Letter To The Editor: Endorsement of Kathryn Kaul-Goodman and Lisa Ossian

Editors Note: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily the views or opinions of Oskaloosa News.

For the past 30-plus years the voters of Mahaska County have been voting in many one issue candidates. These one issue candidates have been focused on one issue and one issue only to the detriment of the school system, city or county.

Once again, we have candidates for county supervisor who have just one issue on their mind. While it is an important agenda item, it pales to the more pressing issues of deterioration of our roads and bridges, lack of support for county mental health, lack of employing a full-time county engineer, and the lack of the ability to make a decision.

As voters we have to be concerned with many facets of governing instead of focusing on one issue. Voters were upset about the mall in the late 1980s and voted in representatives who kept spending down and now we are having to spend thousands of dollars on water and sewer and street infrastructure. Voters put in people who were against the elementary school but were gone after one term when they could not stop it. We are about to do the same for the second voting cycle.

Our county roads, in particular graveled ones, are in need upgrade. That takes a county engineered who is dedicated to it, formulation of a long-term plan, and funding. More importantly, it takes county supervisors who are willing to listen, plan and act. It is time to quit voting in one issue candidates and look to the future.

I believe Kathryn Kaul-Goodman and Lisa Ossian will do that very thing. They will listen, plan and work through all issues not just one. We need a plan to hard surface some of our heavily used county roads. To do that takes a full-time engineer. It also takes a commitment to consider all sides of multiple issues. Sadly, the other two candidates seem to be focused on one issue. Mahaska County cannot afford to do that any longer.

Talk to the candidates and ask questions. The decisions we make at the local level have far more impact us directly than who sits in a chair at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Please vote.

Sincerely,
RD Keep
Oskaloosa, Iowa