Linn County supervisor to be appointed

CEDAR RAPIDS - The special committee formed to fill a soon-to-be vacant Linn County Board of Supervisors seat has opted to appoint the next county supervisor.

The committee voted Monday to fill the District 2 seat - which will be vacant after current Supervisor Linda Langston resigns April 15 - through appointment rather than special election. The committee consists of County Auditor Joel Miller, County Recorder Joan McCalmant and County Treasurer Sharon Gonzalez.

Miller said he felt appointing a supervisor was the most logical action, considering the term's length, the estimated $50,000 price tag for a special election and the more than one dozen people who spoke at Monday's meeting in favor of an appointment.

'I think the public has spoke on this,” Miller said. 'I think it would be a very confusing situation for the voters and we already have enough problems getting people out for elections.”

Linn County Assistant Attorney Gary Jarvis said the soonest possible date for a special election would have been July 5, a full month after the June 7 primary.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. April 18, and the committee must choose an appointee by May 25. Potential appointees need to be District 2 residents.

Of those who spoke at the meeting, almost all recommended Stacey Walker, who is running in the June 7 primary for the District 2 seat.

Sara Riley, who is working with Walker's campaign, said Walker is the most viable candidate for the job.

'I think he will be the Democratic nominee regardless of if you appoint him,” she said.

Riley was referencing Walker's current bid for Langston's seat, but for the next term, will be decided in the November election. Fellow Democrat and former Gazette employee Dick Hogan is facing Walker in the June 7 primary for that seat.

Hogan also spoke at the meeting and said he supports filling the seat through appointment, but is opposed to Walker or himself being considered. Hogan argued the appointee will then become an incumbent candidate.

'I do oppose appointing either one of us, who are candidates, I feel that gives the person a leg up over the other in people's eyes,” Hogan said.

Assistant Attorney Jarvis said the appointed supervisor will hold that seat from the date of appointment until about mid-November.

While appointment is the chosen course of action, a special election cannot be entirely ruled out. A petition with at least 1,739 verified signatures can still force a special election.

Langston announced Friday she was resigning from the five-member board on April 15 to become director of strategic relations with the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C., an organization she has been involved with for several years.

Langston originally intended to close out her term. Linn County Supervisors make about $106,000 a year.