Voters in Solon and the surrounding area will see a difference in June and November when they vote for County Supervisor candidates thanks to legislation passed last March in Des Moines, which affects counties with the main campus of an institution of higher learning governed by the State Board of Regents – Johnson, Story, and Black Hawk.
Previously all five Johnson County Supervisors held at-large seats selected by voters across the county. Under the new legislation and per Iowa Code 39 26, voters will now only elect one supervisor for their district and candidates must live in the district they represent by the primary election day, June 2.
All five – Rod Sullivan, Lisa Green-Douglass, Jon Green, V Fixmer-Oraiz, and Mandi Remington will face reelection this year. To return to staggered four-year terms in 2028, term lengths were determined by a random drawing conducted by Johnson County Auditor Julie Persons. Persons appeared at the Wednesday, Jan. 14 work session to determine which districts would initially have a two-year term, and which would have a four-year term, before all five return to staggered four year terms in 2028.
Persons drew plastic Easter eggs, each one containing a slip of paper that simply said either two years or four years, out of a box with the following results:
• District 1 – 4 years
• District 2 – 2 years
• District 3 – 2 years
• District 4 – 2 years
• District 5 – 4 years
The city of Solon, Big Grove Twp./Solon Annex, Cedar Twp., Graham Twp., West Branch, portions of southeast Iowa City, and Newport Twp. Are in District 2, the largest district in Johnson County, which also includes Lone Tree and Hills.
The districts, drawn up by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, contain around 30,500 residents.
The legislation also requires that Supervisor vacancies be filled by special election instead of appointment if 2-1/2 years are remaining in the term.
The legislation has met opposition, both from Supervisors speaking out against it to a lawsuit contending the three counties were specifically targeted due to having Iowa’s largest universities and heavily-Democratic voter bases. Judge Lars Anderson ruled, however, the law does not violate voting rights and, “…provides for an expression of direct democracy in which voters are still allowed to vote.” Judge Anderson added, “Plaintiffs will not be irreparably injured if injunctive relief is not granted because they still maintain their fundamental right to vote.”
While the judge’s action denied an injunction against implementation of the law, he also denied a motion by the state to dismiss a lawsuit in which the plaintiffs argue the law is unconstitutional.
A non-jury trial will be held starting Tuesday, March 3.
Supporters of the law argue the new districts will give more representation to voters in rural areas.
The new supervisor districts have been added to the County’s interactive GIS mapping website at https://gis.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/piv/ by clicking on the “Layers” list (top right corner of the page), clicking “Voting,” and then selecting “Board of Supervisor Districts.” Auditor Persons also noted people can click “General Voting Precincts” to see how the new districts overlay with their particular precinct.
“This map will be the easiest for citizens to zoom in to see where the lines are,” Persons said.