Another Seyb to seek seat on county board

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Pete Seyb wants to challenge Rich Harlow for 3rd District spot in November

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

LEE COUNTY - Talk about following in your brother's footsteps...

Donnellson's James "Peter" Seyb formally announced his candidacy to run for the Lee County Board of Supervisors Monday night.

Seyb would be challenging Rich Harlow (D-Montrose) for the 3rd district seat.

Seyb is the third person to announce a run for Supervisor. Fort Madison City Councilwoman Donna Amandus and City Councilman Tom Schulz are also running. They will be running to fill the seat being vacated by Rick Larkin.

But Seyb will also be looking to join his brother Garry Seyb, Jr. on the board. Garry Seyb was elected in 2019 ousting long-time board member Gary Folluo.

Both brothers are registered Republicans, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they would be on the same page all the time.

"While getting signatures to be placed on the ballot I have fielded some concerns with having two Seybs on the county board of supervisors," Pete said.

"While I do speak with my brother often and we farm together, we each have our own minds on what “right” looks like. An example would be the discussions concerning the rogue cows near Argyle and the possibility of a county ordinance regulating loose animals.

"While my brother seemed to be very much in support of an ordinance, I was not. I believe the situation could be handled without an ordinance and I believe the situation was resolved without an ordinance. In the end brothers are brothers, but don’t necessarily see “eye” to “eye”."

Seyb has lived his entire life in Lee County, growing up on a family farm northeast of Donnellson. He graduated from Central Lee High School in 1996 and then attended Indian Hills Community College obtaining a degree in Machine Technology in 1998.

For the next 10 years he worked as a machinist and mechanic at several area factories and businesses and then in 2008 took a job at the Iowa State Penitentiary as a corrections officer until taking over as Correctional Trades Leader in 2013.

He now lives in Des Moines Township with his wife and four children. The family has a 134-acre farm and Seyb helps his brothers and sisters run the family farm, as well.

The recent announcements of several new pipelines proposed to run through Lee County pushed Seyb to consider a seat next to his brother on the board.

"I can honestly say I had not previously considered running until the announcement of another pipeline coming through the county and our family farm," he said.

"I have attended meetings and read articles concerning the Heartland Greenway carbon pipeline coming through Lee County. I feel, as a County Supervisor, I would be in a position to assist with concerns other farmers may have and receive updates from the county-hired inspector."

The mask mandate and handling of the pandemic in the county were also areas of concern.

"During the beginning of the pandemic, I had some very strong feelings as it related to the county mandatory mask talk and possible fines being imposed," Seyb said.

"These concerns, as well as mandatory vaccine discussions still continue nationally. While I'm not against wearing a mask or taking vaccines, I believe it is and should be a personal choice."

Seyb said he also believes in being fiscally responsible to county taxpayers, but said if the raises can be achieved without increasing the property tax levy, he is in support of increasing salaries.

"With what I have seen in the paper, if raises are able to be given without raising the tax levy, I am for it," Seyb said.

"And I look forward to serving the taxpayers of Lee County's 3rd District."

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