Rural Linn County voters hope less means more

A decade ago the Linn County electorate voted to expand its county Board of Supervisors from three to five members in a bid to bring more rural voices to the table. On Tuesday, the majority of the county's voters - but especially those in rural areas - labeled the expansion a failed experiment.

According to unofficial results, which will be final in about a week, nearly 70 percent of the county's 86 precincts voted to shrink the board of five back to three.

We are not so sure that rural residents voted in their own best interest.

It was the cost of county government, and supervisors' salary in particular, that drove petitioners to place the issue on the ballot. It isn't difficult to find residents who believe many county officials are overpaid, but particular animosity exists toward the Board of Supervisors for agreeing to first cut and then increase its pay.

But voters declined on Tuesday to elect challengers who had vowed to work for lower salaries. Their choice to look for savings instead by eliminating two supervisors will come at a heavy price.

As we've argued before, reducing the number of supervisors almost certainly will lead to fewer rural and suburban residents elected to the board. But it was the 21 township precincts that generally comprise rural Linn County that were the most adamant in their support for a smaller board. Roughly 54 percent of these rural voters supported the change, compared to 50.5 percent of their urban counterparts.

In urban sectors, Marion stood out as a lone voice, with 51 percent of voters hoping to keep five members. Perhaps that's because in the decade since the board was expanded, Marion has reaped the rewards of representation - something the county's second-largest city never fully attained when the board was small.

But regardless of how Linn County arrived at this point, all county residents will soon find themselves with fewer people at the helm of government. And regardless of how districts are drawn, populous Cedar Rapids will once again decide who serves as a supervisor.

Rural Linn County will receive what its voters said they want. We're just not certain their decision will ensure they also get what they need.

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