Letter To The Editor: From Candidate Aaron Ver Steeg

Osky News

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

The Tara-Pac has the “solution”, so they say. The solution to what? Before you have a solution, you must have a problem. They are four years late. The problem was fixed four years ago when “they” were voted out of office and the present Council began working on the solution on day one. This council has accomplished more road work in the past year than in any single year since I’ve been on the City Council, simply by sticking to a five year plan. We did this without borrowing money and without raising taxes. In fact, we lowered the city’s portion of your taxes 8% in four years. This is what we all committed to four years ago during the City Council Campaign, including one of the candidates supported by Tara-Pac.

The Tara-Pac solution is not about streets or lower taxes. Just like eight years ago, it is about a Regional Airport. Their solution is to oppose the use of eminent domain and remove Oskaloosa from the 28E agreement with Mahaska County and Pella. When you remove eminent domain from the 28E agreement language you are in essence removing the city from said agreement. I’m sure their next part of the solution is to convince the County to do the same. When that is done, Pella is the only member left in the 28E agreement. What that means is Pella will still likely proceed to build the airport opposed by Tara-Pac; probably at the same location Tara-Pac doesn’t want it built on. In addition, Oskaloosa and Mahaska County would have NO decision power in that process. The end result will be that the city of Oskaloosa and Mahaska County will have to pay the city of Pella a half million dollars of your tax money. In addition, the Oskaloosa Airport will still have to be sold and that money will go to the Pella Regional Airport. So “the solution” has only removed the name “Oskaloosa” from the Regional airport, cost Oskaloosa their existing airport, and spent a half million dollars of your tax dollars that could have been spent on streets and other community development projects. That is not a very good solution in my book.

Here is what you are not being told: Oskaloosa and Pella met a few years ago to discuss a super two or 4-lane highway to Interstate 80. Also present were two congressmen, one from Iowa and one from Minnesota. We were told that if we really wanted help from the Federal Government, we would go with a NW Bypass around Oskaloosa and bring the Regional Airport back in the picture, because the FAA was no longer going to support all the small city airports around the country. You are also not being told about eminent domain in the bypass and highway project, which will take far more land then the airport. Finally, you likely are not being told that eminent domain likely will NOT be used when land negotiations begin, because the offers will be far north of current farm land value.

You have a voice in this election. You can vote to re-elect the existing council and mayor, who have all gotten more accomplished in the past four years since I was elected in 2005, and at the same time lowered your taxes. If you are not satisfied, you can take the city backwards by voting for five, whom all think alike and would then have complete control of the city. It’s your decision.

Please put Oskaloosa first on November 5.

Aaron Ver Steeg
Incumbent 1st Ward City Councilor
Candidate for Re-Election