SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

October 24, 2026

Sullivan’s Salvos 10/29/26

In this edition:

*Remembering November 1^st, 1991

*Election Night = Election Week

*Consequential – Human Rights Ordinance

*Salvos Salutes – 2025

*Did You Know?

*Remembering November 1^st, 1991

Thirty-five years ago on November 1, a UI post-graduate student named Gang Liu killed four faculty members, a student, and himself.

Faculty members Christoph Goertz, Dwight Nicholson, Robert Smith, T. Anne Cleary, and Linhua Shan were all slain. Student Miya Rodolfo-Sioson was shot and survived but was left paralyzed from the neck down. She died several years later from complications due to her injuries.

If you ask longtime residents of Johnson County, most can tell you where they were that fateful day. (I was working my second job - a Friday night shift in a Systems Unlimited group home. The residents of the group home were supposed to go out to dinner that night, but we quickly cancelled those plans.)

I wish I could say that in the decades that passed, something good had come from this horror. Frankly, I simply do not see it. Even bigger mass killings have occurred on other campuses across the nation. Heck, it happens in elementary schools! Our mental health system is not any better, and our gun laws are even worse. The killings make no more sense today than they did thirty-five years ago.

I hope you will take a moment to reflect upon one of the saddest days in Johnson County history, pray for the many survivors whose lives were touched by the people we lost that day, and pray that we can do better as a state and country.

*Election Night = Election Week

I hope you are preparing yourself and everyone you know for Election Week. That’s right; the notion of Election Day does not serve us well.

First, the counting process takes time. We may not get even our very first counts until hours after polls close. But that isn’t all. There will be ballots that are still trickling in, having been postmarked in time.

We already know how this is going to go. Millions of mailed ballots will be coming in Election Day and a few days after. They cannot even open them until 9pm our time. It is highly unlikely we will know the outcomes on Tuesday night.

We also know that precisely because of this, Trump is going to go on TV Tuesday night and call some elections fraudulent. He is going to lawyer up and sue. We already know it. Just don’t let it weaken your resolve.

If the election night margin is large enough, it may not matter. But if a race is close, we need to demand that election officials take the time to count all legal votes. Don’t allow the process to be driven by the media. Have patience, and request the same from everyone you know. This is Election Week, not Election Night!

*Happy Halloween!

Halloween is Saturday the 31^st. I have been amazed in recent years by the amount of effort (and money) that goes into decorating homes for the season. When I was young, few homes displayed anything other than carved pumpkins. Now, there are huge blow-up characters, lights, and much more.

As a matter of fact, according to the National Retail Federation for 2024, 72% plan to celebrate Halloween. The planned spending per person is $104. And the total planned spending is $11.6 billion!

Regardless of how you view Halloween, we need to remember a few key things: First, be careful! One thing that has not changed is an abundance of young children in dark costumes excitedly crossing streets. Secondly, you may want to temporarily take down your campaign yard signs. Despite annual accusations to the contrary, I still think most signs that disappear are teen pranks. Finally, have fun! Halloween offers all of us an opportunity to be young again.

*Consequential – Human Rights Ordinance

One of my proudest accomplishments was the passage of the Johnson County Human Rights Ordinance. I’ll try to briefly tell what is a long story.

In 2003 Iowans could be fired for being gay. They could be denied housing because of being gay. Those are only two of many ways in which people could discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Iowa was a different place then, and that includes Johnson County. There was no same sex marriage. LGBTQ+ issues were *not* universally endorsed by the Democratic Party, let alone the population at large. The local Democratic Party – especially County government – was very much under the control of the “Regina Mafia” – local Catholics who voted Democratic but were often socially conservative. There were (and are) lots of nice people in this group, but in many ways many of them were behind the times.

When I decided to run for Supervisor, part of my platform was to pass a Human Rights Ordinance in Johnson County. I knew this was the right thing to do. I had no idea if I could pull it off, though.

I ended up winning the 2004 Democratic Primary (but by only 130 votes). So now I had to figure out how I would get an ordinance passed. I enlisted the help of a few friends, notably County Recorder Kim Painter, Robin Butler, and Janelle Rettig. (As many of you know, Rettig went on to serve a couple terms on the Board of Supervisors herself.)

