Good ideas supersede party affiliations

VINTON — Republican Bruce Volz isn’t interested in party politics.

“If somebody had an idea or a thought, I’ve never asked them, what party are you with?” said Volz during a recent phone interview.

“I believe a good idea is a good idea. I don’t care what party came up with it. If it’s good for all involved, it should be done.”

Volz is running for Benton County Supervisor for District 3. He defeated incumbent Gary Bierschenk, of Blairstown, in the June primary election and faces Democrat Nicholas Volk in the Nov. 5 General Election.

Volz grew up in Norway, graduating from high school there in 1976. He worked for United Airlines for 26 years until United left the Cedar Rapids airport and let its employees go in 2003.

Volz started a commercial janitorial service on the advice of his brother-in-law who owns such a company on the west coast.

“I started the janitorial company the day after I left United,” said Volz. “I averaged about 36 employees through the years. We built it up to just shy of $500,000 a year in billable sales.”

Volz started the company with $9,000 and sold it in 2014 for six figures, he said. He now works as an independent insurance broker selling auto, home, life and health insurance.

Volz started the Prairie Creek Chapter of Pheasants Forever chapter in Benton County and served as its president for 35 years. His son succeeded him as president of the organization. “I started taking him to meetings when he was seven years old,” Volz said.

“I’m still on the board. We’ll have our 40th banquet in March. It’s been fun.”

Now in his late 60s, Volz has served on committees and board most of his adult life, he said.

“I sat on the Norway City Council for three years, and then ran for mayor. I served as mayor of Norway from January 2020 — 2024.”

Volz didn’t pay much attention to county politics, though he dealt with the board of supervisors occasionally as mayor of Norway.

Volz entertained a run for county supervisor after someone asked him to consider the role. “[He] thought, based on my past, that it might be something I might be interested in and I would excel at it,” said Volz.

“I had heard that there were some things going on there that weren’t quite right, I guess. I don’t really know how to phrase it.”

The person who asked Volz to run thought he could help the board run more smoothly, Volz said.

Every organization has a budget, said Volz. “We’ve never been in the red with any organization I’ve been in with.” Not because of him, Volz said, but because of the way the organizations were run.

Volz doesn’t like to see agencies spend money at the end of a fiscal year just because they still have money in the budget. “I believe at the end of the fiscal year, you should have a surplus, and if you don’t, you aren’t doing right with the people’s money.”

He also expects agencies to be aboveboard in their dealings. Everything needs to be discussed “on top of the table,” Volz said. Deals made under the table have no place in an organization.

“That’s when you get in trouble,” said Volz, “when you have to start looking over your shoulder and stuff.”

Volz said he’s attended almost all of the Benton County Supervisors meetings since he won the primary in June. “I was there for the whole human resources issue,” he said.

“And it’s still not decided.” The former human resources employee is no long with the county, and supervisors are still trying to figure out what they want to do, he said.

That issue may be resolved by the time the new supervisors for District 3 and District 1 take office in January, said Volz, but he’s had experience with employee issues and could help the board with those decisions in the future, he said.

“I believe I could bring something to the table in that.”

Volz has owned his own business and served in management. Even at United, he gained supervisory experience, he said.

“I think I’ve got some things I could offer.”

(“On the Ballot” is a Hometown Current series profiling candidates in Benton, Iowa and Poweshiek Counties. Articles will run as candidates are interviewed. Candidates who do not respond to requests for interviews will not be included in the series.)