For Linn County Supervisor: Barron

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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The race in Linn County Board of Supervisors District 1 pits Democratic incumbent Lu Barron, a 14-year veteran on the board, against Republican Dennis Peterson, a Cedar Rapids Realtor. We think Barron's broad experience and active role in flood recovery and economic development efforts makes her the best choice.

We believe Barron's goals for her next term are in line with the needs of the county and its communities.

Barron said she will push for state acceptance of a plan to allow Linn County to keep at least a portion of future state sales tax growth collected locally to pay for flood mitigation efforts. Although the focus has been on flood protection in central Cedar Rapids, Barron contends that some of the money could also be used to better protect Palo and other areas around the county.

Barron wants to focus on improving the quality and efficiency of the delivery of human services in the county. She's committed to addressing important quality of life issues, such as parks and trails, and has been a key figure in the push to complete Highway 100. She expressed a desire to find ways to cooperate more with the city of Cedar Rapids, which could be key to the success of projects benefiting citizens county wide.