Painter was a very important factor. The first openly gay person elected in the State of Iowa, Kim had been elected in 1998 and again in 2002. She was popular with the public, and was (is) really good at her job. She had earned the respect of almost every employee in Johnson County. Kim was a perfect person to have on the inside. The ordinance never would have passed without her.

Butler and Rettig were local LGBTQ+ advocates who were good organizers. They had a network of lawyers from around the US and came up with 5 or more ordinances from around the country. They were also good at getting people to write letters (we actually got letters back then!) and to show up at meetings. So they were the perfect people to have on the outside. The ordinance never would have passed without them.

The Board at the time was not necessarily thrilled to have me bring this up. I had a pretty good idea that Supervisors Stutsman and Neuzil would join me in supporting an ordinance. I was pretty certain that Supervisor Harney would be opposed. I was not completely sure about Supervisor Lehman.

Mike Lehman was one of the best Supervisors I ever served with, and one of the best people I have ever met. While our politics were not exactly the same, he was an incredibly good guy. Honest, fair, hardworking, smart, funny, curious, and just a great human being. But he had been elected in 1998 and 2002 at least partly by that “Regina Mafia” group.

Mike decided to support the ordinance. Janet Lyness, who would later go on to be the County Attorney, was serving as an Assistant County Attorney at the time. She wrote the ordinance.

Lyness started working on the ordinance in the spring of 2006. In June of ’06 Mike Lehman was defeated in the Democratic Primary. There were other issues at work, but certainly some of his lost votes came from his support of the Human Rights Ordinance. As the end of the year approached, Mike joined me in pushing to get the ordinance passed before he left office. We took the vote on December 30, 2006, with Mike voting yes. I’ll never forget him saying to me before that meeting, “If I am going to lose for doing the right thing, I want to at least take the vote.” He did. I will never forget that. Mike Lehman was willing to do what was right, even if it cost him personally. I wish we had more of that in government.

So Johnson County became the first county in Iowa to have a Human Rights Ordinance. We got quite a bit of hate mail. Religious organizations prayed for us – some meant that positively, some less so. There were a few vague threats. I still have some of the hate mail we received. The County Attorney’s Office fielded quite a few calls in the beginning, but for the most part, people obeyed the law.

This had a profound impact on the rest of Iowa. Johnson County had a Human Rights Ordinance, and the world did not end. There were no costly lawsuits. A bit over a year later, the State of Iowa passed a similar law. Johnson. County Legislators like Senators Dvorsky and Bolkcom and Representatives, Mascher, Lensing, and Jacoby used the Johnson County example as they got their peers to sign on. It was a great victory for Iowa!

Interestingly, the original Johnson County ordinance was very inclusive of trans rights in a way the State law was not. Obviously, Iowa went even further back last year, actually removing transgender as a protected class.

I am very proud of the work we did on the Human Rights Ordinance. Painter, Rettig, Butler and I heard from people all over Iowa that our ordinance moved their Legislators in places like Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Mason City, Clinton, and more. I believe we really did make a difference, not just at home but statewide. The Human Rights Ordinance is a proud accomplishment indeed!

*Salvos Salutes – 2025

What I wrote about some of the honorees from Salvos’s Salutes in 2025:

Michael Flaum: University of Iowa Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus Dr. Michael Flaum has many accomplishments listed on his CV. But the thing that makes Michael really stand out is his work in the community. Michael started the Johnson County Systems of Care meeting well over 15 years ago, bringing together everyone who serves some of our most challenged residents. Because of his work, we have GuideLink, Permanent Supportive Housing, and thousands of people with better lives. Thank you, Michael!

Fred Newell: It does not get a lot of press, but the past couple of years have been difficult for the local African American community. Luckily, Pastor Fred Newell and Dream City are here to uplift people in whatever way they need uplifted. I am a huge fan of Fred Newell. The local African American community still has some frustrations, but working with Fred, we can get through it.

