Supervisor Candidate Interview: Henry “Willie” Van Weelden

Mahaska County Supervisor Candidate Henry “Willie” Van Weelden

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The voters of Mahaska County will be going to the polls on November 4th to select two new Mahaska County Supervisors. Three candidates are vying for two seats. Absentee voting is already underway. November 4th is the general election.

The Supervisor candidates will take part in a Supervisor Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Musco Technology Center on William Penn’s campus.

Oskaloosa News sent all three candidates the same questions, and the following is their answer.

We started off with a simple bio question:

 I have lived in Mahaska County  all my life except for the years I was in the military. I graduated from Pella Christian High School in 1964 and enlisted in the Air Force in the fall, of that year. I was honorably discharged in Feb. of 1969.  I started farming that year and moved to my present residence in 1971. I was a dairy farmer for many years. In the fall of 2000 I made a late successful run for the board of supervisors and served 3 terms.

Give your thoughts on the repair of the courthouse roof, and how you would make the process different, if at all?

It seems the board of supervisors drug their feet in this whole process. If I had lost a portion of my house roof in April, I would have taken immediate steps to fix it. I was in Oskaloosa the morning after the storm and didn’t see any supervisors in or around the building that morning. It looks like an emergency meeting should have been called to deal with the roof. As I understand it now, it will still be several weeks before any work is done.

We then turned our attention to economic development and continuing the growth of the county. We asked about the partnerships between such entities like the County, Oskaloosa and the Oskaloosa Chamber and Development Group. “Do you think this needs to be a continued focus? If so, what projects or steps do you see as needed to continue that process. If you don’t think a continued partnership is needed, what do you see as the focus the county should have.”

The focus needs to be on continuing to work with the city and chamber. The 63 coalition is a prime example. When the Osky school district, the city, and county agreed to use the one penny sales tax to build the new grade school that was a major example of community cooperation. To my knowledge, this was not duplicated anywhere else in the state of Iowa. The one cent tax expires in this upcoming term of 2 supervisors to be elected in November. I was the county board rep. when that school, city, county agreement was put together. Whether or not we approve a new one penny tax for infrastructure or some other need in the community, it will need to be discussed.

Building off the previous question, we asked the candidates to exclude Secondary Roads from the next answer. “Where do you see the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors having the most impact, and how will that be accomplished?”

I think the board not only should work with local economic development entities, but it should also build relationships with the supervisors of the surrounding counties to stay abreast of what is happening around us. You accomplish this by showing up.

How do you see yourself compared to the other candidates in the field, and how do you think you will mesh and/or work with current Chairman Mike Vander Molen?

I feel my previous board experience is a huge plus. I don’t view myself a political lifer. The job of supervisor is not about being a Rep. or Dem. but doing what is right for the citizens I represent. As far as working with the other board members, that remains to be seen. I am on the Senior center board with Mike and things have went well. As far as working on the board of supervisors it’s about give and take and at the end of the day it’s okay to agree to disagree. It’s when disagreement becomes vindictive that you have problems.

How would you grade the job of the current Board of Supervisors and their performance over the past 2 years?

I  don’t know if giving a grade would be fair on my part.  I would give them a failing grade on their handling of  mental health reorganization. When Ken R. and I left the board 2 years ago a 4 county agreement was put together and almost ready to sign. The wheels fell off that agreement when the Mahaska County supervisors failed to send a representative to a meeting in our courthouse which included supervisors from Marion, Jasper, and Powishiek  counties. Now Mahaska has a 2 county mental health region which the state has given temporary approval to. Their inaction on the damaged roof and the handling of the outgoing engineer…I would give low grades to. The board is also saying they lowered the millage rate by the biggest one year drop in Mahaska county history.  What they are not telling everyone is that they dropped the levy for mental health because the fund balance should be enough to run for one year.  So that levy will be back!!  Also Mahaska county is receiving their share of the rural Oskaloosa school district 1 cent city/county tax. I don’t know the exact amount, but, based on history, it could be as much as $400,000.00 which goes into the general fund. I would ask the question of the board how much they lowered spending to lower the levy.

There is usually a driving force behind a person wanting to be a public servant. What is the reason, or cause, for you to want to be on the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors?

I think there are a couple of things. First of all, the biggest complaint I hear is the supervisors are not readily available. The lights are not on very often in the supervisors office. I will be there. My only job will be a county supervisor. As I’ve said before, I think my previous experience will be beneficial to the citizens of this county. Also, if there is to be another 1 penny tax vote, I would like to be part of that.

One more thing. I know the state is maybe studying an East bypass. I think the county should be involved. At least on the SE connector which has been on the table for many years, including the years I was on the board. Remember, it takes two votes to move a project forward and there were never two votes to do it. A listening ear and common sense go a long way in being a supervisor.