Linn County prepares to redistrict before Board of Supervisors shrinks to three

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Linn County Board of Supervisors appears poised to stick with the county's existing representation plan as preparations begin to shrink the board from five members to three.

Supervisors this week appointed a five-member temporary redistricting commission tasked with dividing the county - currently separated into five supervisor districts - into three districts.

The move comes after residents, in November, voted to reduce the board's size. Commission members are Ray Dochterman, Cindy Golding, Sarah Halbrook, Dave Mahachek and Nate Willems, according to a news release.

Per Iowa Code, the commission must draft new supervisor districts by Dec. 15, unless a valid petition is filed by June 1 calling for a public vote on the county's representation plan. So far, no petition has been filed.

Under the current representation plan, voters in each district select a supervisor who lives in that district.

Another option would be for voters countywide to pick supervisors who must live within designated districts and a third plan would see at-large supervisors elected by voters countywide - doing away with designated districts within the county.

Residents pushing for a reduction in the number of supervisors targeted their wages - the county's supervisors, as well as the county auditor, recorder and treasurer, all are earning $103,888 this year. They argued a smaller board would save money.

Supporters of maintaining a five-member board said more supervisors offer more government representation to rural residents.

In the end, the resolution to shrink the board from five to three supervisors passed by fewer than 2,000 votes.

In November 2018, voters will select three supervisors who will take office January 2, 2019.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com