SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

September 24, 2024

Sullivan’s Salvos 9/26/24

In this edition:

*Rosh Hashanah

*Shelter House BBQ

*Wright House of Fashion

*Thought Provoking Quotes

*Childcare Stats

*Minnette Doderer

*Differing Impressions

*Did You Know?

*Rosh Hashanah

Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends! Sunset on Wednesday, October 2 marks Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of year 5784 in the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion. Shanah Tovah!

*Shelter House BBQ

The annual Shelter House BBQ Bash is Friday, September 27 from 5-7 pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. Cost is $50 for adults, and $17.50 for children. All proceeds go toward supporting the wonderful work of Shelter House! I hope to see you there!

*Wright House of Fashion

The Wright House of Fashion is having an event celebrating 10 years of fashion at Graduate Hotel on Thursday, October 3, from 5-7pm.

Andre Wright, the Executive Director, will talk about the last 10 years of fashion in Iowa City and show off a new book they have published with amazing pictures. This event is a fundraiser and proceeds will support programing that allows young people of color explore their creative selves and provides skills in fashion design and navigating the fashion industry.

For those gifting $1,000 or more, a signed copy of the book will be provided. Donations of all sizes are welcomed (and needed!).

*Thought Provoking Quotes

We had two very thought-provoking quotes presented at church recently. I have really enjoyed trying to consider all the possible interpretations of these profound thoughts.

The first is from Rumi, a famous Muslim scholar and poet who lived in 13^th century Iran.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

I love that! The second is from St. Francis of Assisi, a 13^th century Italian mystic, poet, and Catholic Fryar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans.

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

I love this, too! I hope you enjoy thinking about these as much as I have!

*Childcare Stats

Laurie Nash is the Children and Families Services Manager at Johnson County Social Services, and I happen to believe she is a local treasure! We are VERY lucky to have Laurie! The following stats come from a presentation she gave on some of the challenges facing the childcare industry here in Johnson County.

*Johnson County has 23,000 children 0-6. Johnson County has 9,307 childcare slots.

*All caregivers work in 76% of the Johnson County families with children between 0-6.

*The number of childcare programs in Johnson County has decreased by 19% over the past 5 years.

*Childcare in Johnson County pays an average of $12.22/hour – the lowest hourly wage of any position.

*People in Johnson County who earn the median area income pay 15% of their annual income on childcare. To be considered affordable, that number is supposed to be less than 7%.

*A Johnson County family with two children in care will pay an average of $28,000 annually. That is more than a year’s tuition at the UI.

*State child care assistance pays only 79% of the cost of a quality rated childcare center.

*Johnson County has partnered with Better Together 2030, The Greater IC Business Alliance, Iowa City, and others to fund a wage enhancement program. This program gave an extra $2/hour to 174 childcare workers who work full time at centers that accept State childcare assistance. The problem will be sustainability.

Childcare is a tough business, as you can see. What is the answer? I think it is simple – the state and federal governments need to make huge investments in our various systems of caring for the young, the old, and people with disabilities. It is the only way.

*Minnette Doderer

I was chatting with some folks the other day, and the name Minnette Doderer came up. I realized that LOTS of Johnson County residents do not know the history of this amazing woman. So I went to the UI Archives, from which I copied the following:

Minnette Frerichs Doderer was born on May 16, 1923 near Holland, Iowa. Her parents later moved the family to Waterloo where Minnette graduated from East High School in 1941. She attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and, in 1948, received a BA in economics from the University of Iowa. In 1944, she married Fred Doderer. They raised two children, Dennis and Kay Lynn, in Iowa City.

Doderer was active in the Democratic Party beginning in the 1950s, serving as vice-chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee from 1956 to 1959 and acting as chair and co-chair of many county, district, and state Democratic conventions. One of the main issues she worked on was reapportionment. She co-chaired Hubert Humphrey's Iowa presidential campaign, and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and 1984.

