Jefferson County supervisor candidates answer questions in livestreamed forum

FAIRFIELD – Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, and they gathered for a livestream forum on Thursday night.

They answered questions ranging from their qualifications to county finances to jobs.

Dee Sandquist, the only incumbent seeking re-election, drew on her experience on the board, saying that sometimes she is a leader and a catalyst.

'I've show that I can take action in a cost-effective manner,” she said.

Several times throughout the forum, she pointed out that the board has led by example by cutting its own budget by $150,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nick Adam of Batavia said that his many years running various businesses and managing budgets would serve him well as a county supervisor.

'I've been very successful doing that,” he said.

Keith Vlademar, a retired engineer, said his time working for the Iowa Department of Transportation gave him experience working with the public in an ethical manner.

'I feel like I need to work with everybody and do the best job I can,” he said.

Drish said she mentors young people to help with employment opportunities.

'One of the strongest suits I have is that I always listen to folks,” she said.

When asked what the most pressing issue facing Jefferson County is, Drish pointed to the budget.

'Since we're living in the era of COVID, I wonder where we'll be as a county when fall taxes come in,” she said.

Vlademar said he knew of nothing specific but said he would like to see changes in the ambulance service, as well as improvements in access to mental health services.

Sandquist said there are many.

'It depends on the day, week and budget,” she said.

Adam answered with taxes and county roads.

'We're going to have to cut some things out because we can't keep raising taxes,” he said. 'We need to prioritize the roads that really need care.”

All four candidates spoke in favor to varying degrees of using bonds for county projects.

Adam said they should be factored into the county's five-year plan, while Sandquist said they should be used as a last resort.

'If you don't take care of something, it will just fall apart,” Vlademar said.

Drish echoed Vlademar's stance, saying, 'We may need to do some bonding to get a project done before it gets too bad.”

On the question of what the Board of Supervisors can do to bring more jobs to the area, Vlademar said everyone needs to work together.

'Right now, it's hard to get companies thinking about moving or expanding here,” he said. 'Without infrastructure, nobody is going to come.”

Drish said that the county should first address the workforce.

'Right now, we don't have the workforce to fill those jobs,” Drish said.

Sandquist agreed that having a trained and ready workforce is part of the solution.

'We also need to have housing that's affordable,” she said.

Adam suggested offering tax incentives to attract new businesses, predicting that in the future, people will see Jefferson County as an attractive place to live.

'People are going to come here like flies,” he said. 'We've got good schools and not riots.”

He added, though, that in order to get more people to relocate, they need good-paying jobs.

The forum was sponsored by the Jefferson County Farm Bureau, and it was moderated by Farm Bureau President Joe Ledger.