Linn County leader touts responsible budget, collaboration

CEDAR RAPIDS — A mix of fiscally responsible budgeting and community collaboration has set Linn County up for success in the year to come, Supervisor Brandy Z. Meisheid projected Thursday during the annual State of the County address.

Meisheid presented the address at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, where she showcased the county government’s achievements from the past year and the additional investments on the horizon.

“It’s not just about policy. It’s about people serving people and neighbors looking out for neighbors,” said Meisheid, chair of the three-person Linn County Board of Supervisors. “When we invest in our team, support common sense solutions and stay focused on the fundamentals, we end up right where we’re supposed to be.”

In her speech, Meisheid outlined the recent approval of the county’s fiscal 2026 budget under which the countywide levy rate is set to decrease by a cent and the rural rate will drop by 3 cents in fiscal 2026, which starts July 1.

The budget was crafted after a series of public meetings and collaboration between county staff and residents to balance the need for ongoing programs with the imperative for fiscal responsibility, she said.

One penny marks a small decrease in the tax levy, she said, but it still marks a “step in the right direction.”

“In local government, it’s often the unexpected paths that lead to some of the best solutions,” Meisheid said. “Sometimes it’s the unexpected routes that spark innovation — whether it’s a smarter policy, more responsive services or simply learning new ways to serve our communities.”

  Buy Photo

Meisheid highlights outdoor, agricultural advancements

Meisheid — a Republican who represents the majority of rural Linn County on the board — spoke Thursday on the various steps the county has taken over the past year to improve services for its rural residents.

She noted the Jan. 1 change to no longer require landowners to dedicate active farmland for right of way upon subdivision, a move meant to minimize agricultural disruption upon land transfer.

She also highlighted the county’s new Linn County Secondary Road Department shop near Palo and the ongoing construction of the department’s $19 million headquarters building near Highway 13 and County Home Road.

The department is responsible for the maintenance of 259 bridges and approximately 1,147 miles of Linn County roads — roughly 68 percent of which are rock-surfaced.

The new headquarters building is expected to extend the life of the county’s road equipment by providing indoor storage space and an indoor wash bay where crews can remove corrosive salt and sand from the trucks in the winter months.

“These are not just construction projects,” Meisheid said. “They are thoughtful, future-focused investments designed to deliver lasting value and dependable service to Linn County residents for decades to come.”

She also noted several recent additions to the Linn County parks system, including recent improvements to the Cedar Valley Nature Trail that follows an old railroad line between Hiawatha and Evansdale.

The trail is jointly managed by the Linn and Black Hawk county conservation boards. Work on the trail began over 40 years ago, and officials last fall marked paving completion to improve accessibility for residents of all ability levels.

“Residents and visitors of all ages and abilities use that trail every day to improve their physical and mental well-being,” Meisheid said. “It’s a testament to the dedication and teamwork that can turn even the most ambitious ideas into reality.”

She went on to highlight future investments into outdoor recreation, such as the upcoming addition of a new campground and cabins at Pinicon Ridge Park and the ongoing construction of a new event center at Morgan Creek Park.

Mental health access center set to grow

Meisheid also took the opportunity Thursday to recognize the continued success of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center, which this year celebrated its fourth anniversary. The 24/7 center offers mental health and substance abuse crisis services at 501 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids.

In 2024, Meisheid said, the center saw a continued increase in both walk-in traffic and referrals from police departments and emergency services.

  Buy Photo

That trend was hastened in part by the passage of a 2024 state law that allowed ambulances to be used to transport people experiencing a mental health crisis directly to an access center, Meisheid noted.

The bill also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse for the service at rates similar to transportation to hospital emergency departments.

“As more people learn about the access center and the services it provides and as those services continue to expand, the (Linn County Mental Health) Access Center continues to grow in both reach and impact,” Meisheid said.

The access center this year is expected to take its next steps to expand those services, Meisheid added, through the opening of the state’s first community-based withdrawal management program.

The center now is awaiting its state license to move forward with the program, which is meant to provide medical and psychological care for people experiencing symptoms of withdrawal after substance abuse.

The program would be the first in the state to be attached to a mental health crisis center, as most withdrawal management programs are carried out by substance use-specific agencies. It would expand on the existing sobering services already offered at the center.

This program “is a bold step forward in building a compassionate, accessible behavioral health system, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team that is making it happen,” Meisheid said.

Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com