Doderer was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1964 in a special election. She served in the House from 1964 to 1968. She served in the State Senate from 1968 to 1978. Doderer was House minority whip from 1967 to 1968 and was the first woman to act as president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate from 1975 to 1976. In 1970 and 1978, she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor. In 1981, she was again elected to the House, where she continued to serve until her retirement in 2000.

Doderer's committee work and the legislation she sponsored in the Iowa General Assembly relate to a wide variety of issues. In particular, Doderer was active in promoting legislation relating to women's issues, such as the elimination of sexist language in the Iowa Code, gender balance in state commissions and gubernatorial appointments, comparable worth, gender equitable insurance, reproductive rights, and the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She also worked on issues such as public health, prison reform, benefits for the elderly, child and spouse abuse, juvenile justice, collective bargaining rights for public employees, and the treatment of alcoholics.

Doderer was involved in many organizations including the League of Women Voters, the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, and the National Organization for Women. In 1977, she chaired the Iowa delegation to the International Women's Year conference in Houston. She was one of the organizers and charter members of the Iowa Women's Political Caucus. In 1979 she was elected to the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and in 1989 (at the Hall of Fame ceremony of that year), she received the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice. After her retirement, Doderer moved to Oaknoll Retirement Center in Iowa City, where she passed away in 2005.

I hope you found that informative. I served as the Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party while Minnette was still in the Legislature. I am so lucky to have had that experience!

*Differing Impressions

I always find it interesting when I have formed an opinion of someone, then hear something different from a trusted source.

For example, it is not unusual for me to decide that I really like someone, only to have a friend later inform me that they believe said person is dishonest, rude, etc. This always gives me pause.

On the other hand, I’ll sometimes form a negative opinion of someone only to find out later that we have dozens of mutual friends. Again, this always gives me pause.

This just goes to show that we are all complex, multi-faceted people. I am trying really hard to recognize that we all have both good and bad characteristics.

*DID YOU KNOW? St. Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of Italy. He is also the Patron Saint of animals and ecology.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

September 17, 2024

I have had a wonderful thing happen recently. I have connected with my first cousin once removed, a very nice gentleman named Rich Sullivan who lives in Iowa City. Rich’s dad, Don, was the oldest of a huge Sullivan clan. My grandfather, Tom, was the second oldest.

The generations get a little wonky; Don had children very late for back in those days. So Rich is about 11 years younger than my Dad would be, and about 15 years older than me.

I have really enjoyed reading some family history he left me. One of the cool things I learned? I’m not the first Sullivan to serve as a County Supervisor!

My Dad was Robert Sullivan. His father was Tom Sullivan. His father was Frank Sullivan. Frank’s father – also Tom – was my great-great-grandfather. That Tom Sullivan served as a Howard County Supervisor from 1881-1888!

I will be honest – I was not paying close attention to the process. But I was thrilled to see that Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth is recommending appointment of Lt. Kyle Nicholson to replace the recently retired Shane Kron as Chief of Police.

Nicholson joined the Coralville Police Department as an Officer in 2014, and has served as Community Relations Officer and Patrol Sergeant prior to his current role as Investigations/Administrative Lieutenant and Community Relations Officer. He earned an MS in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University and a BS in criminology from the University of Northern Iowa.

Like many things these days, this makes me feel old. Kyle’s family and ours have attended St. Andrew Presbyterian Church together since the kids were very young. I have known Kyle, his family, and his wife’s family since he was just a little boy. They are all wonderful people!

Most importantly, Kyle is a great guy, and I am sure he will serve Coralville very well. Congratulations!

If you haven’t heard, the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) is discussing some big changes at the elementary school level. This is largely brought on by the refusal of Governor Reynolds and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature to adequately fund our schools.

Something is going to be get cut. There simply isn’t enough money to do everything they want to do. The ICCSD did not create the problem, but they have to deal with it. The situation sucks.

The question is, what gets sacrificed? Socio-economic balance in our schools? Class sizes? Closing a few elementaries? All the choices are bad. It is up to you to help the Board decide what choices are most palatable.

