NorthIowaToday.com

Founded in 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region

Op-ed: Chris Watts explains why he deserves your vote for County Supervisor

Chris Watts, Cerro Gordo County Supervisor candidate

The following is from Cerro Gordo County Supervisor candidate Chris Watts of Mason City –

Just wanted to take the time here and tell you again why I would appreciate your vote next Tuesday.

For the past 4.5 years, I’ve attended the Board of Supervisor meetings. I’m one of a few there EVERY week. It really boggled my mind how short the meetings were and the fact that there was no spot on the agenda for the general public to comment or ask questions.

They also have these meetings at 9:45 on Tuesday mornings when the average working person would be unable to attend. It has been my goal to see the meetings more user friendly and more transparent to the people that elected them.

I would also like to see them televised like our council meetings. Thanks to Matt and NIT, they are at least online for people to view now.

A bridge badly in need of repair near 230th Street and Spruce Avenue in Cerro Gordo county.

I travel our county roads everyday–for my job– and the surrounding counties adjoining us. It is with this day-to-day travel that I see roads and bridges that need work here in our County.

How is it that the other counties surrounding us are spending big dollars fixing theirs but not the “Metro County” in the region?

Very simple answer here. WIND ENERGY !!!

Mitchell County paved 31 more miles of roads last summer with TIF money -Tax Increment Financing- no cost to the taxpayers there. Generated by their wind farms.

Worth County put down over 50 miles of new roads-again utilizing TIF funding and Casino revenues. Another wind energy county!

Winnebago County has an 18 to 22 million dollar project utilizing TIF funding also. Over a 3 year period. Massive amounts of wind turbines here also.

Franklin County is fast approaching being a HUGE wind energy county as well.

Here in Cerro Gordo County–it’s been 13 years since we did anything with wind energy–located south of Ventura. What are we waiting for?

Well sources close to the current board say the wind energy funding is slowing down and may not be there.

MY answer to this is “that’s a lame excuse” for the past 13 years sitting on our hands. We could have and should have had the vision and leadership to pursue what are neighboring counties did. Granted you just can’t throw up wind turbines anywhere. But I’d be surprised if there was nowhere in our county that couldn’t have these.

A newer bridge in Cerro Gordo county with no guard rails.

We have more minimum maintenance roads-commonly called level B roads in our county than ever before. I’m attaching pictures and locations of several of these with this article. Look at the conditions of these? Than there is a newer culvert/bridge that went in the southern part of our County. As a few farmers stated to me, imagine snow and ice build-up on this and notice no rails on the side. Hit this and slide right off with a very sizable drop–no embankment–a drop!!!

Proof is in the pictures people.

We need to supply our Engineer with the funding to do what needs to be done.

Would you rather pay out of your pockets with increased taxes? Or take and use the TIF funding like our neighboring counties have?

Another Cerro Gordo county bridge in poor condition.

Good infrastructure brings new business. Time we work on ours. Heaven knows we could use more business. Not retail–but good paying jobs.

We lost the Target Distribution center. Where were we at?

We need to work more aggressively with our neighboring communities in the County.

We need to look at ways to regionalize more services with these communities and possible adjoining counties.

You know once upon a time there was the need for 99 counties in the horse and buggy days–but those days are gone. We need to look at what can we as neighbors do better!!

Where can we save money and NOT cut services.

Our Mental Health Services are doing this currently under Bob Lincoln’s direction.

I see where the current board is taking credit for something his people did.

Just like the Precinct Atlas program that over 50 counties in the state are using. The brain child of our own County Auditor and our MIS Dept. Come on guys–give the credit where credit’s due!!

Or the 800,000 dollars saved by re-doing the law enforcement bonds. The work here again was done by our own Heather Mathre–Budget Director with the Auditors office. She deserves the credit!!

I believe the staffing and employees of our county are exceptional. They deserve the benefits that full-time employees should get.

Which takes me to the next matter—why should our part time Supervisor’s get full-time benefits? Plus mileage reimbursement, IPERS, and $46,000.00 a year on top of that!

Best part time gig in the county folks!!

I said, when I announced I would run, that I believe in term limits. Whether doing good or bad after my time is up–I believe it’s time for new blood, new ideas. Any job after a period of time develops complacency. We have my opponent Phil finishing 3 terms currently-that’s 12 years. Personally, I have nothing against Phil. Nice guy-but he’s been there long enough. I would like the opportunity to better serve the people of Cerro Gordo county.

I also stated I would take no pay raise in that 4 year term. I currently have benefits with my current employer so I should not need. Cost savings right here. And would ask for a payroll deduction if I used any of the health benefits in the future. I do not expect the freebies accustomed to this office. As I mentioned in my mailing, Section 24.17 spells out where they can decline wage increases.

And Jay Syverson from The Iowa State Association of Counties stated 4-15-09, Regarding health insurance for elected officials–“PROVIDING HEALTH INSURANCE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW”

It’s just turned into a money grab venture. Here is a little known fact also. In the past 24 years, the Supervisor’s salary has gone from over $18,000.00 to the current $46,000.00 salary. You do the math, what percentage increase did you get in that time frame?

I was brought up in Eagle Grove and have lived here in Mason City for 31 years. I always thought when someone ran for an office it was because they had the passion to make things better–not for money and surely not as a career.

I’d like to see the Supervisors have a meeting in every community in our County. There are a lot of elderly people who just do not drive anymore. Give them a chance to have a voice. Maybe they have ideas that would help guide our County further. Any ideas are better than no ideas. This seems to be the case at the SHORT meetings I mentioned earlier. I hardly ever hear a new idea mentioned like I have here to you. What is with that! No more rubber stamp meetings please!

Oh and here’s a good one, they claim an 8 year freeze on property taxes. Have your property values changed? Mine went up!

Okay, I’m done. I just need every Democrat, Independent and Republican to locate my name on the ballot. You mark does count even if you vote straight party.

Questions? Feel free to call me 424-5835.

Sincerely

Chris Watts

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

23 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even more news:

Watercooler
Copyright 2024 – Internet Marketing Pros. of Iowa, Inc.
23
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x