5 Democrats run for 3 Johnson County supervisor seats

Five candidates — all Democrats and three of them incumbents — are running for three at-large seats this spring on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

Early voting is underway for the primary election, which will be held June 4. No Republicans or other candidates have petitioned to get on the ballot for the supervisor election, but could until late August to run in the November general election.

Johnson County supervisors are paid about $90,000 a year and serve four-year terms. With three seats up for election, the majority of the five-member board faces county voters this year.

Bob Conrad

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Conrad, 54, of Iowa City, works as a trooper and public resource officer for the Iowa State Patrol. He does not have elected experience in government, but has been elected to multiple union positions.

Conrad said he believes among the biggest issues the county are the need for more affordable housing and better public transportation.

“I have a background in some project management stuff, and I did sit on planning and zoning for while. I see a few areas where I think we can work and get that affordable housing piece remedied. Now, is it going to be remedied right away? No. But we’re going to have to try some things,” he said.

Conrad also said he wants to focus more on transparency in county government and providing community members more opportunities to have input on what happens in the county. He said he has been reaching out to leaders from community groups and making an effort to create an atmosphere of trust, and he plans to do more outreach if elected.

Funding is also a concern for Conrad, who said he wants to ensure that county money and one-time grants are being used in a sustainable way so there aren’t programs that have to stop being funded in the future.

“It’s about what helps the majority of people. Where are the needs? What are the people that are underserved in the community? Where can we make the biggest impact?” Conrad asked.

Lisa Green-Douglass

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Incumbent Green-Douglass, 65, of near North Liberty, has been serving on the Board of Supervisors since 2016, when she was chosen in a special election. She was reelected for a full term in 2016, and again in 2020.

Green-Douglass said the biggest difficulty she sees facing the county is determining how best to adjust to a growing population.

“It’s both an opportunity and a challenge,” Green-Douglass said. “When we talk about managing growth effectively, I mean that we need to make sure that we do that both economically and environmentally.”

She said that growth management includes things like using land efficiently, creating a strong transportation infrastructure and ensuring there are enough jobs — and that those jobs are adequate to afford housing and necessities.

“We have to just be on top of it always,” she said. “If you call it problem, it’s a good problem to have.”

Green-Douglass said her funding priorities start with basic requirements, like paying county staff, ensuring necessary maintenance happens on roads and covering essential services, like ambulance and social services.

When it comes to making decisions about spending the public’s money and county resources, Green-Douglass said wants to hear research and information presented by subject-matter experts in addition to turning to community members for input.

“We will certainly listen to input that we get from the public and concerns because that might change the direction of something or the timing or the placement of a project that we’re considering,” Green-Douglass said. “But they aren’t the experts. It’s a combination of public input, when appropriate, and research.”

Royceann Porter

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Incumbent Porter, 58, of Iowa City, was first elected as a Johnson County supervisor in a special election in 2018. Porter didn’t have elected experience before becoming a supervisor.

She has served in several community roles in and out of Johnson County, including serving as the vice chair of the National Association of Counties.

“I want people to know that my services extend beyond the supervisory role. My extensive involvement in various committees and organizations underscores my commitment to addressing pressing issues facing the community,” she said.

Affordable housing, accessible mental health services and environmental sustainability are the biggest issues that Porter sees facing the county. She said affordable housing is something that she gives significant weight to when determining funding priorities.

“The county grapples with a shortage of affordable housing options, leading to housing insecurity and homelessness for many residents. Rising housing costs and limited availability pose significant challenges for low-income families and individuals,” Porter said.

Porter said she makes an effort to go out into the community to connect with constituents so she can advocate for their needs.

“I need everybody to know what I do. I’m not just a supervisor. I need people to know that I do the work,” Porter said.

Mandi Remington

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Remington, 41, of Iowa City, works at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics as a medical record and guardianship clerk for the Center for Disabilities and Development. She does not have elected experience, but she has leadership experience from volunteering on city boards and university committees.

Remington is the founder and director of Corridor Community Action Network, an online community that encourages members to connect with nonprofits and promotes service and support opportunities. She said she has learned to research issues by talking to experts and connecting with community members in productive ways.

“I have spent the last five-plus year organizing and doing a lot of different advocacy work with organizations across the state that serve us here in Johnson County. They each have a different specialty, a different area of expertise, and a different population that they work with,” Remington said.

Remington said affordable housing is one of her biggest concerns for Johnson County, as well as things like food insecurity and civil rights. She said ensuring that the basic needs are met and that residents feel safe would be her main funding priorities.

“We also have a lot of laws that are coming down from the state Legislature that are threatening folks’ civil rights, and I believe that the county needs to do everything they can to mitigate that,” Remington said.

Rod Sullivan

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Incumbent Sullivan, 58, of Iowa City, has been a county supervisor since 2004. Before that, he was a social worker.

The main priorities Sullivan said he wants to address in the county if reelected are mental health, affordable housing and climate change.

“It’s always a challenge, because even though those might be the top three concerns I have, there are little hundreds of other concerns, and literally thousands of other things, that have to be paid for day to day,” Sullivan said.

“You just have to try to weigh it all and prioritize as best you can, and try to not let anything go, while increasing attention in certain areas.”

Connecting with Johnson County residents is important, Sullivan said. Since he started as supervisor 20 years ago, he’s sent out a weekly email newsletter to anyone who signs up. He includes his own opinions and his contact information in the email for feedback.

He also said he tries to connect with experts while researching issues, so that he can be sure to represent the public effectively.

“We literally have nationally recognized experts in almost every field right here in our county. It’s important to talk to people who really know the subject matter, and I always try to do that,” Sullivan said.

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com