So, now is the time to pay attention and get involved. Learn what you need to learn, decide where you stand, and make your case to the Board. They need your feedback. And please show them some grace; they did not create this problem!

There are several effective ways to build a team. But the most effective methods are not always in service to the greater good. Let’s look at some examples.

One of the best ways to build a team is in opposition to others. We are Hawkeyes – to hell with those Cyclones! The US military understood this well, labelling the opposition “Krauts” or “Gooks.” Because let’s face it – when you are in hand-to-hand combat with another soldier, the military doesn’t want you to be thinking, “He might have a daughter the same age as my daughter.” It’s much easier to kill someone you have dehumanized.

Donald Trump is a master of building a team in opposition to others. Vilify people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and turn your folks against them. That helps build your own team.

Unfortunately, this can happen in our workplaces, too. One department gets told, “You are the only people that work this hard. The others are all lazy and incompetent. It is a good thing you are here to cover for them. This place would fall apart without you. Keep doing great work in spite of them.”

That type of management can be used to create a very tightly knit team. So yes, it is effective. But it certainly is not good for the larger organization. Nor is it good for the larger society.

It is cool that a former US President grew up just a few miles from here. It is cool that a boy born into such humble beginnings could become incredibly wealthy, and later become the President of the United States.

That said, I am no fan of the politics of Herbert Hoover. He epitomized the foolhardy idea that everyone should simply, “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” If you read the things he wrote later in life, he is clearly a bitter old man who felt poverty is the fault of the poor.

On the other hand, he led some incredible humanitarian efforts after World War I. And Hoover did one other thing that I believe was critical to our progress in the 20^th century, and that we need our government to do again.

While serving as Secretary of Commerce in the Harding and Coolidge Administrations, Hoover led the charge to regulate and standardize electrical sockets and plugs. Before Hoover, outlets could be anything. When an outlet and a plug didn’t quite fit each other, the device did not work. Or worse, there was a fire. Hoover standardized everything, so that all outlets and plugs met the same standards. It was great for safety, and great for business.

I think we need a Hoover-style approach to all the various chargers and cords that exist out there. Just standardize it! Think how easy things would be! It would be a big political winner! Consumers would benefit. And the only “losers” in such a battle are the biggest corporations on planet Earth – Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. Let’s do it! Someone follow Hoover’s lead! As Archie and Edith Bunker sang, “We could use a man like Herbert Hoover again!”

I serve on a number of Boards and Commissions that include people from other counties. I am always amazed when they mention that they are afraid Linn and Johnson Counties will “dominate” said group. For the life of me, I do not see where this comes from.

Where does the idea come from that rural Iowa is ignored? I just reviewed the most recent Census data. Iowa has about 3,150,000 residents. 54% of Iowans (1,700,000) live in just ten counties. So one might expect Iowa to be a place where rural and urban interests both matter. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On pretty much all these Boards and Commissions, we operate under a system of one county, one vote. So let’s just say, hypothetically, you have a region that represents Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, Iowa, Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, and Jones Counties. You have Linn and Johnson and all the counties surrounding them. If all those counties vote together, they outvote Linn and Johnson 9-2. Yet Linn and Johnson Counties combined have around 390,000 total residents. The other 9 counties have about 150,000 residents – far less than half of the two most populous.

Versions of this exist in every regional initiative of which we are a part. And honestly, it works OK. But not because the system is good. It works because for the most part, County Supervisors regardless of county have been fair-minded, decent people who want to make things work for everyone. If that ever changes, it could get ugly.

The ten counties that house over half the population have pretty much zero political power. Farm Bureau sets the agenda in Des Moines. The Governor and her staff will take calls from rural counties; no such luck for the rest of us.

The Iowa Legislature is constantly spinning out new rules for local governments that ONLY apply to the ten most populous counties. Why? Because Iowa has government of, by, and for rural people. Urban dwellers can expect to be targeted, burdened, and punished.

So this idea that somehow the more populous county is going to “dominate” the group you are in? I think we may need to question this assertion.

