SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

May 30, 2026

Sullivan’s Salvos 6/4/26

In this edition:

*RIP Ruth Crow

*RIP Bill Leefers

*Congratulations Doctor Wallace!

*Salvos Timing

*Iowa Arts Fest

*Heather Cox Richardson

*Lyz Lenz

*County Finances

*Did You Know?

*RIP Ruth Crow

Ruth Crow, 97, of Iowa City passed away recently. I had the distinct pleasure of living next door to Ruth and her late husband Lynn for just short of 25 years. Ruth was one of the most kind, gentle, decent people I have ever met, and I was truly blessed to know her.

The kids were young when we moved into our house on East Court Street. We always had at least 3 kids in the house, and sometimes as many as 5. Through it all, Ruth was almost like another grandparent. She gave the kids birthday cards, discussed things with them, and let us know if something worried her. All the while being kind and caring. You really cannot ask for a better neighbor.

It should be noted – Ruth was a diehard Republican. She knew our house was full of Democrats. That never stopped us from talking, and it never stopped her from being kind.

As you probably know, I am involved in a Democratic Primary. While Ruth has put up my sign over the years, I did not want to ask her this time. It was a Democratic Primary, after all. But one day in April I ran into her son at Hy Vee. He said, “Where is Mom’s sign?” I explained my thinking, and he just chuckled – “She wants a sign. She absolutely loves you.” It made me cry.

Ruth – the feeling is mutual. I love you, too. RIP, neighbor!

*RIP Bill Leefers

I was sad to hear of the passing of Bill Leefers of Solon. Bill was a very interesting fellow – quite a Renaissance man.

He left a successful banking career to work for me at The Arc. It was the dawn of the internet age, and Bill and I learned a lot of things together. He understood running a business, but not human services. I understood human services, but not running a business. Together, I think we did a pretty good job. In addition, Bill later worked with our dear friends at the Arc of East Central Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

On the side, Bill got his nickname – “Buffalo Bill” – because of the bison he raised on his acreage off Jordan Creek Road southwest of Solon. (By the way – I learned that fencing Bison is an expensive endeavor. The fence he had to build resembled the fence in Jurassic Park!)

Once I got on the Board of Supervisors, I recruited Bill to serve on our Zoning Board of Adjustment. He served long and well, and brought a lot to the group. Bill also served on the Board of the Solon Retirement Village.

Every time I ran into Bill, we went right back to our same old roles – he would give me crap about his road, and I would ask if it was too late to fire his ass. We’d laugh and laugh. He was truly a joy.

Bill was smart, funny, caring, kind, generous, and mischievous. My life was better because I knew him. RIP, Bill.

*Congratulations Doctor Wallace!

Congratulations to my pal and Johnson County Board of Health member Peter Wallace (69MD, 74R) on being honored with the University of Iowa Eight Over 80 Award.

A longtime pediatrician and community health leader, Wallace has dedicated his career to improving the lives of children and families in Iowa and beyond. From founding Pediatric Associates of Iowa City to supporting child safety, public health, and school-based health care initiatives, his impact continues to be felt across the community.

*Salvos Timing

For those of you that are longtime readers, you know that I have struggled over the years with the timing of Salvos. As it stands now, I typically send it on Sundays, with it dated the following Thursday.

Hopefully, anything that occurs between Sunday and Thursday was mentioned in the previous week’s edition. That is what I try to do, anyway. But certain “breaking news” items simply do not lend themselves well to a once-per-week email.

Nowhere is this more glaring than elections. Obviously, most of you will have read this Salvos – dated June 4 – on May 31 or June 1. But the election results (available June 2) cannot appear until next week’s edition – dated June 11.

I wish I had a whole news bureau, and we could get you breaking news as it happened. But I am one person – a poor typist at that – doing the best that I can.

You know, I am proud of Salvos. Every week (with very rare exceptions) you get 1500-2000 words, touching on what I feel is important. Other people do it for a month tops, and then only when up for election. I do it every week. I’m proud of that.

*Iowa Arts Fest

The Iowa Arts Festival runs Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7 in downtown Iowa City. Arts Fest is an award-winning, weekend-long community celebration and Iowa City tradition that started in 1983.

The event features over 100 local, regional and national visual artists in the Art Fair, and on Saturday and Sunday, we feature youth artists ages 16-25 in the Emerging Artist Area.

But that’s not all: there are music performances, food vendors serving regional and ethnic dishes, and creative, educational activities and entertainment for children. It’s the most anticipated art event of the summer! For the whole schedule of events, please see: https://summerofthearts.org/sota-events/iowa-arts-festival/

One more thing: my family and I are longtime donors to Summer of the Arts, the organization that puts on this and so many other great events. Please join us in contributing! The organization needs your help!

*Heather Cox Richardson

Have you ever heard of Heather Cox Richardson? I am just going to steal from Wikipedia here:

“Heather Cox Richardson is an American historian who works as a professor of history at Boston College. Richardson has authored seven books on history and politics. In 2019, she started publishing Letters from an American, a nightly newsletter that chronicles current events in the larger context of American history. Richardson focuses on the health of American democracy. As of July 2025, the newsletter had over 2.6 million subscribers, making it one of the most popular Substack publications.”

