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Washington County Treasurer Jeff Garrett won’t seek re-election
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WASHINGTON – Washington County Treasurer Jeff Garrett has announced that this will be his final year in the position, which he has held for nearly three decades.
Garrett was appointed county treasurer on July 1, 1997, after previous treasurer Charles Pacha retired, a post he had held since 1978. Garrett said he went through a steep learning curve those early months on the job because he was coming from outside county government. Before his appointment, Garrett was the office manager at the grain elevator in Wayland.
“I was the one who came in off the street,” Garrett joked about his start in the position. “It was a unique situation, because everyone else in the office had more experience, so you rely a lot on them. If I hadn’t had that experienced staff, it would have been way more difficult. You end up learning from your staff, and over time, you become more comfortable with things.”
Garrett’s first chance to run for election was 1998, which he won, and has been winning elections ever since. Garrett’s current term will expire at the end of this year, when he will step down.
The county treasurer has four main areas they are responsible for, which are: financial administration, property tax collection, motor vehicle title and registration, and driver’s license training. Garrett said he feels he has focused on financial administration, since the treasurer’s office is responsible for balancing the county’s ledgers.
“All county revenues flow through our office, but expenses go through the auditor’s office,” he remarked. “Another big thing that takes up a lot of time is property tax billing and collection, which is a year-long process in this office.”
Garrett has deputies who are responsible for the other parts of his office such as the vehicle registration and driving side.
“The only reason these things work is I have such a good staff, and they work well among each other and help each other out,” he said. “It makes the office run smoothly.”
Garrett was asked about the most rewarding part and most challenging part of his job, and he joked that he could give the same answer to both questions. He said the only constant in his office is change, whether it’s changing technology or changes from the Legislature, and he takes pride in his office’s ability to adapt to those changes.
As he approached 30 years in the position, Garrett said he felt it was time for a new person with “fresh ideas” to assume the role. His wife Karla, who works as Washington school’s assistant activity director, is thinking of retiring soon, and Jeff wants to retire soon after. He said the couple don’t have definite plans about how they’ll spend retirement, but it will likely involve their favorite hobbies such as camping and boating, and visiting their 11 grandchildren scattered throughout Eastern Iowa.
As far as the future of his office is concerned, Garrett’s Deputy Treasurer Lindsay Adam has thrown her hat into the ring to be the next county treasurer.
“I’m excited she wants to run, because she’s got a lot of experience and would be an excellent candidate,” Garrett said. “I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
Adam has worked in the Washington County Treasurer’s Office for seven years, and before that she worked for the Jefferson County Treasurer’s Office.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
