through the budget. Every Supervisor has things they wanted in the budget that were voted down. Every Supervisor has things they voted against that made it into the budget. You win some, you lose some. Traditionally, these hours of negotiations lead to a budget with which everyone can live.
But not the past two years. Supervisor Rettig has voted against the budget each of the past two years. The rest of us offered to negotiate further. But those offers were rebuffed.
At the January 22ndBudget meeting, Supervisor Rettig said, and I quote: "I’m not okay with budget, and I said so a year ago. So I haven’t changed my opinion about it."
In other words, she was going to vote “no” regardless of what we did. And she decided that a year ago. So she knew she was voting “no” for a year. Why negotiate with someone who has that attitude?
She later said the budget was “too high.” So I specifically asked – if we promise to cut $5 million, will you vote for this budget? She refused to answer. Again, she was going to vote “no” no matter what.
Supervisors are elected and paid to do a job. If one Supervisor refuses to do the work, the remaining four Supervisors still have an obligation. And that is what we have done. Four of us passed a budget of which you can be proud.
We created a solid budget that only goes up about 1.6% on residential property, and 2.7% on Ag land. Commercial property taxes actually go down about 0.7%.
The levy rate? That has gone down 3 of the last 4 years and 9 of the last 11! The Rural levy ranks 47 out of Iowa’s 99 counties. Debt? It is less than $10 million, and will go down for the 8thconsecutive year!
What does this mean? On a $100,000 house, the County portion of your tax bill will go up $6.02. Hardly “too high”. If you own a house, you should contribute to the common good. We do that through property taxes. I believe you are getting a very good value for your tax dollars!
And since when was a small budget increase a problem? Johnson County is home to one of the largest numbers of public employees of any county in Iowa. These employees deserve good pay, benefits, and working conditions. This cannot be achieved by cutting budgets.
So, here is one take on the budget: Last year, Supervisors Friese and Carberry were portrayed as unethical and stupid. This year, Supervisors Porter and Heiden are portrayed as unethical and stupid. Supervisor Green Douglass and I were portrayed as stupid and unethical both years. I happen to strongly disagree with this interpretation of events.
It is not just the Board of Supervisors, and not just the budget. Senators Bolkcom, Kinney, and Wahls are hurting us in Des Moines. Representatives Jacoby, Mascher, Lensing, and Nielsen all need to go. There is not a single Mayor or Councilperson in the County who does her/his job well. The Conservation Board is unethical. The Compensation Commission is stupid. The Sheriff and County Attorney are bad at their jobs. Other county employees are just lazy. ISAC is a corrupt organization. Our Mental Health Region is corrupt and incompetent. All of us are morally and intellectually inferior. She is right, and everybody else is wrong.
In the immortal words of They Might Be Giants: “I can shake my tiny fist and swear I wasn’t wrong. But what’s the use in arguing when you’re all alone?”
I am sure this long explanation will be viewed by some as an “attack” on Supervisor Rettig. I disagree with that characterization. There are real people whose reputations suffer needlessly from her criticisms unless someone pushes back.
What’s more, I have a vehicle here for speaking to the public. I feel some obligation to defend the 6 other Supervisors and countless staff who worked really hard to put this budget together. They are good people who used a fair process and deserve our thanks, not our scorn.
Everything I have laid out here is factual. I cannot explain why she voted against the budget – I can only repeat what she said on the record. Then I feel obligated to explain why I voted for the budget.
I am more than happy to discuss the budget in a public meeting. Frankly, that is the way I prefer doing it. But last time it was brought up, Supervisor Rettig stormed out of the meeting.
Again – I am very disappointed in the process, but I stand proudly by the outcome. The FY20 budget is something of which the residents of Johnson County can be proud!
You can find all sorts of County budget documents on the County website: www.johnson-county.com. You can also talk to Finance Director Dana Aschenbrenner by calling 319-688-8095. Please feel free to collect your own data, and come to your own conclusions.
*DID YOU KNOW? About 57% of Johnson County residents live in a home their family owns. 43% are renters.
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.
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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 @ 12:37 PM
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