Supervisors wary of attack on local control

SEYB

FRAISE

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WARNING

I’m not going to go into it, but I’m going to say this. If you’re not paying attention this year, you’re wrong. You should be and I’ll leave it at that.”

Garry Seyb, Lee County Supervisor

LEE COUNTY – A Lee County Supervisor issued a bit of a dire warning during Tuesday's Supervisors' meeting telling county residents if they aren’t watching what’s happening at the Iowa Legislature… they should be.
During the supervisor report period, Supervisor Garry Seyb told the board that Home Rule is under attack by state legislators and people need to be paying attention.
Seyb was referencing the legislative forum that is held monthly while the legislature is in session. That was held Friday at the Lee County Career Center and was attended by more than 50 people in person and another 10 to 15 online.
“People are paying attention and they realize the gravity of what this legislative group is talking about,” he said.
“I’m not going to go into it, but I’m going to say this. If you’re not paying attention this year, you’re wrong. You should be and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
He added that his concerns aren’t partisan, but a peek at the future of local control.
“I don’t care what party you’re in or what you’re doing. I’m talking about if you look at the impact on Home Rule on every aspect, not just one, but multiple aspects of how we do business here locally, a lot of decisions potentially are not going to be ours anymore,” he said.
He said the state is moving in a direction where local control will be limited at best.
“Our decisions that will be made will be overruled. Or they will come from above to say, ‘You made a decision’, for instance with our ordinances, and nope they’re gone and you’re going to do it this way.”
Supervisor Denise Fraise mentioned a bill that is being proposed to eliminate local boards of health.
“I didn’t know anything about getting rid of the board of health until I listened to (an ISAC update),” Fraise said.
Lee County Health Department Administrator Michele Ross said she hoped the movement didn’t have “any legs”.
Knisley said it was “scary” that the bill was even introduced.
Seyb said that speaks directly to his concerns.
“It goes back to what I was saying, local control, it’s mind boggling,” he said.
“It’s under attack across sectors,” Knisley said.
Senate Study Bill 3135 proposes to streamline local boards of health into larger county or district boards and consolidate public health services by requiring cities to operate through these restructured,, larger, or state-aligned entities rather than maintaining separate local boards.
Senate Study Bill 3009 would restrict deeper local control by modifying townships and township trustees and move most of the responsibilities of townships including fence disputes and fire service to the county level. Other proposals include making trustees appointed positions rather than elected.
That bill got out of a senate subcommittee last week.