JOCO supervisor contributed much

Larry Meyers may have been elected on the wave of a single issue, but the vice chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors was anything but a one-note representative.

Even as he battled the cancer that lead to his death on Tuesday, Meyers, 58, of Solon, continued to serve Johnson County residents well on many important issues.

Meyers beat incumbent Mike Lehman in the 2006 Democratic primary and went on to win a seat as supervisor, largely because of his opposition to a controversial plan to upgrade a rural road northeast of Iowa City.

Meyers and other Newport Road residents said that project would destroy the area's rural character. His election led to the proposal's defeat.

“People say this is a `not-in-my-backyard' issue,” Meyers said while he was running for the seat. “Well, where can you have an opinion if not in your own backyard?”

Yet once the Newport Road issue was put to rest, Meyers continued to work for all Johnson County residents.

He served on boards and committees as varied as the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Housing Task Force, the Juvenile Justice Youth Development Program and others.

Meyers, a contractor by trade, brought his understanding of construction to bear on projects like the new county Health and Human Services Building. In less than one term, he earned the respect of his colleagues, county staff and residents.

He will be missed.