*Lyz Lenz

While I am making newsletter recommendations, try “Men Yell at Me” by Lyz Lenz. While also political, this newsletter is some funny stuff! It is worth the small amount it costs and then some!

*County Finances

There is a lot of discussion in the community about the ICCSD finances. While I have no special knowledge of the ICCSD, I can speak about Johnson County finances. So let’s dive in.

Johnson County has a Finance Department, and has since 2012. Prior to that, budgets were a mishmash of work between Board Office staff, the Treasurer’s Office, and the Auditor’s Office. It did not work well, to be honest. Former Treasurer Tom Kriz, former Supervisor Janelle Rettig, and myself began looking for a better way to do business. We ended up taking a large group of folks from all three offices to Linn County, who had successfully used a Finance Department model for a couple decades at the time. We came away impressed, and set about creating a similar structure.

Treasurer Kriz led the way in terms of designing the flow of business. We developed a reserve policy that is still in use. All three offices agreed to give up a full-time employee, allowing us to staff a three-person Finance Department for minimal extra cost. Dana Aschenbrenner, who had been a Deputy in the Auditor’s Office and was then serving as a Deputy in the Treasurer’s Office, became the Department Director. (Dana is still in that role.)

Since that time, Johnson County has received several awards from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) the gold standard for public finance. We won awards for our Annual Financial Report from 2014-2021 (8 consecutive years) and our Annual Budget Report for FY2016 – FY2025 (10 consecutive years) after which we discontinued the practice of submitting them. Unfortunately, a change in our Eide Bailly audit schedule didn’t allow us to meet the GFOA submission deadlines. One of our long-term goals is to resume participation in these programs.

We have been dealing with a backlog in audits. You may recall that a couple of years ago, Johnson County requested the State Auditor to investigate some mishandled funds/assets in our Conservation Department. The State Audit report took over a year to finish; because of that, Eide Bailly paused our audit process. Now that those issues have been resolved from an accounting perspective, Eide Bailly is finishing up that audit. Hopefully they can move directly into the next one. But we are definitely behind.

Overall, I think Johnson County’s finances are in very good shape. We have a healthy set of fund balances. We have very low debt. We have good public buildings with the notable exception of the jail. Our fleet is in good shape. More financial policies are forthcoming. All in all, I am quite proud of where we sit.

Johnson County recently took on a huge challenge, moving all our financial and HR processes to Workday. While we are excited about the possibilities, this is an enormous change. We are already seeing plenty of examples of less duplication, less steps, less paper, etc. There is massive potential to impact how we do our work. There are definitely some struggles behind the scenes. But I am confident that in the end, we will have an even better financial system.

*DID YOU KNOW? The earliest known property tax records, dating from approximately six thousand years B.C., are in the form of clay tablets found in the ancient city-state of Lagash in modern day Iraq, just northwest of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

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.

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

---Rod

May 24, 2026

Only one or two people on this list know Dr. Stone, but she rates a mention just the same. Terri was a longtime friend of my wife Melissa, dating all the way back to their Catholic School days. Terri was one of only a few African American kids at Dowling, but was liked and respected by everyone who knew her. She and Melissa went on to the U of I, and Terri ended up getting her MD from Georgetown in 1993. She practiced medicine in Washington DC from that day forward.

Terri was smart, kind, caring, gentle, and always put others before herself. I was honored to know her. RIP, Terri.

Eid al-Adha in 2026 is expected to begin on Wednesday, May 27, and end on the evening of Saturday, May 30, subject to the traditional crescent moon sighting. This sacred Festival of Sacrifice falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.

Almost exactly 62 years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson gave his “Great Society” speech.

What did that mean? Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, the Voting Rights Act, Community Action Programs (like HACAP), the Jobs Corp, VISTA, PBS, NPR, and an end to discrimination in immigration.

This was the second-biggest domestic policy investment in American history. And it has been life changing for hundreds of millions of people.

And now, 62 years later, every one of these programs is hanging by a thread. This is what you are voting for!

Like most people growing up in rural Iowa, I was raised to be humble. “Don’t toot your own horn,” was the phrase. But as an adult, I chose a profession that requires you to “toot your own horn” every few years if you want to keep your job. So if you will please indulge me, I want to use a few words to explain why I believe I deserve your support in the upcoming Supervisor Primary.

The following comes straight from my website: https://www.rodsullivansupervisor.com/

Rod Sullivan's accomplishments put Johnson County's people and their wellbeing at the center of his work. During his time in office, Rod has facilitated discussions, advocated and led changes that have improved the lives of tens of thousands of Johnson County residents. Those efforts include:

From the very beginning, Rod has put the people and their community at the forefront.

· He provided steady leadership during the 2008 floods and over a decade later did the same during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

· He saved the Sutliff Bridge, preserved the Historic Poor Farm, and initiated the renaming of Johnson County after Lulu Merle Johnson.

· Rod started the 1105 Project with the gift of the old Public Health Building.

