Letter: Vote to keep five supervisors

Residents of Linn County have an important vote on the ballot this election; the vote off reducing five supervisors to three.

Limiting the power of decisions for our county to three, is reducing representation for the residents of Linn County. I am not sure what kind of agenda is behind this vote. Why a backward move, when we have other counties moving toward five supervisors with Polk, Johnson and Story counties having five with similar demographics?

Linn County is the second most populated county in Iowa with tremendous growth not only in the Cedar Rapids, but with unbelievable growth in the surrounding communities. We need to retain five supervisors for discussion from different viewpoints and then a solution, which takes into account the needs and safety of all residents of Linn County.

With a budget of $107 million, 14 departments to oversee, miles of roads to maintain, and multiple facilities and property to maintain, I would rather see more than a few supervisors making the decisions that involve this much responsibility.

I regularly attend one, if not two, county supervisor meetings weekly to hear Linn County residents' concerns and questions along with supervisor discussions and voting. I believe the residents of this county deserve more than three individuals to make decisions that affect our communities, the lifestyle and safety issues that pertain to raising our families.

Will the voice of our outlying communities be heard with three supervisors? Vote to keep five.

Mark A. Banowetz

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