Sheriff's brother makes case for re-election

Dear Editor:
My name is Steve Weber, and my younger brother, Stacy Weber, is the Lee County Sheriff.
I wanted to take a moment to address a few concerns regarding the gentleman running against Stacy, and a few misconceptions related to some commentary that Mr. Vandenberg and/or his followers have said about my brother.
To begin with, I personally do not know Mr. Vandenberg. I have only exchanged words with him in passing as I entered the debate just over a week ago. Those words were civil. I have no idea if he knew, at the time, that I was his opponent’s brother.
While at the debate, I listened as Mr. Vandenberg attacked my brother’s character. I do not think that it would be a real stretch to say that to those in attendance, it was evident that Mr. Vandenberg has a strong dislike for Stacy. His remarks were very direct and personal. He argued several points continuously – the one that came up time and time again was the Jail Administrator, and that gentleman’s salary, and the fact that he has a vehicle that the county provides him to drive to and from work.
Let’s look at the facts about that…
1)The Jail Administrator has a salaried position. There is no extra pay put out for him to drive the vehicle to and from work.
2)The Jail Administrator is the person who is called, at all hour’s day and night, to come and transport prisoners to the hospital if they need to go. The Jail Administrator is also called in if there is disruptive
behavior or fights as well. There is no overtime paid.
3)If the Jail Administrator were to be driving his own vehicle during these off hours, he would be entitled to mileage reimbursement. Using the county provided vehicle eliminates that necessity.
4)Yes, the Jail Administrator received a large bump in salary a while back. Mr. Vandenberg presented it to the crowd at the debate as if that raise was all the work of Sheriff Weber. And while Stacy was the one to sign the raise into effect, the level of salary that became available during the Republican Governor’s Back the Blue campaign, was in line with Jail Administrator positions in other Iowa Counties like Lee County.
5)The Jail Administrator also serves Lee County on the river, helping when needed. Yep, no extra pay for that either.
6)AND the vehicle that the Jail Administrator drives is funded by inmate commissary funds, NOT TAX DOLLARS.
After the debate, a photographer at a local newspaper snapped a photo that appeared to show Mr. Vandenberg arguing with one of the female jail officers. When friends and family of this lady asked her about the picture, she shared with them that Mr. Vandenberg ‘poked’ her in the chest/vest. She never had the intention to take it any further than the discussion at the debate. However, friends and family were immediately upset (and I can understand why).
When this information became public knowledge, and hit social media, Sheriff Weber addressed it with his  constituents and supporters on his Facebook page. Unfortunately, both Mr. Vandenberg and several of his
supporters did not think the Sheriff had the right to address it as he did. Funny, last time I checked - what’s  good for the goose is good for the gander. Sheriff Weber stated that, as by right and law, if one of his staff is treated in a manner that can be deemed as threatening or as an assault, that he would proceed to address it accordingly, to the letter of the law.
Now, this young lady has stated that while yes, it did happen as she stated, that she did not intend to pursue it as assault nor as a threat. That says a lot about the character of this officer.
At the conclusion of the debate, during his closing statements, Mr. Vandenberg deliberately made it a point to state that supposedly Sheriff Weber had made the comment that he planned on serving one more year and walking away (Stacy’s financial advisor did have a conversation with Stacy about the fact that he COULD work one more year and retire. And Stacy did share that information with friends, family, and staff. And somewhere along the line, what was a simple sharing of information, turned into something that others would
use to harm Sheriff Weber’s reputation).
Personally, and I think that I can speak for a whole lot of folks here, it would certainly have been nice to hear Mr. Vandenberg’s PLANS on how he was going to do things better, as he has claimed he will, repeatedly.
Unfortunately, the personal attacks on Sheriff Weber seem to be the focus of his platform. I have watched as Stacy has come under attack, and I have gotten frustrated, and frankly, downright angry at
Mr. Vandenberg and some of the folks supporting him. I asked Stacy “When are you going to fight fire with fire?”
And when my brother answered that question, I realized in his words were the PRECISE reason he is STILL the best candidate for Sheriff.
He answered me with: “I am not going to do that. There is nothing to be gained by ‘fighting dirty.’ It does no good for the citizens of Lee County, it would not be who I am, and it certainly does not set the example for
others. No, I think I will let the work we have done the last eight years speak for itself.”

Folks, my brother and I did not always get along growing up. We did not see eye to eye on a lot of things. But I can tell you this…I have watched as he has become a man, and watched as he has become one of the best damned Sheriff’s that I can remember Lee County having.
Recently, he was asked to speak at the funeral for a former Lee County Sheriff. He told me that it was one of the most honorable things that he had been asked to do. And I agree with him.
Earlier this week, Stacy had an impromptu meet and greet. I listened as Lee County resident after resident shared their personal story of how Stacy helped them during his career in law enforcement. The most
memorable was a lady who had incurred a break in and theft of items from her home. Stacy was a detective at the time. She spoke volumes about how he went above and beyond to catch the person responsible, and to get her things back (many valuable items, as well as personal keepsakes).
Hers was just one story as tears flowed and laughter echoed as well. Seeing their respect for him was very impressive.
Stacy has done the following (a brief list) during his career, that I think folks need to know…
1)Worked his way up from a volunteer to a patrol officer, then Drug Taskforce Officer, to Lead Field Office of the Drug Taskforce. Then, the head of the Taskforce. Then detective for 10 years. And Lee County Sheriff for the last eight years.
2)He has recovered children that have been abducted.
3)He has had to hold a crying parent when their child has died.
4)He has pictures on the wall of his office drawn by the nieces of a man who drowned in the river (this occurred on Stacy’s first day as Sheriff – and it is what prompted the drive to get a boat for the Sheriff’s
department). He has told those children that the pictures that they drew for him shall remain on his wall while he is Sheriff.
5)Stacy has compassion for everyone. I heard him console someone who had been involved in a car accident where another person was killed. I asked him about his consoling the one who caused the crash –
his reply: ‘Every person deserves our compassion. This individual did not mean for an accident to happen and is devastated. Who am I to not offer words of kindness?’
6)He spoke with my own daughter when she was fourteen, after she had run away with a friend, and explained to her the odds of finding a runaway alive after so many hours, and so many hours after that. That
was a very somber conversation…but my daughter loves him even more for it.
7)I was mugged delivering pizza. This was prior to Stacy being in law enforcement. Years later, he caught the three people responsible for it.
8)Our family lost a foster brother and a cousin. Drugs were center in their deaths. One accidentally took his life with a gun, and another deliberately. Stacy worked to put the ones who put the drugs in their lives away.
9)Stacy has strictly enforced the law. He has sent some of his own family away that engaged in drug manufacturing. Now, those family members are some of the most upstanding individuals, and they thank
Stacy and local law enforcement for being the ones that helped them escape that lifestyle.
10)Working with anyone that wanted to help he was able to get the K9 Units and the boat for the department, most, if not all the funding for most of these things, donations and funding that does not cost the
taxpayers of Lee County.
11)And the school resource officer at Central Lee.

For what it is worth,
Steve Weber,
Hamilton, Ill