Choose openness in picking a supervisor

After 16 years on the Linn County Board of Supervisors, Ben Rogers is leaving as of April 1 to take a job with Unity Point Health — St. Luke’s Foundation.

Rogers expertise on several issues, but most prominently mental health care, will be missed. He served during big changes in the way mental health care is delivered in Iowa, from traditional county-based care to regional delivery and now to state-funded care. He was among the catalysts who pushed to create the Linn County Menta Health Access Center.

Now attention turns to finding Rogers’ replacement. A committee made up of Linn County Auditor Todd Taylor, Recorder Carolyn Siebrecht, and Treasurer Brent Oleson recently decided the county would appoint a new supervisor rather than hold a special election county officials say would cost $100,000.

Generally, our default position is to have an election. There’s still time for county residents to press tor a vote. But if that doesn’t happen, we want to see an appointment process that is transparent and provides information to the public on how the decision is being made.

Public notice of the appointment process was published in Wednesday’s Gazette. That opens a two-week window If residents can collect 4,125 signatures in District 2, which includes southeast and northeast Cedar Rapids, as well as a portion of Hiawatha by March 12, the choice would go to voters.

If a special election hasn’t been called for, the committee set an application deadline for March 21. An appointment can’t be made until after Rogers resigns on April 1. And when an applicant is chosen, another 14-day window opens to petition for an election.

So, election backers will have two chances to demand a vote.

Taylor said this week that interviews with applicants will be done in public. But one unanswered question is whether the public will have access to the entire list of applicants, not just the ones being interviewed. Knowing who didn’t make the cut is important information that should be public.

A recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling found that Scott County violated the law by refusing requests to see the whole list of applicants for an empty county supervisor seat.

Todd said he’s aware of the ruling and wants to comply. He said it’s an issue that will be taken up by the committee.

We urge county officials to release the whole list.

Iowa lawmakers will be watching. A bill in the Iowa House, HF 127, contains a provision that would prohibit large counties such as Linn County from filling an empty supervisor seat through appointment.

So, many eyes will be watching how this unfolds. And they should be able to see every aspect of the application process.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com