Supervisor Ben Rogers announces run for another term

CEDAR RAPIDS - Supervisor Ben Rogers has announced his plans to seek another term on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Rogers, 38, said in a Wednesday news release, that he hopes to continue to address county needs on issues like mental health and local government's relationship with the public.

'I am running for re-election to ensure people with mental health and disability challenges have a strong voice and champion on the Board, continue to implement proven business principles to make county operations more efficient and effective and be responsible with your hard-earned tax dollars. I am proud that your taxes are lower today than when I was first elected,” Rogers said in the release.

Rogers noted his effort earlier this year to dedicate $3.5 million to the creation of a county behavioral health access center as one recent success. The center will serve people with substance abuse and mental health issues while also diverting them from hospital emergency rooms or jail.

In addition, Rogers has taken the lead in implementing Linn County's Customer-Centered Culture initiative, which aims to improve how Linn County provides services and build better customer expectations and experiences with county government, the release states.

Rogers, a Democrat, was first elected to the board in 2008, when the board expanded from three members to five.

He was re-elected in 2012 and 2016, but with the board set to reduce from five members to three at the end of the year, all supervisor seats are up for vote this November.

Following redistricting for three supervisors, which was approved late last year by the state, Rogers will run in District 2. That district includes all precincts in the North East side of Cedar Rapids, the cities of Hiawatha, Robins and Monroe Townships 1 and 2.

So far, no other Democrat has announced plans to run for the District 2 seat. Current Auditor Joel Miller has been exploring a run for supervisor this fall, but late last year he changed his party affiliation to 'no party.”

Current Supervisors Stacey Walker and Jim Houser earlier this year announced plans to seek another term on the board. Both reside in the new District 1 and will face each other in the June primary.

Earlier this year in a blind drawing, District 1 and District 2 were selected for four-year terms and District 3 will see a two-year term. The District 3 vote in 2020 will be for a standard four-year term. The end result will maintain the county's staggered term limits for supervisors after the 2018 election.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com