Former Supervisor Brent Oleson running for Linn County treasurer

CEDAR RAPIDS — Former Linn County Supervisor and current county employee Brent Oleson is running for public office again, this time for Linn County treasurer.

His announcement comes after current treasurer, Sharon Gonzalez, said she is retiring when her term ends this year.

Oleson, 51, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2008 and re-elected in 2012 and 2016. He currently works as the county’s deputy director of public policy and community relations.

“The treasurer is one of the first offices you see when you come into our building and has the most interaction with the public for county business with over 100,000 people in the building each year,” Oleson said. “I’d like to bring some transformational aspects to the office and help bring it into a frictionless digital age.”

Oleson, a former Republican-turned-Democrat, announced in August 2020 he would not seek re-election as a supervisor. He said he’d initially planned to serve only two terms when elected in 2008, but opted to run for a third term to continue advancing county conservation projects and programs.

“During my last term, it became apparent that I needed to think about my future career as I was already serving more than my initial pledge of eight years, and I could always find another reason to stay just one more term to accomplish yet another significant project,” Oleson said after starting his county policy job in January 2021.

In that job — which pays $81,764 a year — Oleson helps the county engage with cities, economic development groups, chambers of commerce and social service agencies in the county.

Oleson also serves on the Linn County Conservation Board, a role he plans to continue if elected treasurer.

Oleson, who has a law degree from the University of Iowa, said he left the supervisor’s job because he doesn’t believe “in staying in a position forever.”

“Since college, I’ve practiced law, I’ve worked for the state of Iowa at the Capitol and as an attorney taking on juvenile justice cases and now as a county employee who does public policy,” Oleson said. “I’ve had a career of serving the public in various ways so I don’t think it’s totally out of left field to serve the citizens in this (treasurer) capacity.”

Oleson said his main goal, if elected, would be to make it so that the 100,000 residents who come into the Treasurer’s Office each year — to register vehicles and titles, for example — no longer would have to visit in person.

“That’s an average of 300 to 400 per day. I’d like to partner with the Iowa DOT and other treasurers in the state to get a new technology package that moves us into the era of PayPal and Square and other payment services that disrupt the old ways of walking into your bank and writing a check,” Oleson said. “I don’t see that in the government.”

The treasurer’s job currently pays $119,198 per year.

Gonzalez: ‘Retirement won’

Gonzalez, 61, has been county treasurer since 2010 and a county employee since 1979.

“I made my mind up long ago that I would never leave the office mid-term so I had to make a decision whether to run for office for the fourth time or retire at the age of 62,” Gonzalez said. “Retirement won.”

Gonzalez’s first job with the county was as a renewal clerk. She then worked as a title clerk and became deputy treasurer in 1986 under then-Treasurer Michael Stevenson. When he retired in 2010, Gonzalez ran for the job as a Democrat and won.

She now has a staff of 33 and four deputies.

“When I think back to 1979 and how business was conducted then and fast forward to today and what we are able to accomplish, it’s a bit mind-boggling,” Gonzalez said. “The last 12 years hold a special place in my heart because I was elected by my peers to lead this office.”

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