The Linn County Committee of County Officers voted Wednesday to interview four applicants for the upcoming vacancy for the District 2 Board of Supervisors seat.
The interviews between the four applicants and the Committee of County Officers – comprised of Linn County Auditor Todd Taylor, Recorder Carolyn Siebrecht and Treasurer Brent Oleson – is tentatively set, based on candidate availability, for 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 31 at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 935 2nd St. SW in Cedar Rapids.
The four applicants to be interviewed include Anne Harris Carter, health equity program manager for Linn County Public Health; Margaret Jessen, a Linn County human resources analyst; Joan McCalmant, former Linn County recorder; and Sami Scheetz, a union organizer and District 78 representative in the Iowa Legislature.
A total of 17 Linn County residents applied for the vacancy.
The committee will meet again on Tuesday, April 1 at 1:30 p.m., also at the Public Service Center, to continue interviews if necessary. At that meeting, the committee also plans to decide which applicant it will appoint.
Both the March 31 and April 1 meetings will be open to the public. Agendas for the March 31 and April 1 meetings will be posted on Linn County’s website 24 hours in advance at LinnCountyIowa.gov/Agendas-Minutes.
The vacancy on the Board of Supervisors is being created by the resignation of Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers, who announced on February 17 he is leaving the board for a position with UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Foundation, effective April 1.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the committee acknowledged that a bill, passed by both the Iowa House and Senate, would require counties with populations of more than 125,000 to hold a special election to fill supervisor seat vacancies created by resignation, if more than 70 days remain in the supervisors’ term.
That legislation hasn’t yet been signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, and Darrin Gage, Linn County director of policy and administration, said that if the appointment is finalized before the new bill is signed, it would remain in effect.
Mr. Taylor said the committee plans to proceed on its current path unless otherwise directed.
In addition, if a petition signed by a minimum of 4,125 Linn County residents is submitted to request a special election within 14 days of an appointment, any appointed candidate would serve until that special election were held.
