March 19, 2024

Supervisors candidates express vision

With two incumbents vying to keep their seat and a new face trying to make waves, the three candidates for the two open seats on the Jasper County Board of Supervisors agreed on many issues, but vastly disagreed on some key local issues.

All three candidates rode with the horse that got them to Thursday’s Jasper County League of Women Voters Candidates forum by expressing the same goals and ideas they’ve pitched since the beginning of the race.

Jeremy Heaberlin continued his platform, if elected, of expanding the number of businesses in Jasper County, keeping costs and taxes low and setting one of the board’s weekly meetings at night and in a different locale around the county each month.

His fellow Republican and incumbent board member, Dennis Carpenter, spoke about how the current board has kept taxes flat for the last four years and about his belief in cutting costs from the county budget and running the county like a business.

Joe Brock — the lone Democrat and the current chairman of the board — was also in favor of running the county in a fiscally conservative manner as the current board has done. Brock would also like to keep the collaboration between county offices and departments intact, and continue his work in developing the county’s role within the Central Iowa Community Services Mental Health Region, which was created after a state mandate in 2013.

While the candidates expressed similar thoughts on a number of issues — and even complimented each other on the work the current board has done — one local issue that caused a divide was the prospect of future veteran memorials on the Jasper County Courthouse lawn.

“I’m personally in favor of extra bricks, because I missed getting my father on there,” Heaberlin said. “As far as additional memorials, if they’re done tastefully and are well-funded, I’m all for it.”

Both incumbents, Brock and Carpenter, weren’t as receptive.

“I think the problem that we are going to run into on the courthouse lawn is that there’s (only) just so much space available. I don’t know if we have the room. I’d have to see what the idea is and I haven’t seen anything on the expansion of it,” Brock said.

The courthouse currently has veterans memorials on the south and east sides of the courthouse.

“I think we’ve represented and honored the veterans quite well with what they’ve put up there. I’m not in favor of putting anymore stuff up there,” said Carpenter, who served in the National Guard for six years.

Another issue that caused a divide in responses was bike trails, in particular the Chichaqua Valley Trail, which is in need of more than $300,000 in repairs. The county originally made an agreement with the state in 1984 to maintain the trail, which begins in Baxter and extends into Polk County,  and has been operational since 1996.

Carpenter said he would honor the commitment and cited the work Keri Van Zante, Jasper County Conservation director, has done in finding grants for various needs.

“I’m in agreement with Denny, and I think that commitment should be honored,” Heaberlin said.

Brock said he thinks that it would be great to better maintain the county’s bike trails, and pointed out the recent plans to expand some of the trails. His concern, however, was with the cost.

“With a lot of it, it takes a lot of money. I know that trail up there is upwards of $300,000 to hard surface it. So it does turn into a matter of dollars, (on) whether we can do that or keep a gravel surface, it’s important,” Brock said.

All three candidates agreed the former Jasper County Care Facility southeast of Newton needs to be demolished. Carpenter and Brock would be interested in seeing it become a green space under the conservation office’s care, and Heaberlin expressed a desire to see it return to the county’s tax roll.

One issue that has sparked conversation at Newton City Council is the proposed franchise fee for electric and natural gas utilities. The monies collected would be used to support infrastructure improvements in the Newton.

All three candidates disagreed with the proposal, and Carpenter and Brock said the city’s plan could cost the county between $90,000 and $100,000 annually.

“ … You got about four things you can do — cut services, lay people off, go through your (department) budgets and possibly reduce by $91,000 but it’s going to put a hardship on us,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter added that it’s fortunate the current board recently implemented a geothermal system at the courthouse, which has produced a reduced cost in expenditures.

Brock chimed in saying he’s not judging the city for considering going down that path, however, he said he hopes it doesn’t cost the county $100,000.

Contact Ty Rushing at
641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or trushing@newtondailynews.com