*DID YOU KNOW? Herbert Hoover led an interesting life. Orphaned at 9, he was in the first graduating class at Stanford University. (Now home to the Hoover Institute.) Hoover was a multimillionaire as a result of his mining and engineering exploits.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

I lost a very dear aunt this week. My father’s younger sister Pat served as real inspiration for me. Pat always looked for the good in every person and every situation. She was a feisty little redhead (gone white-haired early) who liked to have fun, and simply felt that there was no use in crying over spilled milk.

She was very accomplished – she was a successful realtor for over 40 years, and was actually the first woman in Iowa to own a bar completely in her own name (no husband involved to pass it down to a widow or co-own it). We used to exchange cards every St. Patrick’s Day. It always brought a wide smile to my face. I regret that I failed to maintain that tradition.

Pat and my dad were born in a farmhouse with a dirt floor, no electricity, and no running water. They moved to Cedar Rapids and things got much better, but they never forgot where they came from. RIP, Pat. I love you.

I am saddened to report on the death of Johnson County Conservation Director Larry Gullett. Larry grew up in Newton, got a BS at Iowa State, and served as a Conservation Director in Jones and Dallas counties before coming to Johnson County in 2013.

Larry was a true conservationist, visiting National Parks whenever he could. He truly loved exploring the many Johnson County Conservation properties, and he had a great eye for detail. He always pointed out small things that I would never have noticed.

Tell you what – nothing would honor Larry’s memory more than the passage of the Conservation Bond in November. He was so excited about this campaign – let’s win it for Larry!

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Rose Marie Friedrich of Iowa City. I met Rose Marie over 30 years ago through her work for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Rose Marie was a real mover and shaker when it came to services for people with mental illnesses. She was a psych nurse, and that background helped her to bridge the gaps between funders, bureaucrats, providers of services, and the families with whom they work. Rose Marie was a cofounder of the Melrose Ridge Apartments, and was actually the *national* volunteer of the year for NAMI in the early 2000s!

More than anything, I will remember her as a person who was unfailingly kind, always had a smile to share, and always showed genuine concern for me no matter what was going on in her own life. RIP, Rose Marie!

The United Way and Iowa Shares campaigns are underway. I hope you will choose to be a supporter. Melissa and I are big supporters of the United Way and the United Way affiliated agencies. We give generously, I think. We also volunteer when and where we can.

So United Way is in our blood. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be in the blood of enough Johnson County residents.

I just heard a statistic that only 4% of all adults in Johnson County contribute to the United Way. Only 4%! And I’m sure it isn’t any better for Iowa Shares! That is simply too low, folks.

One in three families in Johnson County uses a United Way service. Let’s get at least one in three contributing to the United Way and/or Iowa Shares!

I’d like to encourage you to visit my friend Paul Rasch at Wilson’s Orchard. Paul is a great guy doing great things with a great place!

Located just a few miles north of Iowa City, just off Highway 1, Wilson’s Orchard has been around a long time. If you have never been there, go! There are 120 types of apples, but much, much more. It really is a local treasure, and people of all ages should visit! It is particularly a “must-do” for the kids and grandkids!

Ruth Harkin will talk about her new book, “When My Husband Ran for President and Other Short Stories.” She will be joined in conversation by fellow former Iowa Board of Regents member Bob Downer.

Ruth Harkin, attorney, was one of the first female prosecutors elected in the United States and was elected county attorney of Story County, Iowa, where she served from 1973-1979. She has served as a deputy counsel for the United States Department of Agriculture and was appointed Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) by President Bill Clinton. A member of the Iowa Board of Regents from 2005 to 2015, she was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2018. She is a partner with her husband, Former US Senator Tom Harkin, in founding and operating the Harkin Institute in Des Moines.

I have been on a kick lately, and I imagine you will hear me say this again: I am a big believer in the concept of “yes, and.” What do I mean by that? We have a tendency to attempt to figure out complicated situations by finding a single, specific cause of said situation. This typically results in arguments. I think the cause is A. You think the cause is B. So we argue. In reality, both A and B can be correct.

