In Linn District 5 supervisor race, it’s incumbent versus deputy auditor

CEDAR RAPIDS - One-term incumbent Linn County Supervisor John Harris and challenger Becky Shoop both emphasize their experience as they compete in the District 5 supervisor race.

Harris, of Palo, is retired from Rockwell Collins, where he worked for 38 years, the last 20 years as manager of commercial contracts with a team of eight to 10 employees. He served on the Palo City Council for some 15 years, four as mayor, and he now has served almost four years as supervisor.

Shoop, of rural Walker, has worked for Linn County for 39 years, most of those years in the Linn County Auditor's Office. She is deputy auditor responsible for the county's real estate matters, payroll and accounts payable.

Asked to name a top issue, Harris said it is controlling spending and taxes. Shoop said her key issue is figuring out the future of the county's Options program, the sheltered workshop and adult day care program that is under pressure from budget cuts from the federal and state governments and from a demand to better integrate clients into the community.

Harris said the Options issue is also a priority for him, and both he and Shoop said protecting May's Island, home to the county courthouse and jail, from future flooding also is at the top of the list.

But the candidates have disagreements.

Harris said the supervisor's job is a full-time one and deserves full-time pay. Shoop said that the current supervisors don't appear to work full time from what she sees from her position in the Auditor's Office or from what she sees in the supervisors' weekly activity reports. She promised to document her work hours and report back to the public if elected.

Supervisor District 5 includes most of Linn County except for Cedar Rapids, Marion, Central City and Bertram. Voters in Cedar Rapids and the three other cities don't vote in the District 5 race, though the District 5 supervisor votes on county matters related to the four cities.

By way of example, the current majority on the five-member Board of Supervisors has said it will contribute up to $250,000 for a world-class piece of public art as part of the renovation of Cedar Rapids's downtown Greene Square Park. In addition, the board is in the process of selling the county-owned historic Mott Building on the riverfront in Cedar Rapids with the idea of using the money from the sale for the park project.

Shoop doesn't want to contribute to the Cedar Rapids park project and wants the Mott Building proceeds to go into the county budget. Harris - who has said that more than half the property-tax revenue for Linn County government comes from Cedar Rapids property owners - said the county should buy lower-cost art for the park.

The candidates disagree, too, on the board's decision to demolish the county-owned building at Highway 13 and County Home Road that up until 13 months ago housed the Abbe Center for Community Care residential facility. It's now empty.

Shoop said the county should keep it and try to sell it. Harris said it will cost too much to renovate and save the building.

Shoop is a strong supporter of her boss, Auditor Joel Miller, who has had repeated run-ins with the supervisors in the past couple years.

Shoop said Harris and the other supervisors made the wrong decisions by taking over the job of facilities management from Miller's office and by shifting some information technology staff from Miller's oversight to the supervisors'.

Harris said the supervisors and Miller are getting along better than in the past, and he said he wasn't sure if Miller had 'mellowed,” if the supervisors had or if all of them had.

Shoop said the county should use equipment it installed in its renovated boardroom to videotape meetings. Harris said he favors videotaping if the board can find money to complete the equipment installation.

In 2010, Harris defeated then longtime incumbent Jim Houser in the District 5 race by 166 votes, 8,472 to 8,306.

The supervisor district boundaries changed for the 2012 election, and Houser now lives in District 1. He is the Democratic candidate in that race against Republican Dennis Petersen and Tom Podzimek, who is running as an independent.

Candidate Bios:

Becky Shoop

' Age: 57

' Political party: Democrat

' Hometown: Walker

' Occupation: Deputy auditor

' Previous political experience: None

' Highest Education: High school

John Harris

' Age: 61

' Political party: Republican

' Hometown: Palo

' Occupation: Incumbent

' Previous political experience: Palo City Council, mayor

' Highest Education: Some college