Tess Judge Ellis: A professor at the UI College of Nursing, Judge Ellis has taken her practice out into the community. Tess serves a group of patients with very complex needs through her work at Shelter House, Chatham Oaks, and Agape Café, and does so without fanfare. No one would know she does this; Tess is not looking for praise. She just believes everyone deserves great medical care. Thank you, Tess, for bringing your vast expertise to our neediest residents!

Leslie Carpenter: Everyone deals with grief differently. My friend Leslie has channeled her grief to do more good than anyone I have ever known. Leslie’s son has had a very serious mental illness for many years now. So Leslie’s response has been to become Iowa’s best advocate for people with mental illnesses and their families. God bless you, Leslie. Your work helps others more than you will ever know!

Patrick Kearns: It has been an awful time for federal workers of late – especially in anti-worker States like Iowa. Luckily for us, Patrick Kearns has been ably leading the United Federation of Governmental Employees (UFGE) at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Iowa City. Patrick does a fantastic job of explaining what is happening, why it is wrong, and what we should do differently. Patrick is going to win in the long run, because as Dr. King said, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Keep up the great work, brother!

Kristie Fortmann Doser: Retiring after 32 years as Director of DVIP/RVAP, Kristie has left an amazing legacy of service to victims. (Kristie and I actually met when she interviewed me to teach Batterer’s Education back in 1989!) Thousands of victims have been able to move on to better lives because of her advocacy. Congratulations, Kristie, and thank you!

Sunday Goshit: Sunday came to the US over 25 years ago from his native Nigeria. He and his family have been making Johnson County a better place to live ever since. One example is the annual Africa Fest, which has grown into a large and wonderful community event. Now, barring some horrible action by our federal government in the next 30 days, he will be a US citizen. Congratulations, Sunday!

Barb Turner: The odds are good that not many of you know Barb Turner. Barb is a Johnson County employee – the custodian that cleans the Health and Human Services Building five nights per week. Barb is also friendly, kind, caring, honest, dedicated, and hard-working. Every day we have a brief conversation, and every day I feel better after speaking to her. I don’t know if Barb has any idea of her impact, but I assure you, it is significant! Barb leads by example, and every day she makes me want to be a better employee and a better person. Thanks, Barb! You are great!

Linda Herring (third time): Last but certainly not least, we lost Linda Herring earlier this year. Linda, of Tiffin, gained national notoriety for serving as a foster parent to over 600 kids over 50+ years. I had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Linda, and seeing firsthand her incredible capacity to love others. That is why she had won two previous Salvos Salutes, and why she is honored here posthumously with a record third Salvos Salute. Thank you, Linda. You will be missed!

As you can see, 2025 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!

*DID YOU KNOW? The Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance added Sexual Orientation as a protected class in 1977, the first municipality in Iowa to do so.

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

October 17, 2026

Fall is upon us, and there are many opportunities now for you to get updated COVID and flu shots. PLEASE do so! I got mine!

Yes, I wish these shots were still free; our healthcare system never fails to frustrate me. But PLEASE take advantage of these opportunities. You may well be making a decision that saves your life, and/or the lives of others.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a huge Hawkeye fan. So I have been watching with interest as the US House and Senate decided to intervene in collegiate athletics.

It probably does not need to be said, but the NCAA has been an abject failure. This is true. But the only group who would do a worse job than the NCAA are the Republicans in the US House and Senate.

It should come as no surprise that Congress decided to go after NCAA, and not billionaire owners of all the professional sports leagues. Members of Congress dare not anger the hand that feeds them.

So what reforms are needed? TV ratings and attendance have never been higher. What is broken? Well, due to a series of court decisions, NCAA athletes may now benefit from NIL, or Name, Image, and Likeness money. Essentially, their services are for sale.

To me, Democrats need to stand strongly against the proposal from Congress. First, even though there are clearly things that need to be fixed, Congress is not the right group to fix it. Secondly, this is a classic labor struggle. Democrats need to be on the side of the workers – in this case, athletes. Thirdly, let’s not kid ourselves – in revenue sports, a disproportionate number of the athletes are African Americans. This is a racial issue, no doubt about it.

Colleges and Universities need to institute some reforms in their athletic programs. But Congress needs to stay away!