Complex situations almost always have multiple causes. There are several correct reasons why. But we have a tendency to dismiss the other person’s opinion rather than saying, “Yes, and…”

Let me give you a classic example. The Iowa Football team had a lousy offense last year. It was the talk of the town. I view myself as a relatively knowledgeable fan. So I was always amazed to hear people argue, “It’s the quarterback’s fault!” “No, it’s the Coach’s fault!”

Reality? Yes, quarterback play was a problem. And coaching was a problem. And the offensive line was a problem. And to a lesser extent, the receivers were a problem. That is a lot of “yes, and!” It demonstrates why the offense was pretty bad!

Here is another famous example: Why did Hilary Clinton lose the 2016 Presidential election? Misogyny. Her husband’s record. She was not likeable. She ran a poor campaign. She ignored battleground states. Unfair media coverage. Russian interference. James Comey. Jill Stein.

I just listed 9 completely different reasons for Clinton losing to Trump. There are undoubtedly even more than that. You may think one was bigger than the others, and that is your prerogative. Bottom line? Each of these reasons is true, to some extent. They added up to an election loss. Any one of these deserves a “yes, and.”

A final example: Lots of folks wish they could drop a few pounds. Why have they added some weight? A slowing metabolism. Eating the wrong foods. Eating when you aren’t hungry. Overeating. Failure to get enough exercise. Drinking too much alcohol. Genetics. Every one of these might be true. Odds are, more than one is true.

Since we deal with many complex issues at Johnson County, I am trying very hard to emphasize this idea of “yes, and.” We need to make certain that we recognize there are no silver bullets. We need to be thorough when we diagnose a problem, and understand that no single solution will solve it. We may need to take multiple steps.

*DID YOU KNOW? 68 of Iowa’s 99 counties lost population per the 2020 census. None of the ten most populous counties lost population.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

September 3, 2024

I was sad to hear of the passing of Tom Hoff of Iowa City. Tom served several years on the Johnson County Conservation Board, in addition to service on the boards of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Ducks Unlimited.

Tom was a conservationist through and through, and passionate defender of our natural environment. RIP, Tom.

One of my proudest moments as a County Supervisor came on November 4, 2008. While I did get reelected on that date, that was not what I am talking about. On that date, almost 40,000 Johnson County residents voted to approve the $20 million Conservation Bond to protect water, air, and soil quality, to protect animal habitat, and to purchase land for parks and trails.

This was the first such effort in the State of Iowa, and looking back over the past 16 years, it was even more successful than we could have hoped! The 2008 bond has been utilized, successfully, for 16 different projects. It has leveraged an additional $17 million in grants, donations and revenues; acquired 1,177 acres of land, and built 9.2 miles of hard surface trails throughout the County. This has all contributed tremendously to the quality of life in Johnson County.

Despite all this good work, there is more work left to do. We still have air, water, and soil quality issues. We still need to protect animal habitat. And we still need more parks and trails. That is why we want to do it again!

The Board of Supervisors has voted to put a $30 million Conservation Bond on the ballot this November. I fully expect it to be just as successful as the last bond in contributing to the quality of life in Johnson County.

I hope you will support this effort. Please feel free to contact me with questions, or visit https://www.ourlandwaterfuture.org for more information. It is not a done deal! There will be moneyed interests fighting against this effort! We can only win if you help to spread the word!

The recent heat wave and the associated cancellations got me thinking about the decision the ICCSD made a few years ago to air condition every building. What a great idea! What foresight! I’m proud to live in a District that really cares about kids.

When we were running the bond that paid for the AC, I heard some grumbling: “I didn’t have AC in school when I was young, and I got through it!” I have two responses to that.

First, climate change has really affected the temperatures. (Want to help address that? See the Conservation Bond article above!)

Secondly, my Dad always had a good comeback for those arguments. He said, “I was born in a house with a dirt floor, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. Why would I want that for my kids?”

I am a proud Board Member of the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County (HTFJC), a local nonprofit that helps to fund virtually all affordable housing that gets built in this community.

