Meet the candidates for Des Moines County supervisor

Republican incumbent Tom Broeker, of Burlington, is facing Democrat Sandy Dockendorff, of Danville, for a four-year term on the three-member Des Moines County Board of Supervisors.

If Dockendorff is elected, the board once again would be majority Democrat, shifting the political make-up from the three-party representation that has been in place since 2020, when Independent Shane McCampbell was elected to join Broeker and Democrat Jim Cary.

More:Tom Broeker, Sandy Dockendorff talk mental health, county finances at forum

To help voters, The Hawk Eye sent questions to the Des Moines County supervisor candidates. Their answers appear in alphabetical order by last name and have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Election Day is Nov. 8. Early voting has already begun.

Who is Tom Broeker?

Political party: Republican

Education: Graduated Burlington High School and earned a bachelor's of business administration from University of Iowa.

Occupational background: Union ironworker for more than 12 years and operated a union steel erection company for more than 20 years.

Civic activities: City/County Health Insurance Board, DESCOM Control Board, Des Moines County Emergency Management Commission, Des Moines County Joint Safety Committee, Flood Plain Advisory Board, Grow Greater Burlington, Resource Enhancement and Protection Committee, Southeast Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region Governance Board; State of Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Commission for two terms; State of Iowa Medical Assistance Advisory Council for one term.

Local government background: Member of Des Moines County Board of Supervisors for 12 years

Who is Sandy Dockendorff?

Political party: Democrat

Education: Degrees in psychology and nursing

Occupational background: I've worked for the US Navy as a budget analyst, Georgetown University Medical Center and Burlington Hospital as a staff nurse, John Deere Health Care as a quality improvement/case manager nurse, a coordinator for the Decategorization Project and the Empowerment Board for Des Moines, Henry, and Louisa counties. My husband and I managed our own business providing financial management and computer services to individuals and other businesses. I have also worked as an accounting clerk for a construction company and an administrative assistant for a property and casualty insurance company.

Civic activities: I served three terms on the Danville School Board, I have written grants for area nonprofit organizations including the Community Health Centers of Southeast Iowa and have served as a member of the quality improvement, process management, risk assessment committee for that organization since the federal grant was approved and funded. While writing the grant was paid time, the service on the committees since then were volunteer. I served on the government relations committee for the Greater Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce. I also served in various leadership roles for my church. As a school board member, I served on various community service committees. I am a current member of the Danville Lions Club, the Danville Enhancement Committee, and am a past member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Local government background: In many of my experiences, both paid and unpaid, I've had the pleasure of working with city, county and school boards on issues from tornado safe rooms to mental health services and learned from those entities about many issues from sewer separation problems to options for surfacing roads. Local government is truly the best place to see how government affects people.

Why do you want to serve on the board of supervisors?

Broeker: Our board of supervisors works well together. We all share the same general goals for a safe, stable community with excellent county services. Our county has accomplished many goals in recent years. We now have a healthy budget. We have zero long-term debt. And we have reduced the property tax rate by 22%. We have more work to do in these challenging times. I’d be honored to serve again.

Dockendorff: County-level elected officials are in a good place to bring together people from other levels of government, private employers, and non-governmental, nonprofit organizations to identify and codify local solutions. Too many folks are rigidly following an ideology that shortchanges real solutions.

I want to serve because I can see opportunities for Des Moines County to grow and thrive. I also think the relationships I have built across organizational and government lines will be helpful in seeing possibilities others might miss. In other words, I think I can be helpful and so I want to be helpful.

If elected, how would you prioritize county spending?

Broeker: Counties are mandated by the state to provide a number of services such as courthouse services (auditor, recorder, treasurer), sheriff, county attorney, jail, secondary roads, public health, et al. My priorities will always include public safety and transportation infrastructure.

Dockendorff: To meet the needs of the residents of Des Moines County, specifically those outlined in state law. From my reading of the statutes that govern county government in Iowa, it does not seem that there is much wriggle room in what services the county provides.

What I think makes me different is my perspective on seeing different ways to meet those needs. Are there other partners we can bring to the table or other ways to provide those services that are more cost effective?

Is the county paying for things that are duplicated and available from other funding sources? It isn't the services that we can prioritize, but the efficiency and effectiveness of the services we provide that needs to be prioritized.

If elected, how will you ensure the county is adequately funded while also respecting that taxpayers' pocketbooks are being affected by inflation?

Broeker: The pain of inflation shouldn’t fall only on taxpayers. The county will need to tighten their belt as well. Our board of supervisors is used to tight budgeting, as are the county’s elected officials and department heads.