I generally come down on the side of free speech. But new technologies sometimes lead us into interesting territory. One place where I break with free speech advocates – I think it should be illegal to photograph a completed ballot.

Interestingly, it is legal in 20 states, illegal in 20 states, and unclear in 10 states, including Iowa.

You have all seen these on social media – an 18-year-old smiling and holding up her first ballot. I have seen numerous posts of this nature, from all sorts of people. They are always happy and smiling. But a very sinister downside is possible.

Here is the problem: if it is legal to photograph your ballot, someone is going to use it against you. It is pretty easy to imagine Amazon requiring workers to show their ballots prior to an election. It is not much of a stretch to imagine a County Elected requiring their employees to demonstrate that they voted for them. A membership organization could require a photo of your ballot as a condition of membership. Abusive husbands can easily require their wives to take a ballot photo.

Pretty soon it becomes, “What do you have to hide?” If you CAN photograph your ballot, someone is going to say you MUST photograph your ballot. The presumption of a secret ballot is no more.

Sure, you can write laws to explicitly prohibit coercion of the type I mentioned. But the laws won’t work. Instagram photos go away almost immediately; how would you prove it? Employees and victims of domestic violence are already lacking power in this world. Allowing ballots to be photographed just gives those with power another tool. People with less power need the law on their side.

I hope you will join me in advocating for a ban on photographs of completed ballots.

One of the areas where I feel I have done a lot of good work is in the area of mental health and disabilities. There were many changes over the years, and I think I helped Johnson County get through them quite well.

First, some background. Up until the early 1990s, counties funded all MH/DS services through local property taxes. Starting in the early ’90s, Iowa began to rely more heavily on Medicaid (also known as Title 19) to fund services. Other states had begun doing this a decade earlier – Iowa was late to the game.

Why utilize Medicaid services? Medicaid services are funded primarily by the federal government. There is a “local match”, which varies depending upon the relative wealth of your state. So in the early ‘90s, Iowa began enrolling every eligible person in Medicaid, and assigned counties to pick up the local match.

This had an extremely positive impact for people with disabilities. Many more people became eligible for services. Additionally, Medicaid picked up the health insurance for these folks, providing coverage where little had been available. So the ‘90s were good times for people with disabilities.

The ‘90s were TOO good for people with disabilities if you asked the Iowa Farm Bureau. They saw the roles of people served tripling, and became very concerned about their future property taxes. This led the Iowa Legislature to pass a 1996 property tax relief act known as Senate File 69, which limited property taxes going into MH/DS funding. The idea was that counties would be capped, and the state would pay for any growth.

After 1998, the state began to renege on this promise. Meanwhile, the MH/DS levies changed depending on which county you were in. In some western Iowa counties they were losing both population and taxable valuation. In those places, people with disabilities often moved to more urban areas, where they had greater access to services, medical care, transportation, etc. In those counties, the MH/DS levy went up every year in order to generate that same capped dollar amount.

Johnson County was the opposite. Population skyrocketed, as did taxable valuations. People with disabilities moved here in droves. So in Johnson County, the levy rate required to generate our capped amount went down every year. Soon, Johnson County could not meet the demand for services.

The Iowa Legislature and Department of Human Services decided to undertake a huge MH/DS redesign. (One of the key architects was Johnson County State Senator Joe Bolkcom.)

Under redesign, counties were forced to merge into MH/DS regions. These regions were charged with pooling their property tax dollars, and providing equivalent services to every county in the region. In exchange, the State would pick up the local match of all Medicaid services. This came along at the same time as the Affordable Care Act, which made Medicaid available to many more people.

I organized the very first meeting on this topic in the State of Iowa. Supervisors and MH/DS staff attended from over 30 counties. The way things played out were interesting. Iowa County came calling right away. 95% of the Iowa County MH/DS budget was spent in Johnson County anyway. Benton County had a very similar relationship with Linn County. Meanwhile, Linn and Johnson Counties had worked together previously.

We moved forward with a group of 4 contiguous counties. Jones County wanted in, and that made sense. Then, suddenly, we heard from Dubuque County. We let them in. Finally, in a last second move, Buchanan and Bremer Counties requested to join. After some deliberation, we let both in. That gave us a 9-county region, home to over 600,000 people, making us the most populous of Iowa’s 15 regions.

