My Plan for Progress

The sun is shining, the spring air is still crisp from wintering over, and the buds are popping out on the magnolia outside my window. Fresh starts are everywhere and given the ramping up of this campaign season (hard to believe the June 2nd Democratic primary election is merely 8 weeks around the corner!), I'd like to offer a review of my Plan for Progress that is also available on my website and has been for months.

Let's call this 3 with V!

#1 Artificial Intelligence and Data Centers

One of the most pressing issues of our time is AI and the increasing pressure on counties to weigh the implications of data centers. Currently, our county has a moratorium in place on data centers while we research their environmental and economic impacts. I toured the Meta data center in Altoona last week with Supervisor Remington and our planning staff and was impressed with the size and scope of the facility and also the seemingly positive impacts that Altoona city staff expressed, such as investments in community programs and financial windfalls (in about 6 years, the school district will see an infusion of ~$20M every single year). That is certainly a benefit we can all appreciate. However, I will say that when pressed, no one was aware of any aquifer study that had been completed, only a reliance on the Iowa DNR to sign off on permitting.

• I am proposing a county-wide listening tour, where we share the information we have gathered and also ask for community input on the concerns and questions from our residents.

• From there, we will have a more robust understanding of our county's needs and desires and can make an informed decision about how we want to proceed with regard to data centers and AI, more generally.

#2 A Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Community Safety via Affordable Housing

Under Iowa Code 331.441 (2)b(10), the county can bond for essential purposes, and housing is an essential purpose noted in this section of the code. If we are asking the public to vote on a $99M new jail bond, then I think we should also commit to a $99M affordable housing bond. If we meet people's basic needs (and affordable, safe, and decent housing is a human right!), then we will have fewer people in the jail and emergency rooms. Thus, my goals are: 1) address the predatory practices that out-of-state manufactured housing park owners use to extract higher rents from our residents, who often have nowhere else to go; and 2) invest in the affordable housing solutions that our local experts offer.

• I propose that the County fill funding gaps for Shelter House and contribute a significant Permanent Supportive Housing investment to address the unhoused people in our county. From a community safety standpoint, housing people who are chronically unhoused is one of the simplest and easiest tangible investments we can make. If we look at the data, we know that housing unhoused people is a guaranteed way to decrease the revolving door of engagement that unhoused folx have with jail and hospital systems.

• We are currently looking at offering low- to no-interest loans to our smaller, rural towns to boost their ability to develop appropriately-sized housing developments that fit their community. This will be discussed in more detail in May of this year and I am looking forward to the opportunity to help our rural towns build affordable housing.

• I have many more ideas but I also want to make sure that our affordable housing experts, both professionals and those with lived experience, have an opportunity to chart this course with us.

#3 A County Manager System of Governance

We have reached the point of growth that I believe warrants looking at creating a County Manager-style of governance. This position would manage the administrative functions of the county and streamline many of our functions. Currently, there are five Supervisors and it takes three of us in agreement for department directors to make decisions. Can you imagine having 5 bosses and needing to get 3 on board with your issue/idea to get it passed? It's an inefficient use of your tax dollars. Additionally, we are responsible for overseeing the budgets of 16 departments and I spend much of my time helping our HR department manage department directors or department directors managing staff. While I find this work to be very rewarding because our staff are vital to the work that is done in Johnson County, it often means that I am not able to attend to the political and policy aspects of this role. 

• Penciling this out to maintain a responsible budget, County Supervisors would need to take a 15-20% reduction in pay to account for a new position and potentially provide us with a part-time policy analyst position to keep up with the policy tasks we would undertake in earnest.​

• Currently, there are only 2 counties in Iowa that have this type of governance structure: Scott County and Polk County.

• I am currently on the county's Budget Assistance in Preparation Committee, and we are tasked with developing recommendations to review our financial policies, increase efficiency, and discuss current salary ranges.

I am always interested in investigating new ideas while managing our tax payer dollars responsibly. Yes, I have a bold vision, but it is one that is aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive Johnson County.

Please join me in this vision! I need your help to maintain my seat at the table this June. If you haven't already signed up to volunteer, here is the link: https://www.vfo4joco.com/volunteer

We host Get Out The Vote for V (or GOTVV) parties every Wednesday from 6-8pm and door knocking shifts Saturdays and Sundays from 1-3pm. I would love to see you there!!

Thank you to everyone who has opened their homes to me and my campaign!