Commentary

Posted in: Commentary
Commentary: Iowa County Lost a Talented and Dedicated Public Servant
By Mitch Traphagen
Jun 12, 2008 - 8:38:26 PM

Only a small part of the East Iowa Herald is on the Web.
For the best in East Iowa news and features click here to subscribe!

Ric Gerard doesn’t own a diesel car or truck - but the rising price of diesel surely keeps him awake at night.  Gerard is an Iowa County Supervisor - his job is to worry about things so the rest of the people in the county don’t have to.  And there is a lot to worry about.

After 12 years of serving on the Board of Supervisors, Gerard lost his reelection bid in the primaries last Tuesday.  The rumors swirling around town are that he lost due to the issues surrounding roads and possible layoffs in the Secondary Roads Department.

Ric Gerard is a remarkably intelligent and dedicated public servant.  He is a veritable storehouse of information and data about the county, its finances and its laws.  Not only will his absence from the board be a huge loss for Iowa County, it is truly a shame if the rumors about why he lost are true.  Not to mention, that only seven percent of the county’s registered voters made the decision to remove him from the board.  Seven percent.  Ninety-three percent of us didn’t have a say in the matter - and, of course, we all know who’s fault that is.

Roads are one of the basic responsibilities of the board  of supervisors - but they are far from being the only responsibility.  This year, Iowa County, along with virtually every other county in the state, has taken a beating on roads.  The extremely harsh winter blew the budget early on -  and the incredibly wet spring has only compounded the problems.  Barring a public outcry demanding an immediate increase in taxes to pay for it, there is no good answer to the road situation.  Anyone campaigning who tells you otherwise either does not understand the responsibilities of being on the board - or they are flat out wrong.

Each week the Board of Supervisors meets to make decisions about things that none of the rest of us spend our days worrying about.  Much of the time they agree on the solutions, sometimes they argue, often they agonize.  In addition to roads, they worry about transportation of children and seniors, making sure that seniors are fed, making sure the veterans receive the services they need, making sure the levy around Marengo is safe - and that it is insurable and the list goes on and on.  Few other people in the county come home from a hard day’s work to grapple with the problems involved in having liability insurance on the levy - but the supervisors do.  Few of us worry about how the county is going to pay for the rapidly increasing price of fuel, but the supervisors do.  Certainly roads are one of the largest components of county government but they are hardly the only component.

Gerard told the truth about the road department.  As things stand right now, the county won’t be able to afford to pay all of the workers next year.  Sometimes the truth hurts but at least he had the backbone to say it.  Perhaps he could have been a bit more diplomatic about it but that is water under the bridge now (yes, I know, not the best cliche to use these days).

Nothing is free - certainly nothing involving roads, anyway.  If we, as a county, want the roads to get fixed we’re going to have to pay for it.  There’s not enough money so that means either 1) we will all have to pay more right now or 2) we’re simply not going to get everything we want.

In November, voters will decide on at least one new member of the Board of Supervisors.  More than ever, this is the time for people to get involved in the process - go ahead, ask the candidates the tough questions.  But please don’t expect miracles or the impossible - and don’t take sound bites at face value just because it is something you want to hear.  There is no magic wand - if you want something, expect to pay for it.  Also remember that being a county supervisor involves much more than roads.  Voting new candidates in - or voting them out - is sometimes a part of the process - but that is something to keep in mind when you walk into the voting booth.



© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald