County Auditor Tom Slockett explained he would be asking the questions in this interview. Slockett outlined the interview format and requested that Terry begin his opening statement.

Terry thanked the Committee for giving him the opportunity to apply for the position. Terry spoke of wanting to give back to the community, saying he spent 30 years doing various community service things such as church work, the Iowa City Cable Commission, Johnson County's Planning and Zoning Commission, as a charter member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and future service on the Agricultural Extension Council. He said he felt his background prepared him to step into the position with a minimum of lost time learning the required duties. Terry said he was prepared to ask for advice from the other Supervisors if appointed because it was impossible for someone to step into the Supervisor position and have all the needed answers. Terry said he was a team player without jeopardizing his own thought process.

Slockett asked Terry what County government's strengths and weaknesses were and how he would enhance the strengths and address the weaknesses. Terry replied that the biggest strength of the county were its citizens. He said we have the University of Iowa here, and he spoke of the qualified, educated people who donate their time and energy on boards and commissions. Terry mentioned that the County had no debt, departments were very well run by elected officials, department heads and employees. He said the human resources were strong in the County, as is the mapping system. As for enhancing the County government's strength, Terry said his policy over his 30 year business career was to avoid micro-management and advocated a policy of if it isn't broke don't fix it. Terry said some weaknesses were space needs, better communication with citizens, more flexible office hours and expanded handicap accessible facilities in the Johnson County Administrative Building. Terry suggested putting automatic door openers on many of the doors in the Administration Building. Terry said they also need cutouts in the counters, and Dutch doors. Terry said being a contractor these things come to mind.

Slockett asked Terry if he was in favor of restructuring County government and/or hiring a County manager. Terry answered that he would be open to change if he was convinced it would better serve the community. However, he cautioned that it take a good deal of study, such as the North Corridor Plan, to make such a decision. Terry continued by saying there was no need to change the system at the present time. As for hiring a County manager, he said this should only be undertaken after information is collected on this option. Terry was concerned that hiring a County manager would also entail getting him/her an office, hiring a staff which could end up being a $300,000 budget.

Slockett asked Terry if the County had additional space needs and how he would address them. Terry said they should wait to see what the study committee finds. He said that increased rehabilitation could lessen the need to expand the County jail. He also suggested in-home detention with an ankle bracelet, but only for non-violent offenders. Terry felt these options could be used as a measure to allow more time to formulate a long term plan. Slockett said that the Administration Building and Library were built with the best of intentions but corners were cut as costs rose for their construction and therefore footings were not put on so the buildings can't have another story put onto them. Terry said he was amazed with the over-crowding at the Human Services building, saying talk of splitting up that department into 2 different buildings was a bad idea. He continued by saying he would like to eventually see a government campus, saying the Armory next door to the Administration Building could possible be remodeled and used, possibly as a daycare facility for County employees. Terry said it wouldn't be a big cost up front to do the Armory. Terry said he liked the entryway to the building but they could add onto it and that would give 3offices.

Slockett asked Terry how he would go about selecting from a pool of applicants to serve on various boards and commissions. Terry said better advertising would help. Terry said the second criteria was judging if the candidate had enough time to devote to the position. He continued by listing other criteria, such as working knowledge of what the commission does and strong people skills. He added gender balance could be a criteria if all other skills were equal.

Slockett asked Terry what his long range vision for Johnson County was. Terry answered by saying expensive housing was a problem in the County, and suggested an in-house grant writer. He continued by saying he would like to see a better quality of life for all county citizens, white-collar companies that may pay better wages and better communication with other government entities in the county.

Slockett asked Terry what criteria he would use in making land use decisions and on what basis would he make decisions concerning road improvements, maintenance, construction and roadside weed eradication. Terry replied by saying a committee is already in place that deals with roadside weed eradication. He suggested wild flowers along the road would rid the roadside of weeds and that there is grant money available for such action. As for the new Land Use Plan, Terry said he is in favor of the plan. He said they need to reserve open spaces needed to be preserved for future generations and public enjoyment. He continued by saying road improvements must be based on the safety of buses and school children and said the County had an excellent County Engineer and staff. Terry said large developments must pay for part or all of the infrastructure when they expanded into rural areas of the County, specifically for roads.

Slockett asked Terry what he though the County's role should be in protecting the environment. He said the answer depended very heavily on the Environmental Study Committee which was a few months away from bringing recommendations to the Board. Terry said ordinances needed to be passed to support the Committee's recommendations. He mentioned a Cedar Rapids Gazette article published a few months ago that ranked Johnson County and Iowa City as third highest in the country in losing sensitive areas. Terry said the Zoning Commission has worked to change this and is much more conscious of the environment and wetlands. He said he would like to see developers show plans to replace the trees which are cut down by new developments.

Slockett asked Terry to describe his approach to balancing economic and business interests with the interests in the health and well-being of the citizens and environmental concerns. Terry said the County must support and encourage economic progress that provides a better quality of life while being environmentally and worker safe.

Slockett asked Terry what his opinion was of the Johnson County Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Terry said being on the Planning and Zoning Commission, they worked on the Plan for about 3 years. He said that the Land Use Plan is a good document and now ordinances need to be put in place to enforce it. Terry said he fought for and helped ad a new Zoning Category (AR1) which would facilitate young people staying on farms.

Slockett asked Terry what he knew about and what his opinion was regarding the impact and incidence of Johnson County taxes. He replied by saying the people do not have any input over how the taxes are used other than electing officials who make those decisions. He said this wasn't meant to sound negative. It was a reality. He said that since taxes were one of the few sources of revenues, they must be used judiciously, efficiently and with caution.

Slockett asked Terry how he weighed requests for spending which require tax dollars versus increasing taxes. Terry answered by saying one must look at the total needs of the County government then prioritize against the big picture while trying to stay within the existing tax base. He said he was not in favor of increasing taxes unless it can be proven that it will benefit all the County residents without putting limits on fixed income families or the disabled.

Slockett asked Terry what, if anything, should be done with the nature of County tax options. Terry said he would like to see an in-house grant writer that would probably come out of the Auditor's Office. He said he was notion favor of hiring consultants. He continued by saying large developers must pay their own way and a tax increase must be analyzed in terms of cost/benefits for all County residents.

Slockett asked Terry if he was in favor of implementing a local option sales tax, and if so, for what use. Terry answered by saying he did not want the local option sales tax to be a hardship for the elderly and those with fixed and low incomes. He continued by saying if it is passed, ways must be found to address tax relief, improve County infrastructure such as roads and allocate funds for Human Services.

Slockett asked Terry if had any experience putting budgets together and asked how he felt about performance based budgeting. Terry replied by saying he has run 3 businesses, and also managed the moneys of the church where he served as elder trustee. He said he actually performed performance based budgeting at the church. Terry said he had been involved in budgets ranging from $200,000-$700,000. He stressed that those who put the budgets together must make them as understandable as possible. Terry said he was definitely in favor of performance based budgeting, including departments setting goals and performance standards.

Slockett asked Terry if he was appointed and an election was called if he would seek his party's nomination. Slockett continued by asking Terry if he would run for re-election if appointed and would he petition or run as the nominee in an election that was petitioned for. Terry said he would seek his party's nomination if he was appointed and an election called. He said he would consider running for re-election if he felt he had made a positive contribution and had public support. Terry said he it was the Supervisor's responsibility to provide the public a return on the moneys they invest paying a Supervisor's wages, meaning one should run for re-election if they are doing an effective job. Terry continued by saying he would not petition for a special election if he was not appointed and would have no involvement in a special election, saying he had confidence in the Committee's ability to chose the next Supervisor.

Slockett said Terry had already answered the first of the 2 additional questions. Slockett stated the Board wanted to get a perspective on how long a commitment Terry was willing to make and Slockett pointed out that Terry had said he would serve as long as he felt he was making a contribution. Terry said he liked the people who worked in the Administration Building, that he was semi-retired, and would continue to serve. Terry said he could see himself serving in County government for the next 10 years. Slockett said he looked positively at someone who was willing to make a major commitment since a Supervisor's duties included a learning curve.

Slockett asked Terry if he was appointed when he could begin to serve. Terry said he could start the position at whatever time the Board desired. He said he didn't want to walk in cold on the budgets.

Slockett asked Terry if he had any questions to ask the Board. Terry voiced his concerns that the 2 questions he had for the Board might take more time than he was allotted, so he asked permission to give his closing statement before questioning the Committee. The Committee had no objections.

Terry said he would do his absolute best to his fellow county residents, workers and to the commitment of the tax-payers. He continued by saying he could bring a strong degree of experience to the Board, that he was a team player who would not give up his principles, meaning if an issue he supported was defeated he would still support the majority. Terry said he wanted to be known as a team player. Terry said he knew he did not have all the answers, and will be asking questions. He said he was glad to see the things that had been done in the Recorder's Office and the Treasurer's Office. He said he was always proud of the Auditor's Office. Terry stressed that he understood the learning process a new Supervisor has to go through. He concluded by saying he felt he was qualified and he would perform his job to the best of his ability.

Slockett said he was impressed at the detailed level Terry answered questions, especially the space issue. Slockett thanked Terry for applying, and he would give him serious consideration.

Terry said more appreciation should be given to Johnson County volunteers, such as a year end party or plaque, giving something more significant than a piece of paper at the end of volunteer's service. Slockett said budget constraints were a problem. He said that sometimes entities can get carried away with this. Slockett said you don't want to cloud an award by making it controversial and that it had been suggested by the State Auditor's office that something placed in the minutes of a Board or Committee that does this which states how it speaks to the essential purpose of the organization. Terry said on the Planning and Zoning Commission they have had several potlucks.

Kriz and Painter both thanked Terry for applying for the Supervisor position and for bringing up new issues and viewpoints. Slockett stated that all this information is available on the website, and added that the budget should be put on the site as well.

Terry asked Kriz where he saw the County in 10 years so Terry could contribute to his goals. Kriz replied that he wanted everyone to work together, using knowledge from the past and the present. Kriz said he never felt that the community pulled towards a common goal, but with the current elected officials the scope of where they're going as they learn to be an urban community, everybody has to work together. Kriz said that he sees this truly being a county, pulling city and county governments together. Kriz said people said this can't be done, but he thinks it can. Terry said it looks like they were on the same track.

Terry asked Slockett how he would like the Supervisor's office to look in 10 years. Slockett said he would like the Supervisors to have private offices so they can hold meetings with members of the public and also a larger Board room for larger meetings. Slockett said he would like to see the Board members be team players without giving up their respective principles, as Terry said. He said he supported the decentralization the County has in place, that it is efficient, cost-effective and is a model of public responsiveness. He continued by saying technology and the computer has made it possible for decentralization to function effectively. Slockett said he would like to see the Board of Supervisors continue being elected, and he was interested in the League of Women Voter's idea for a Charter Commission to have an elected County manager. However, Slockett feared that a County manager would be very expensive and it was difficult for the County manager's office to get input from the public regarding how effective their measures were. He said he would like to see the democratic nature and decentralization of County government maintained but Slockett said he was still open to other suggestions that made the County government more efficient but still maintained closeness to the people.

Terry asked Painter for a brief description as to where she would like to see the County in 10 years. Painter said many of the results the County would see in the next 10 years would come from the information superhighway. She continued by saying the County's use of this technology could have caused controversy in other circumstances, such as minutes and resumes on the web, and the possibility of posting the budget on the web site. She said that this will create a different atmosphere in the County that will be instrumental in shaping the coming decade, meaning people of different opinions will be exposed to each other in more deep and meaningful ways which well alleviate tension and hopefully lead to better, faster yet sound decisions. Painter said it was important to give the public information more readily so they can be part of the decision making process. Painter said she has a positive picture of the County because of the good people, workforce, business community and intelligent people coming forward to help the County. Terry said he observed that each member of the Committee supported the County pulling together and that an informed public leads to a good, healthy County.

Marianne Milkman thanked the Board Appointment Committee for their public selection process. Slockett said it was their pleasure to do it and that the impact of technology was going to change their lives. Milkman said she found their interview questions interesting and tried to answer them herself. Slockett said the interviews have been enjoyable and stimulating to listen to.

Reverend Bob Welsh said it was important that the Supervisors look at the balance of power on the Board as dictated by the public in the elections, and that each Committee member must ask themselves which candidate will contribute the best to that Supervisor's post and preserve the balance of power.

Recessed at 11:15 a.m.; reconvened at 11:27 a.m.

Continued: Committee Discussion of Applicants