Des Moines County’s elected officials and department heads have maintained downward pressure on our property tax levy rate for 12 years, and it’s become an unofficial annual goal for each budget season. It’s a joint effort and I’m honored to serve with them.

Thankfully, Des Moines County has paid off its long-term debt, so rising interest costs won’t be a major problem.

Dockendorff: I learned from childhood that needs are different than wants. In lean times, we meet the critical needs of our people. There are times when not meeting the needs of the people by sticking to a slogan causes more expenses later and shrinks the ability of government to respond in critical situations. I don't like paying a penny more in taxes than is necessary, but I also don't want the taxes I do pay to be spent on ineffective and inefficient programs because folks are afraid to spend more to intervene by preventing problems than they are in spending to deal with the problem later.

In other words, I would rather spend more this year to save more in the next ten years. I graduated high school during a period of 11% inflation and a shrinking economy. Folks of my generation, and each one since then has been paying a penalty for that. Our homes, cars, education, healthcare, energy and food have all been more expensive than folks older than us. It has been harder for folks in that situation to build the resilience needed to get through years like this one.

It boils down to the same answer as the previous question: focus on meeting the needs and spend to intervene before problems become more expensive to deal with than they otherwise would be. Currently, our economy is expanding, businesses are making record profits, and it is going to take targeted action to catch up the difference between the cost of living and incomes.

What do you think the board can do to help support the growth and maintenance of mental health services in Des Moines County?

Broeker: Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand informed counties earlier this year that county funds cannot be used for the provision of mental health services. All spending on the provision of mental health services is done through the 14 separate mental health and disability services regions. Des Moines County is a member of the SEIL Region. I’m a member of the region’s governance board, which approves all spending in compliance with state guidelines. However, the board of supervisors can support the development and growth of those services in several ways:

• Participation, not only in SEIL Region boards, but in local groups like the Des Moines County CIT/Jail Diversion meetings. I’m the board of supervisor representative to those groups.

• Providing assistance to the region in making the public aware of the mental health treatment resources available.

• Workforce is one of the most critical needs in the provision of mental health services. Counties can support marketing efforts and legislative initiatives to encourage people to enter the human services field.

• Participation in and support of education, prevention, and early intervention initiatives such as Credible Minds. I’m a graduate of mental health first aid training.

• Finally, and no less importantly, financial stress is a powerful contributor to mental health issues. The county has a vital role in promoting and maintaining a healthy economic climate for individuals and employers.

More:Burlington area law enforcement, service providers seek to bridge mental health care gaps

Dockendorff: It does not matter who pays for the mental health care services, we don't have enough people to provide the services needed, nor enough people attending school to become available to provide that care, here. It is hard to compete with larger areas with more amenities and better reputations for being welcoming to newcomers.

So, helping to defray costs of relocating to our area, working with people here on how to put our welcoming mats out for new people, advocating for legislation that serves the mental health care needs of our residents are all needed. If elected, I'd like to host a meeting of state and federal legislators for our area with employers, schools, and nonprofits to outline a multi-pronged approach based on the needs of our county.

The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors earlier this year declared the county to be a Second Amendment sanctuary amid national concerns over gun restrictions. If presented with a request to make the county a 14th Amendment sanctuary due to potential abortion restrictions in Iowa, would you vote in favor of it? Why or why not?

Broeker: I wouldn’t. The 14th amendment is not a part of the “Bill of Rights.” The first 10 amendments in the U.S. Constitution are known as the “Bill of Rights.” The 2nd amendment is Article 2 of the “Bill of Rights."

The late Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson famously said that “The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from … political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials, and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote, they depend on the outcome of no elections.”

Governmental bodies and officials at all levels (local, state, and federal) regularly conspire to draw the 2nd Amendment into the political arena. The sanctuary county declaration makes it clear that Des Moines County will not join the efforts to move Article 2 into the political arena.

Dockendorff: I am not sure that declarations of sanctuary by county supervisors will stand up to litigation. County government at its core is required to uphold state and federal laws. Does a declaration of sanctuary for anything that abridges state and federal law or rights accorded to individuals by the U.S. Constitution open the county to legal challenges? As a person who has been responsible for recognizing and recommending action to minimize risk, I'd have to have a legal opinion on whether it would waste county resources to do something like that.

More:Des Moines County is now a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary. Here's what it means.

If elected, what would be your top three priorities and how would you work to accomplish them?