We soon created an intergovernmental agreement, and officially set up a governing board of one Supervisor from each county. (I was the Johnson County appointee.) Each county then began pooling our MH/DS funds. Jones County was selected as the fiscal agent for the region, meaning that for a small fee, they collect the dues and pay the bills. They ended up being too small, so Johnson took over.

All things considered, I feel our region worked pretty well. The Supervisors created a framework, staff worked well together, and advocates kept everybody honest.

Meanwhile, the fact that the State and ACA picked up much of the cost of services freed up money to do things that were only dreams previously.

We created jail diversion and mobile crisis response programs in all 9 counties. We had telepsychiatry available at our rural hospitals. We had crisis phone, text, and chat services. We had crisis stabilization beds in the more populous counties. Shelter House was funded for the first time ever. All this, plus our previous menu of services. This was the biggest expansion of services since Medicaid came in the ‘90s.

Needless to say, Republicans in Iowa saw good things happening for needy people and had to intervene.

First, Iowa failed to maintain its’ commitment to the Medicaid program. States have great latitude in terms of what they do with Medicaid. Iowa made more folks ineligible for services.

Secondly, Iowa committed to a system of managed care for Medicaid services. This meant bureaucrats denying services to sick people to increase corporate profits. This also led to the destruction of Johnson County’s MH/DS Department.

Finally, the State ended regions and established Area Service Organizations. What are those? They are another way to keep from providing services.

I am sad to say that I have seen Iowa lose so much ground in the area. I sincerely hope we can turn it around. I know I am committed to doing so. But despite our backslide, I am damned proud of the work I did, and I know many people had better lives because of it.

Fiona Johnson: Johnson County Ambulance is pretty much unparalleled in Iowa. You will not find a more responsive, committed, innovative, better-trained, more thoughtful group. That all starts with Ambulance Director Fiona Johnson, one of the most amazing individuals I have ever met! Fiona is one of the finest employees and leaders you could possibly find. The Ambulance Service works 24/7/365, and literally saves lives almost every day. Trust me – we are all incredibly fortunate to live in a county where Fiona is in charge of this vital service!

Brad Friedhoff: Johnson County Conservation has been through a very emotional year. Longtime Director Larry Gullett passed away due to cancer. Another longtime employee was suspended. A group of county residents took up the cause of passing another Conservation Bond, which happened on November 6. Through it all, Conservation has been led by the steady hand of Interim Director Brad Friedhoff of Coralville. Brad is hard working, smart, and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. His leadership this year – and every year - has been amazing. Thank you, Brad!

Lindsey Jones: Johnson County suffered quite a blow when our former HR Director passed away. She was the only person who had ever held the job, and we were scrambling. Luckily, we were able to hire Lindsey Jones of North Liberty into the position! Lindsey has been absolutely fantastic, stepping in and learning everything she needed to learn while also putting fresh eyes on things. She has many positive changes, and really won folks over with her smarts, ethics, and hard work. Thank you, Lindsey! We are so glad you are here!

Jason Grimm: The Johnson County Historic Poor Farm is a really neat place. In addition to maintaining and interpreting our history, we have been able to put this public land to work sustainably growing food for people in need. Nobody deserves more credit for this than Jason Grimm of Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development. I remember when I first heard Jason’s name. Supervisor Sally Stutsman told me there was a young man at Iowa State from next door in Iowa County, and that he was a superstar! Sally suggested we work with him however we could. Sally was right on! Jason Grimm is a superstar, and we are extremely lucky to have had him and his team involved in the Historic Poor Farm! Jason founded Grow Johnson County, and has done amazing work in every way. Keep up the great work, Jason!

Monika Jindahl: Dr. Jindahl of Tiffin is a highly decorated physician at the University of Iowa. She serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine; Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Program Director; Family and Community Medicine Psychiatry Residency Medical Director; and Medical Director of the GuideLink Behavioral Access Center. It is through her work at the GuideLink Center that I have come to know and appreciate Monika. She brings compassion and thoughtfulness to every interaction, and her guidance and hard work have made the GuideLink Center a huge success. Thank you, Monika! We are so lucky to have you!

Shelly Maherry: Shelly has done a wonderful job in her role as President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Johnson County. Despite the fact that she has been in her position a while now, I have really only gotten to know her in the last 3 years or so. I was actually quite involved when the Community Foundation was just forming – Dick Schwab kindly asked for me to participate, and I did so for several years. It is amazing how far they have come and how many lives they touch! Shelly is clearly a great leader, and it has been a pleasure getting to know her better.

Cady Gerlach: Better Together 2030 is an awesome set of goals for Johnson County. But the goals are bold, and will not be achieved without leadership. That is where Cady Gerlach comes in. Cady was the perfect choice to lead BT2030. She is smart, compassionate, and a great connector of people. Better Together 2030 has already accomplished a lot. There is much more to come! Look for Cady’s name to be at the center of it all.

Bijou Maliabo: I don’t know too many people who are involved in more things in this community! I have known Bijou’s mother for a long time. She once told me, “No one works harder than my daughter. The problem is, she doesn’t get paid for it!” I agree 100% with the first part of that statement. Second part? It’s called being one of the best volunteers I know! Thank you, Bijou, for your willingness to volunteer your time, and for giving it to so many good causes!

Wendy Zimmermann: The owner and operator of Get Fresh on Iowa Avenue, Wendy was determined to bring healthy food options to downtown Iowa City. She not only succeeded there, but has been a mainstay at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market for years. To top it off, Wendy has served an important function as President of the Iowa City Downtown District. It is a challenge to balance the needs of students, townies, businesses, governments, and all the other parties interested in downtown. It takes some skill, diplomacy, hard work, and perseverance. Wendy, of rural Solon, has done a great job, and earned herself a salute!

*DID YOU KNOW? According to Census data, about 8% of all Johnson County folks under 65 have some type of disability.

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!

October 11, 2026

Some obituaries just “get” me a little more than others. That happened recently when I read the obituary of Pat Jensen of Iowa City.

For one, I have admired Pat since I first got involved in local politics. She was a lovely lady – smart and thoughtful, but also determined and tough. She and her husband Dwight have been unfailingly kind to me for the better part of 40 years. Pat and Dwight are members of the Democratic Party Hall of Fame, and as deserving as anyone! Both could tell great stories of their time with Governor-then-Senator Harold Hughes. Those were tumultuous but glorious days in Iowa and in the US, when we made huge improvements to our democracy and our quality of life. Pat played an important role in all of that.

Pat had quite a resume! From her obituary: “As a young wife and mother living in Des Moines, she joined the League of Women Voters there, launching a life-long volunteer career working for voter education, free and fair elections and equal rights for women.

During nearly six decades with the League, Pat served in leadership positions at the local, state, regional and national levels. At various times, she was president of her local Johnson County, Iowa, League; Iowa State President; Virginia State President; National Capital Area League President; and a member of the National League board of directors in Washington, D.C.”

The other piece that “got” me was the last line of Pat’s obituary: “Pat asks that you vote.”

I will vote. And this year, I am dedicating that vote to Pat Jensen. RIP, my friend.

Fall in Iowa means the harvesting of crops, and that means large machinery is out in the roadways. Please enjoy the fall beauty, but exercise caution as you navigate our roads!

The 18th annual Iowa City Book Festival will be held Oct. 18-25, 2026, at locations throughout downtown and beyond. It will showcase a dynamic mix of original events and collaborative programs with partner organizations, all celebrating the power of the written word and the exchange of ideas.

The Iowa City Book Festival is organized by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that manages the Iowa City area’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature. The City of Literature works to advance its mission of celebrating and supporting literature on a local, regional, national, and international level, connecting readers and writers through the power of story.

I wish all the folks – especially elected officials – who were using their time protesting a new Jail and Sheriff’s Office spent a bit of that time knocking on doors for Democrats. We have such an opportunity right now with Turek, Bohannan, Sand, and the other statewide candidates… I wish we had that energy going toward getting them elected.

