SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 4, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/8/26
In this edition:
*Congratulations to the Teagues!
*Update on Juvenile Detention Beds
*Love These Reps!
*Biggest Problem? DOJ!
*Supervisor Salaries
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations to the Teagues!
I had the incredible honor on December 30 of attending the adoption ceremony of Legend and Kayden Teague. What a glorious day!
As many of you know, Melissa and I adopted our children. And even though it was a long time ago, seeing the Teague family brought all those emotions rushing back.
So a huge thanks to Legend, Kayden, and Daddies Colton and Bruce for allowing me to be a part of their special day! I am so happy for you all! You are awesome and amazing!
*Update on Juvenile Detention Beds
You may recall that the Board of Supervisors had a somewhat heated discussion back in June of ’25 over the number of Juvenile Detention beds for which we would contract. Our Juvenile Court Officer, Juvenile Attorney, and Social Services Director all urged the Board to up our contract with Linn County from 3 beds to 4. Supervisor Green Douglass and I voted that way, but the Board voted 3-2 to keep the contract at 3 beds.
One thing to know about Juvenile Detention – counties are legally obligated to pay, regardless of where a child ends up. We cannot vote to have less kids go to detention. If they go, we pay. We cannot control who goes or when.
What we *can* control is WHERE they go. As I noted during our discussions, Linn County Detention is by far the finest program in the state. Obviously, we would rather that kids not end up in detention, but if they must go, we’d prefer to have them in Linn County. Not only is it better service, but because it is nearby, family members, attorneys, and Juvenile Court Officers have easy access.
So, how have things gone since July 1? I ran the numbers between July 1 and December 26, so not quite half the year, but extremely close. During that 178-day window, Johnson County juveniles spent 1153 nights in detention. That amounts to an average of 7.34 beds per day. There was a total of zero days where there were less than 3 youth in detention.
Luckily, many of those days have been spent in Linn County. But far from all. So we continue to spend money to send our kids to worse services, farther from home. This was always a bad idea, and the numbers are backing it up.
I will continue to push for an increase in our contract with Linn County for the upcoming fiscal year.
*Love These Reps!
The General Election of 2022 saw two new State Representatives elected in Iowa City. Adam Zabner and Elinor Levin were both very young, and neither had held an elected office before. Concerns would have been justified.
Fast forward three years, and I am happy to report that Representatives Zabner and Levin are not only up to the task – they are excelling! Both are smart, curious, good listeners, and very hard working. Both have done everything one could hope for in a State Rep, and more.
There are small differences between their approaches, too. Representative Levin shows up at absolutely everything! If 4-5 people are meeting on a topic, she is there. I have long said that “Half the battle in politics is just showing up.” Elinor’s capacity for simply showing up is truly remarkable.
Zabner also shows up at many things, but is a bit more likely to go knock doors in Carroll, or Fort Dodge, or Burlington, or wherever Democrats are needed. He is also quickly becoming well-versed in the ways of the House, and already knows what levers to pull and when.
I will admit, early in the calendar in 2022, I was optimistic, but skeptical. I decided that both of these young candidates were going to have to prove themselves to me. So I am here to tell you today that they have both done that and so much more! I am really glad that Iowa City is represented by these two wonderful Representatives, and I hope they both stick with it a long, long time! Thank you Elinor and thank you Adam for providing us with truly outstanding representation! Please keep up the great work!
*Biggest Problem? DOJ!
There are so many things so deeply wrong with the Trump Administration, one might believe it is difficult to describe something as “worst.” In fact, I believe there is a “worst” in the Trump Administration that has affected literally everything else. In my opinion, the worst thing to happen during the Trump Administration has been the abdication of duty by the Justice Department.
If Attorney General Pam Bondi had taken her oath of office seriously, the US could be a very different place right now. In the recent past, the DOJ would never have allowed all the financial entanglements of Trump and his cabinet. The “gifted” Qatari jet. Tom Homan and a bag of cash. Kash Patel and Kristi Noem’s profligate spending of public money on personal things. Jared Kushner’s many dealings. All of it is illegal.
She has allowed the DOJ to be co-opted for political prosecutions of Trump’s enemies. She allowed Trump to extort money from businesses in the US and abroad, and allowed him to meddle in business mergers. All of it is illegal.
She has allowed the Administration to ignore court orders on immigration, the Epstein files, and more. Will she explain why Ghirline Maxwell has a cushy federal prison cell? No. Bondi has replaced attorneys who refuse to take illegal actions. All of it is illegal.
Bondi has pressured lower levels of government and private companies to back off DEI commitments. She has allowed illegal union busting. She has overseen the pardoning of all kinds of criminals, including those who killed police officers on January 6, 2021. She has enabled a system of buying pardons from the President. All of it is illegal.
We knew this was coming. Bondi dropped all Florida charges against Trump several years ago after he endorsed her reelection. He knew what he was buying.
We have different branches of government for a reason. It serves as a system of checks and balances. While the DOJ is under the Executive Branch, it, too, has long maintained an independence that served to protect the American people. No more.
There is much evil in the Trump Administration. They are the worst, most criminal Administration in American history. And the person who sold out the American people to the greatest extent ever is Attorney General Pam Bondi.
*Supervisor Salaries
There is typically some disagreement on the Board when it comes time to vote for our own salaries. Of all the Board members, I have been the most adamant that Supervisor salaries should grow slowly, if at all.
Let’s face it – Supervisor is a job that allows an individual a great deal of freedom. Supervisors come and go as they please. There is very little accountability. Most people would jump at that type of freedom – especially when it comes with $90,000 annually, IPERS, and good health insurance!
I have long been frustrated that there is so little accountability for Supervisors. No one really knows what we are doing, when, where, or why. Other than about 8-10 hours per week, a Supervisor can do whatever they see fit. I wish things were different. But that is the way things work.
Because of the lack of accountability and excellent compensation, I have always argued that Supervisor pay should increase slowly, if at all. And I am typically outvoted. So I must admit, I was a bit surprised by a recent discussion.
We had invited our two representatives to the Compensation Board to a work session. Chairperson Green asked the Board how we felt about raises for the upcoming year.
I spoke first. I noted that I expected a very difficult budget year. I said I did not expect the county to be able to give our employees the type of raises they had received the past few years. Given that, I suggested that the Board of Supervisors lead by example, and take no raise in the upcoming fiscal year.
There was no discussion. But one by one, all of my colleagues agreed. Board members will get no raise next fiscal year. I was very pleased by this outcome.
It is going to be a very tough year for local governments, folks. We know that already. The only question is *how* tough. I still think Supervisors need greater accountability, but I am glad we are going into budget discussions with at least a bit of moral high ground.
*DID YOU KNOW? What was the last county to relocate its courthouse from one city to another? The surprising answer - Linn. The Linn County seat was Marion from 1839 until 1919. However, the bond issue for the present Linn County Courthouse was not approved until 1923, and the county's records remained in Marion until completion of the courthouse in 1925. Source - Leroy G. Pratt, The Counties and Courthouses of Iowa (1977).
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:08 PM
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