Johnson County supervisors ask Gov. Reynolds to veto bill requiring district elections

IOWA CITY — The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is asking Gov. Kim Reynolds to veto a bill passed by the Iowa Legislature that would require the three Iowa counties that house a public university to elect county supervisors by districts, not at-large.

Proponents of Senate File 75 say it’s needed to give more voice to rural Iowans in counties where college students are eligible to vote.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors said the bill targeting Johnson, Story and Black Hawk counties is unfair when it does not require other counties with large urban populations, such as Polk, Linn and Scott, to hold single-member district elections — although Polk and Linn do so now. An earlier version of the bill would also have applied to large counties.

“This inconsistency is not just troubling, it is unjust. It undermines the foundational principle that all Iowans deserve equal treatment under the law. Selectively rewriting the rules for only three counties is not reform. It’s targeted interference,” the letter states.

The governor’s office did not immediately comment on the letter.

Currently, Iowa county supervisors can be elected three ways, including countywide by district; at-large countywide without district residence requirements for members; or equal-population districts in which voters of each district elect a single member.

Johnson County uses the at-large system to elect its five supervisors, all of whom are Democrats.

“These are not just university towns; they are communities with working families, farmers, small businesses, and long-standing traditions of civic participation. No matter how it is framed, this bill singles out counties that happen to elect local leaders who reflect the views of their diverse constituencies. That’s not democracy in service to all, it’s policymaking designed to produce different electoral outcomes,” the letter says.

The letter argues the bill goes against the principles of Iowa’s Constitution by not allowing counties to govern themselves when there is no clear statewide law in play.

“As Governor, the expectation is clear: to uphold the Constitution, to reject discrimination in legislation, and to ensure governance is even-handed for all 99 counties, not just the politically convenient ones. We urge you to veto Senate File 75 and prevent a precedent that fractures the trust between state and local government,” the letter says.

Read the full letter here.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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