I would encourage citizens of Tama County to vote no on the measure to go back to 3 supervisors in November.

Taxpaying citizens are now being named and criticized for attending Board of Supervisor meetings and giving their opinions. I also attended the April 25, 2022 BOS meeting and listened and spoke. I have since attended many more and my eyes have been opened to the way meetings were previously conducted. A citizen could only speak about an item on the agenda and not other concerns he/she might have. Many, many times our concerns were not addressed but were turned over to the UNELECTED human resources director for an answer. The supervisors did not offer another opinion and the subject was dropped. An example was, when asked why the meetings were not livestreamed, we were told by the HR director, it was not possible for a myriad of reasons. The 3 supervisors did not offer another option and the subject was dropped. When the 5 supervisors took office, they immediately figured out how to livestream the meetings, which many people now watch each Monday morning and even make statements during public comment time. This was a win for citizens.

Having differing viewpoints on issues is only human. I did not hear harassing or bullying comments, but only passionate viewpoints which were expressed by BOTH sides of the wind turbine debate. I can think of no better place to express a viewpoint than the very place where decisions are made that affect the whole county. To insinuate that a deputy was needed to keep those nasty TCAT taxpayers in line is laughable.

I am disappointed that citizens’ names are being drug through the mud on only one side of an issue.

The current 5 supervisors have addressed and are addressing many problems facing Tama County, including getting our finances in order, which has included eliminating some positions, which a majority of other counties did not even fund. This did not happen with the previous BOS. The current supervisors are very focused on not increasing property taxes. The state, the county assessor, or a school bond issue passage would most likely be the reason property taxes may have increased, not the BOS wanting more money.

It is always better to have local elected representation, than have unelected bureaucrats running the show. Please vote NO to going back to 3 supervisors.

Carolyn Adolphs, Traer