We just celebrated our 20^th anniversary, and at that celebration, I learned an amazing fact: The HTFJC was started with $1000. One thousand. Over 20 years, that $1000 turned into $142 MILLION worth of affordable housing! Unreal!

I just finished a book called “Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth” by Ingrid Robeyns. In the book, Robeyns explains why extreme wealth in the hands of just a few people is bad for people, bad for our planet, and bad for democracy. Robeyns calls for limiting individual wealth to approximately $10 million.

I really enjoyed this book and the arguments it makes. And the statistics are sobering: Between 2020 and 2022, the top 1% gained TWICE as much wealth as the other 99% combined! Unthinkable!

Here is another amazing bit of info: The average loss in an instance of tax evasion is $309,000. The average loss in a robbery is $2100. Yet only 67% of tax avoiders are charged, serving an average sentence of seventeen months. In the case of robberies, 99% of offenders spend some jail time, with an average sentence of 107 months.

A common claim among defenders of the rich is that they aren’t hurting anyone else; others are simply jealous. Robeyns spends quite a bit of time debunking this. Between ill-gotten gains, inherited ill-gotten gains, unfair applications of laws, environmental and social destruction, and propping up undemocratic processes, these folks ARE hurting everyone else on planet Earth.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to play around more with the details. How would we make change? What would this do to the less fortunate? What would it do to tax rates? What would it mean for the ability of government to do certain things?

Robeyns touches on all of these topics, and while she assures her readers it is all doable, I wish she had gone into greater detail on some possible scenarios. I like playing around with real numbers! Anyway, check out Limitarianism!

I wrote earlier this year about my frustration at being passed over for the Iowa City Charter Review Commission. I also previously listed the changes I would like to see happen to the Iowa City Charter. Below are the things I feel are most imperative, listed in order of importance:

1. Maintain the referendum process: Iowa City has a limited referendum process. By “limited,” I mean there is an extensive list of things for which no referenda are allowed. This includes anything having to do with taxes, salaries, or anything in any way financial. Obviously, this is extremely limiting. But I find it important that the voters have some say outside of elections. I love that Iowa City has at least some minimal ways in which the public can be heard. I think it is extremely important to maintain this process.

2. District votes for District Councilors: Iowa City has one of the worst and most convoluted systems imaginable in terms of who gets to vote in District Council elections. Under the current system, only District voters vote in a primary; all voters get to vote in the general election. This is extremely confusing, and frankly, unnecessary. District voters should be the only voters in District elections. I know some voters feel they should be able to vote on every seat, but that is why At-Large seats exist. Hell, that is why Districts exist! This change would clean things up and strengthen Districts.

3. Directly elect the Mayor: Even though the Mayoral position is not dramatically different from that of the other councilors, it still means something. The public cares who represents them to the outside world, and they want to have a vote in the matter. Because of this, I firmly believe Iowa City should create an At-Large Mayoral seat.

4. More Districts, less At-Large seats: The 2004 and 2014 Charter Commissions spent a lot of time on this topic. There are good arguments for only having Districts – there is a greater chance that individual neighborhood concerns, demographics, etc. get represented. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that the two best people for the job live on the same block. Because of this, IC has always favored a hybrid system.
I agree that a hybrid system is a good solution. But I would lean into Districts just a bit more. In my perfect system, you keep 7 Councilors, with 4 District seats and 3 At-Large seats. (Those numbers are currently reversed.) One of those At-Large seats is the directly elected Mayor.
This would give more power to Districts, but also keep an At-Large option. And here is the cool part – every voter in IC could still vote for a majority of the Council. They could vote on their own District Councilor, two At-Large seats, and the Mayor. 4 out 7. Yet Districts have a bit more power.

*DID YOU KNOW? A few of the projects funded by the ’08 Conservation Bond include the Clear Creek, Mehaffey Bridge, and Solon to Ely (Hoover) trails; Cedar River Crossing, Ciha Fen, Cangleska Wakan, Two Horse Farm, and the Melinda Reif Reilly Fen and Prairie.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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