JOHNSON COUNTY — Five candidates, three Democratic and two Republican, are on the June 7 primary election ballot in a bid to run for two open seats on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.
V Fixmer-Oraiz, incumbent Jon Green, and Seth Zimmerman are the Democrats while Jammie Bradshaw and former Iowa City Community School District Board member Phil Hemingway are the Republicans.
The Solon Economist sent out a questionnaire to all five candidates and will run their responses as-written (with minor corrections for spelling and punctuation), and in the order they were received.
As of the deadline for this edition only Zimmerman had replied back. We hope to feature the remaining candidates in our May 26 and June 2 editions.
Seth Zimmermann resides in rural Solon and has lived in Johnson County since he was seven months old. He attended Solon schools and graduated from Iowa City, City High. He attended Iowa State University and graduated with a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, has worked at a fish hatchery in Idaho and built houses on the east coast before returning to Iowa. “I have spent the last 22 years monitoring water and air quality for the Iowa DNR and the EPA to help keep Iowans safe.”
Why are you hoping to run for the Board of Supervisors?
“I am running for Johnson County Supervisor because Johnson County is an incredibly special place where people look out for one another and embrace our differences. I want to work to support my community and all the people who have worked so hard to make it such an incredible place. I have spent most of my life studying the environment and it is clear there are a lot of issues that we need to deal with. If elected, my hope is that we can stop talking about whether or not there is a problem or whose fault it is and just start cleaning it up. I have the ability to reach out to all sides of an issue and bring people together to solve the big problems that we have to address.”
What do you see as the most pressing issues in Johnson County? Why? And how would you propose to address them?
“I feel that three of the most pressing issues in Johnson County right now are access to food, health care including mental health, and people not being paid a livable wage. We live on the most fertile land in the world and it is my belief that no child should go to bed hungry. When food insecurity is an issue in your life, it is hard to focus on anything else. We should engage the entire community to come up with solutions to solve hunger. There are a number of groups in the community that are already working on these issues and I am excited to support them and foster increased collaboration between groups.
The county and community helped open the GuideLink center one year ago in an effort to get people help when they are in crisis. I would continue to support efforts to get people the services they need when they need them. Not only does this support people in crisis, it also helps to take some of the pressure off the emergency rooms and law enforcement.
Creating an environment where everyone in the county makes a living wage and can support themselves and their families is a recipe for a thriving community. The county set a minimum wage of $10.10 in 2015, but the State then passed a law preventing localities from passing any ordinance designed to improve wages and working conditions, further eroding home rule. Many employers in Johnson County have embraced the minimum wage set by the county even though it is not enforceable. They know providing a living wage for their employees reduces turnover and training costs and results in better service, and higher wages come back to their businesses as consumer spending. The messaging and the leadership of the board was critical. If we can listen to the community to identify their needs, come up with common sense solutions to the problem, and activate the citizenry of Johnson County we can overcome great challenges.”
What separates you from your fellow contenders?
What separates me from the other candidates is that I have called Johnson county my home since I was 7 months old. The values that the people of Johnson County hold dear are ingrained in who I am. Your values are my values. I have intense gratitude for this community and I will work as hard as I can each day to support inclusion, decency, and respect. I am approachable, available, and open minded. I will listen to you and work with you to build a better Johnson County. I am asking for your vote on or before June 7. I am excited to engage with as many voices around the county as possible so please reach out and let me know your thoughts on county governance.”