Johnson County to hold special election to fill supervisor seat

IOWA CITY - Johnson County will hold a special election Jan. 19 to fill the seat of Terrence Neuzil, who resigned from the Board of Supervisors last month to take a job in Michigan.

County Auditor Travis Weipert and Recorder Kim Painter voted in favor of the special election, with Treasurer Tom Kriz opposing it. The other option would have been the three officials appointing someone to serve out Neuzil's term, set to expire Dec. 31, 2016.

'Johnson County has been a county that wants to have elections,” Painter said. 'To me, it's the most lively process at our disposal.”

Weipert said he preferred a speedy special election so it doesn't interfere with his office's administration of the Iowa caucuses Feb. 1. He estimated the cost of a vote could be as low as $15,000 or $20,000 if the county limits the number of satellite voting sites.

Several people spoke at Wednesday's meeting in favor of appointing a new supervisor rather than calling a special election.

'The calendar argues for an appointment,” said Tom Carsner, of Iowa City. 'You've got our caucus Feb. 1, then a special election right before or right after. You subtract from the caucus and make it very difficult for candidates to get their message out.”

Carsner argued if county officials appointed a new supervisor, people who didn't like the choice could gather the required 5,296 signatures needed to petition for a special election.

Lisa Green-Douglass, of North Liberty, who lost the June 2014 Democratic board primary, said she wanted an election despite the cost.

'The taxpayers have a right to have a say in that,” she said. 'Democracy costs money.”

County Democrats and Republicans will choose their special election candidates by convention, but other candidates with at least 250 signatures may petition to be on the ballot.

Incumbents often have an edge in an election, Kriz said, which means whoever voters choose to complete Neuzil's term may be re-elected next year. County primaries are held in June.

Neuzil, who served on the board since 2001, said last month he accepted a county administrator position in Kalamazoo, Mich.

l Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com