Q&A with Linn County Supervisor District 2 candidate Ben Rogers

Ben Rogers, 42, of Cedar Rapids, is seeking re-election to the District 2 seat to remain on the three-person Board of Supervisors. Rogers, a Democrat first elected to the board in 2009, faces Republican Brett Mason in the Linn County Board of Supervisors District 2 race in the Nov. 8 general election.

We posed a set of questions about the office to all of the Supervisor candidates. Below is the transcript of Rogers’ answers. Polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

What do you think are the three most important issues the county is facing? What would you do to address them?

Rogers: 1) Expanding Mental Health Services I led the creation of Linn County’s new Mental Health Access Center to ensure individuals who are experiencing a crisis related to their mental health and substance use disorder receive timely, appropriate, and accessible mental health services. 2) Fiscal responsibility and discipline Your county tax rate is lower today than when I started in 2009. I’ll ensure that your hard-earned tax dollars are used efficiently, appropriately, and judiciously. 3) Being prepared for the next natural disaster and pandemic I am the only candidate for Supervisor who has experience dealing with the aftermath, recovery, and rebuilding efforts after a natural disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do you support the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines? Why or why not?

Rogers: No. I am against the use of the eminent domain for private companies to utilize public lands or require the use of unwilling private landowners without a clearly understood public good. I don’t believe these carbon pipelines meet the public good threshold and should not be constructed using eminent domain to force landowners to give up sections of their land. For context, the Iowa Utilities Board is the regulating agency that can impose eminent domain for the construction of CO2 pipelines. Counties are severely limited in altering or stopping pipelines running through our county borders.

If you’re forced to cut the county’s budget, where do you look for savings? Why?

Rogers: Your county tax rate is lower today than when I started in 2009. This means reviewing programs regularly to determine their impact on the community and requiring both department heads and elected officials to create Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are the key indicators of progress toward an intended result. KPIs provide a focus for strategic and operational improvement, create an analytical basis for decision-making, and help focus attention on what matters most. If forced to cut the county budget, I would prioritize reviewing non-mandated services first, review each program based on their KPIs, elevate the value each service provides, and if the service can be provided by local non-profit service providers or the private sector.

How well does the county work with other government entities within the county today (i.e. City of Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Schools). Would joint meetings between governing bodies help or do you have other ideas to improve the working relationship?

Rogers: Linn County has partnered with the cities of Marion and Cedar Rapids on the future of the landfill which is scheduled to close in 2044. Linn County partnered with area municipalities on Covid-19 strategies and response, funding area economic development organizations, and investing in smaller community’s infrastructure projects Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids have partnered together on creating a cold weather overflow shelter for the homeless, investments in affordable housing initiatives, aligned legislative priorities at the state and federal levels, and collaborating on maximizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Joint meetings are always encouraged, and both city and county governments must continue to partner together for the betterment of the entire community.

How would you assess the long-term planning and vision of the county? Are there areas that you think should be planned for?

Rogers: Linn County plays a significant role in creating long-term planning goals and objectives while also focusing on day-to-day challenges. For instance, Linn County rebuilt our flood-impacted infrastructures to be more resilient to future natural disasters and with greater emphasis on energy efficiency. Linn County is also creating an urban-agricultural development at Dow's on Mount Vernon Road and utilized our comprehensive land use plan to help rezone two utility-scale solar arrays in Linn County which will create both renewable energy and economic development opportunities. Linn County is currently planning with the Solid Waste Agency, Cedar Rapids, and Marion on creating alternatives for municipal solid waste after the landfill is scheduled to close in 2044.

There's been conversation about the number of Supervisors (5 members or 3 members). How many Supervisors are necessary and why?

Rogers: I have the unique perspective of being elected to the Board of Supervisors when it expanded from 3 to 5 in 2009 and when it was reduced to three members in 2016. The velocity, complexity, and sheer number of issues facing Linn County continue to increase, especially since the pandemic and Derecho. Linn County is the second largest county in Iowa and the only urban county with a three-member board. Linn County join three-member Board of Supervisors like Sac County (population: 9,814), Mills County (population: 14,484), Hamilton County (population: 15,039) and Jefferson County (population: 15,663). It makes sense for small rural counties to have only three Supervisors but not for the size of our community.

When it comes to mental health, what do you see as major needs for Linn County? What does the county need in mental health resources and what should it do to encourage people to seek those services?

Rogers: I often refer to Linn County as the “safety net for the safety net” because we are responsible for providing critical human and social services. Mental health is an issue that is personal to me and that is why I helped to regionalize mental health services and set the vision for and created Linn County’s Mental Health Access Center. This service assists those who are experiencing a crisis due to their mental health and substance use disorder to receive more timely and appropriate services rather than going to a hospital emergency room or jail. The Mental Health Access Center has saved lives, provides cost effect services, and is supported by law enforcement, hospitals, ambulance services, and non-profit service providers.

What should the county's role be when it comes to affordable housing programs? Should there be partnerships with cities and other organizations? What other programs could the county implement to assist residents in need?

Rogers: I am proud to have supported affordable housing in Linn County by using federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act and will continue to advocate increasing the number of housing options for individuals and families in need of housing. However, we cannot build our way out of this problem and landlords need to be central to this conversation. I am in favor of creating a private-public partnership that could create incentives for landlords to rent property to high-needs or high-barrier individuals and families due to their criminal history, past evictions, or inability to afford a security deposit. The main concern of landlords is the destruction of their property, and a program of this kind could help offset damages to their property if they rent to high-risk renters.

County supervisors have recently approved two large solar energy projects. Do you agree with this approval? Why or why not? How would you weigh the nearby property owners rights against larger benefit if asked to vote on a future development?

Rogers: I have voted in favor of two utility-scale solar farms in Coggon and Palo, Iowa because Linn County can be a leader in producing renewable energy, attracting new businesses, and allowing farmers to exercise their property rights to harvest energy from solar panels instead of harvesting corn which is produced into ethanol. These large-scale arrays require a lot of agricultural land and farmers enter into voluntary agreements with a utility company and are compensated for up to 30 years. When the project comes to completion and is decommissioned, the land is returned to its native condition with improved soil conditions. This is a win-win for farmers, the community, and addressing the very real threat of climate change.

Should Linn County financially support the City of Cedar Rapids flood control system? Why or why not?

Rogers: The city of Cedar Rapids adopted a plan to raise local property taxes by $200 million for the next ten years to fund westside flood protection. Linn County has also invested in conservation efforts to purchase flood plain land in the Cedar River greenbelt area to allow the river to flood naturally upstream and investments in protecting the courthouse and jail on May’s Island.