2008 Woodie Awards
Voters to decide on land preservation
Briana Byrd - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Metro
Johnson County voters can expect to see a $20 million bond referendum on the ballot in November.
On Thursday, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to add the bond for land-preservation funding to be included the 2008 general-election ballot.
"There have been people advocating for it, but there have also been people who've been advocating against it, and I think [voting to place the issue on the ballot] is the fair way to do it - let the public debate it and decide on it," Supervisor Larry Meyers said.
The issue was first presented during a county land-use meeting in the summer of 2006, said Harry Graves, the executive director of the Johnson County Conservation Board.
According to the U.S. Census, Johnson County's population grew by 6.3 percent from 2000 to 2006, the seventh-fastest rate in Iowa.
"The tremendous amount of growth in the county has caused citizens to express concern about the continuing loss of the natural environment," Graves said. "It is the Conservation Board's duty to address those issues."
The panel manages natural resources in the county, including prairies, wildlife habitats, river access, and community parks, according to the Johnson County website.
Placing the decision in the hands of the public would ensure that the taxpayers are using their money for issues that they felt were worthwhile, Supervisor Terrence Neuzil said.
"We're putting this issue in the hands of the citizens, and the citizens are going to have to decide that they want to invest a few dollars out of their own pockets to protect our environment, to protect our wetlands, to protect our creeks, to put money into trials, and, of course, land preservation in general," he said.
Supervisor Pat Harney, who also stressed the importance of giving power to the public in county matters, said that it was "only prudent that the board allow the voters to make the decision for themselves."
"It's part of the democratic process," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
On Thursday, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to add the bond for land-preservation funding to be included the 2008 general-election ballot.
"There have been people advocating for it, but there have also been people who've been advocating against it, and I think [voting to place the issue on the ballot] is the fair way to do it - let the public debate it and decide on it," Supervisor Larry Meyers said.
The issue was first presented during a county land-use meeting in the summer of 2006, said Harry Graves, the executive director of the Johnson County Conservation Board.
According to the U.S. Census, Johnson County's population grew by 6.3 percent from 2000 to 2006, the seventh-fastest rate in Iowa.
"The tremendous amount of growth in the county has caused citizens to express concern about the continuing loss of the natural environment," Graves said. "It is the Conservation Board's duty to address those issues."
The panel manages natural resources in the county, including prairies, wildlife habitats, river access, and community parks, according to the Johnson County website.
Placing the decision in the hands of the public would ensure that the taxpayers are using their money for issues that they felt were worthwhile, Supervisor Terrence Neuzil said.
"We're putting this issue in the hands of the citizens, and the citizens are going to have to decide that they want to invest a few dollars out of their own pockets to protect our environment, to protect our wetlands, to protect our creeks, to put money into trials, and, of course, land preservation in general," he said.
Supervisor Pat Harney, who also stressed the importance of giving power to the public in county matters, said that it was "only prudent that the board allow the voters to make the decision for themselves."
"It's part of the democratic process," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
Be the first to comment on this story