But it isn't just the people of Johnson County he fights for; it is also the land they live on. In his time, he advocated and passed the Sensitive Area Ordinance, Stormwater Ordinance, Wind and Solar Ordinance, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan.

I’m proud of the work I have done. Moving forward, I plan to continue to focus on mental health, affordable housing, climate change, and more. I think we can accomplish more great things. That is why I would ask for your vote during the 2026 Democratic Primary.

I am incredibly honored to receive the endorsements of the Iowa City Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Building Trades, Carpenter’s Local 1260, Teamsters Local 238, IBEW Local 405, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 125, and Laborer's Local 43!

In addition, I have been endorsed by the Presidents of AFSCME, AFGE, American Federation of Musicians, and Sheet Metal Workers.

Nothing makes me prouder than the fact that the working people of our county know I have their backs! Thank you, organized labor!

I am also proud to announce that I have been named by Moms Demand Action as a Gun Sense candidate! I really appreciate this, as I believe Moms Demand Action has done important work both nationally and locally. I have received this recognition every election since Moms Demand Action came into being.

I have been asked several times about all the negative campaigning in the Supervisor primary. It is true, in all my years of observing local politics, I have never seen anything like it. Obviously, I am not enjoying the daily rounds of character assassinations.

I know several folks who have said, “I thought about saying something, but I do not want to be bullied online.” I totally understand that fear. It is real. You should protect yourself.

So what can you do? Proactively tell friends and family who you support and why. Stay away from the negativity. But spread a positive message.

I have been frustrated with the discussions I hear and see regarding the two Democratic candidates for the US Senate, Zach Wahls and Josh Turek. (In the interest of full disclosure, I support Wahls. More on that in a moment.)

The stuff that angers me falls into a couple of different categories. First, what I like to call the “Punditry Problem.” It seems many Democrats in Iowa have decided their job is determine the “electability” of a given candidate. We see this type of discussion on CNN or MSNBC and we think this is somehow our job.

Playing Pundit is not our job. And even if it were, experience shows we are not good at playing that role. Primary elections are held to allow the voters to choose a candidate who they believe will take things in the direction they want. So – what have the candidates accomplished? Where do they stand on the important issues of the day? Have they demonstrated an ability to work with others? What ideas do they have?

Pundits do not like to discuss this stuff, even though it is the most important thing. Pundits simply want to talk electability. And that discussion takes away from the things voters really care about.

I have heard Wahls cannot be elected because he is from Johnson County. I have heard the “focus on gay stuff” will hurt him. I have heard that Turek cannot be elected because he has never represented any rural areas. All of these can become self-fulfilling prophecies if we let them. But what does any of that have to do with getting Iowans healthcare? With cleaning our water? With a fair tax system? With good education? With good jobs? With safe and affordable housing? Nothing.

Please stop trying to play pundit, and talk about issues. This moment is a golden opportunity, and we are running out of time! While the candidates do agree on most issues, there are some key differences. Check that out!

Another frustration I feel is the decision by supporters of both candidates to put so much focus on negative campaigning. As I mentioned earlier, I support Wahls. (Again, more on that later.) That said, Josh Turek has an incredible story. By all accounts, he is a great guy. His record is solid. If he wins, I’ll be sending him a contribution. And regardless of who wins, as usual, I will knock hundreds of doors.

One more thing: the decision by Chuck Schumer to use donor dollars to weigh in on this race pisses me off. First, Iowans deserve to make this decision free from outside interference. Secondly, how well has Schumer done with his picks? Janet Mills, in Maine, anyone? How did he do in races in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota? His track record is not good. Let the voters decide, and save those millions for the fall, when we are running against Republicans!

Finally, why I support Zach Wahls: The answer is simple – I have gotten to know him. He is my friend. We care about the same things. We have been on the same side for several fights. We stood shoulder to shoulder fighting for residents in our mobile home communities. Zach literally and figuratively showed up. That matters. He is very smart, he is an excellent speaker, and I believe he can do this job. That is enough for me.

Please weigh in on this important election. Then put your time, talents, and treasure toward whoever wins. They are going to need it!

The Johnson County Downtown Campus has been designated as a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business for the third time by the League of American Bicyclists.

The campus, which includes the Administration, Health and Human Services, and Ambulance Service and Medical Examiner facilities in Iowa City, previously earned gold recognition in 2017 and 2021.

The national recognition program assesses bicycle encouragement, education, planning and evaluation, and infrastructure every four years.

Johnson County’s recognized efforts included encouraging employees to commute by bike, hosting bike breakfasts, sharing safe riding tips in multiple languages, surveying employees about their bike habits and providing bicycle racks at each building.

Staff input on committees that focus on trails and safety, and funding from the Board of Supervisors to the Iowa City Bike Library, also helped Johnson County earn gold.

More than 1,130 businesses nationwide hold the Bicycle Friendly Business designation. The latest round recognized 44 new and renewing businesses. The recognition provides Johnson County access to League educational materials and technical assistance.

*DID YOU KNOW? I was the first elected official in the whole US to endorse Bernie Sanders for President, way back in 2015.