Are you worried about the future of democracy in the US? (You should be!) Worried about the future of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? (You should be!) Worried that the rich will just keep on getting richer and the middle class will keep getting screwed? (You should be!)

If you care about these issues or any others, now is the time to get to work. Voters are casting ballots soon. Volunteers are needed. Can you find some time to volunteer? If not now, when?

We just talked about voting. That is great, but it is NOT going to be enough! If you really care about this election, you NEED to put in the extra effort to ensure at least one extra person votes.

Here is my advice: Don’t assume people are voting, especially young people. Also, don’t assume they have a workable plan. Talk to them NOW to get a voting plan in place. I am doing this now with a former foster daughter and her husband. It is a long and complicated process. So get started!

When people think of the job of a County Supervisor, they think budgets, zoning decisions, and policies. And while that is certainly all part of the job, it is nowhere near the most important thing Supervisors do. There is one thing Supervisors do that is far more important than anything else, and that is hire Department Heads.

Having served longer than any other Supervisor ever, I have had several opportunities to hire Department Heads. 20, as a matter of fact. (This does not count positions like Assessors, where I had a vote, but it was one of many. It also does not count County Departments with separate Boards or Commissions.) I have had a vote in hiring every current Johnson County Department Head.

How has the Board done on those 20 hires? Pretty darn well, I would say. As a matter of fact, I would say 15 were undisputed home runs. 4 were solid hires. Only once did we make a mistake. So the record is not perfect, but it is pretty darn good!

I really do not think you could find a better group of Department Heads anywhere in the country. I feel that strongly. These people are smart, hardworking, committed, passionate experts who serve us well every single day. I truly could not be more proud! And I am proud of my role in hiring them all.

Carrie Watson: Ms. Watson taught almost everyone we put through City High – Rachel, Jordan, Loshika, BJ, and Marie. In every case, Ms. Watson seemed to know exactly what each kid needed. In every case, she went above and beyond the call of duty. In every case, the kids were better people because they had her as a teacher. The quality of educators my kids enjoyed is truly amazing! And while it might be impossible to choose a single BEST teacher, Carrie Watson is definitely in the mix! Carrie retired last May, and is most deserving of a Salvos Salute!

Barbara Vinograde: The Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic Executive Director Barbara Vinograde stepped down back in June after 31 years with the organization. Barbara Vinograde has given much of her adult life to this noble pursuit. In addition, Barbara is one of the kindest, gentlest, humblest, fairest, most caring people I have ever met. You can look far and wide, and you will not find a better human being. Congratulation, Barbara! You are the best!

New unions: Brand new bargaining units won recognition at United Natural Foods and the Englert Theatre. Workers also voted to form a union at the downtown Starbucks, although the corporate bosses refuse to come to the table. Local union activism is growing, and that is a great thing for Johnson County!

Older unions: School bus drivers (Teamsters), city and county AFSCME employees, and several other local unions scored nice wins. In addition, memberships are up, and existing unions are ready, willing, and able to work with groups who seek representation. The union movement is strong in Johnson County!

Mitch Gross: My friend Mitch is stepping down after 16 years on the Coralville Council. He already has one of the most difficult jobs imaginable as the Principal at West High, so I understand the decision. Mitch is a great guy, and Coralville is definitely a better place due to his service. Thanks, Mitch!

IC Transit: Free bus service has been a big hit! Great for people and great for the environment! Thanks to the IC Council for their vision! (And yes, I am contractually obligated to mention that Gary Sanders campaigned on this in his 1981 run for Council.)

Ron Schneider: Retiring from SEATS after 34+ years, Ron epitomizes the steady, solid public employees we have here in Johnson County. Ron just does the job and does it well, day in and day out. Thank you for your service!

Dave Gould: The UI has some real gems. None shine brighter than Dave Gould, he of the Life Design class. Gould’s classes delve into the very deepest things that connect us all as humans, then put those findings to work within the community. Want to learn a lot about the world, yourself, and how they fit together? Take a class with Dave Gould. He’s one of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet.

Bob Welsh (second time): We lost Bob late in 2023. He was doing advocacy work up until that time. Please see last week’s Salvos for more on this great man.

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.

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

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October 24, 2026

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