Broeker: Des Moines County’s financial ability to provide mandated county services and the economic well-being of the people and employers of Des Moines County are dependent on four things:

• Stable, competitive property tax rates

• Well-maintained transportation infrastructure

• Excellent and efficient county services

• A well-managed county government that doesn’t reel from crisis to crisis.

In the last 20 years, the state of Iowa has transferred ownership and responsibility for several sections of highways 34, 79, 99 and 406 to Des Moines County. Some of the roadway surfaces and bridges in those highways will need repair or replacement in the next few years.

Complicating this issue is the fact that Iowa code sets limits on the funding available to secondary roads. The county will need to find a way to complete this work without negatively impacting regular maintenance on the rest of our transportation system.

Mental health is a local, state, and national problem. With all funding responsibility assumed by the state of Iowa; the available avenues for counties to affect mental health services are primarily participation, education, and advocacy. I have a track record of pursuing all these avenues.

I’m a member of the SEIL Mental Health Region Governance Board and active in the Des Moines County CIT/Jail Diversion group. I was a member of the board of supervisors that created Southeast Iowa’s first jail diversion program in partnership with Lee County and Southeast Iowa’s first Crisis Residential Home in partnership with Henry County. I’ve spent an evening riding along with a crisis intervention trained Burlington police office. I’m a graduate of the mental health first aid training course. I was appointed by the governor to both the Iowa Mental Health and Disabilities Services Commission and Medical Assistance Advisory Council to advocate for counties.

More:Burlington has been selected as location for 5-bed intensive residential service home. Here's why.

Dockendorff:

1. Work with county department heads to find out if there are better ways to meet the needs of our residents that are more efficient and effective. Do we have feedback loops in place to identify programs/services that are wasteful?

2. Work with appropriate entities to see how we can make sure our residents are getting the mental health care they need.

3. Bring together appropriate groups to identify, quantify and solve the employee retainment issues while expanding the jobs available to area residents.

Would you support more funding for conservation? Why or why not?

Broeker: Counties are only mandated to provide a suitable office for the conservation board’s meetings and for safekeeping its records. But the Des County Board of Supervisors has given conservation a great deal of support over the years.

The board of supervisors voted to let conservation keep Big Hollow revenues to fund improvements. The board loaned conservation $250,000 for a sewage system, shower house and other improvements at Big Hollow.

This year the board approved letting conservation keep all park revenues from all the parks. Conservation is the only department in Des Moines County that gets to keep general fund revenues for its own use.

The board of supervisors and conservation have different responsibilities and visions. The board of supervisors has responsibilities that don’t always mesh with conservation’s visions. The board of supervisors’ most important responsibility is to maintain the county’s financial ability to fund state mandated county services.

Conservation wants to devote park revenues to building new facilities. Disagreements sometimes arise over whether the additional costs to operate and maintain those new facilities should be paid out of the park revenues – or whether those additional costs should be passed on to property taxpayers. I am opposed to increasing property taxes to cover those additional expenses.

More:County property owners rally against proposed lease program on FEMA buyout land

Dockendorff: I can't answer this question without hearing from both the conservation department about what did not get done because of this decision and if there were other ways implemented to get those things done through partnerships with others. Budget decisions are frequently more nuanced than folks realize. Taking one budget decision out of context without knowing the tradeoffs (what else wouldn't get done if three were hired?) isn’t something I want to do.

Do you think the county should contribute money to the special needs playground at Dankwardt Park using American Rescue Plan Act funds? Why or why not?

Broeker: I support a contribution to the playground. I think it would be an excellent amenity for the children of Des Moines County.

Dockendorff: I absolutely agree with the concept of the park upgrades and what they are wanting to bring to Burlington's families. However, after reading the American Rescue Plan Act enabling language, I am not seeing a legal means of using that source of funding for this project. I'd need a legal opinion before voting to do that for that reason. I would also have to look at other resources the county may have access to or funding that might be made available to the project if we signed as partners on a grant or something like that. The concept of the park improvements sounds wonderful.

More:Burlington requests $200K from Des Moines County's ARPA funds for inclusive playground

Why should Des Moines County residents vote for you?

Broeker: I’m experienced. I’ve kept my promises. I have a record of success. I would be honored to serve again.

Dockendorff: My life experiences, talents, and education allow me to bring a different perspective to the role. As one whose function in all the roles I have had in life has been to improve the quality and efficiency while reducing the risks and meeting the goals of the organization I work for, it is in the best interest of dollar-conscious voters to vote for me. I prefer to work with folks from many points of view to make sure our actions reflect the best possible outcomes for our residents, rather than only talking to or hearing from people who already agree with me.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Meet the Des Moines County supervisor election 2022 candidates