Of the two seats on the ballot in 2022, Warren County Supervisor Aaron DeKock doesn't plan to run for reelection

Warren County Supervisor Aaron DeKock has announced he will not run for reelection in November 2022, while Supervisor Crystal McIntyre, the longest-serving member of the board, is hoping for a third term.

"I have three kids under the age of 10, and I've taken a big step away from my law practice," DeKock said. "I'm sort of excited to get back to my regular work and spend more time with my family."

DeKock said his four years on the board have resulted in some very gratifying results. At the top of the list is the 2022 completion of the Warren County Justice Center.

Also high on his list is solving some of the emergency management problems in the county.

"When I started, there were dead spots in the county where residents couldn't call for emergency services like an ambulance or fire," DeKock said.

Another accomplishment DeKock sees in his time with the board is its work on rural roads and funding for the county's engineering department.

"I caught so much grief after I was sworn in about rural roads in 2019," DeKock said. "We had a very wet spring and the gravel roads were a muddy mess. The county roads were just in terrible shape."

Although the county's hands are tied when it comes to funding secondary roads and the engineering department, DeKock said they found some money.

"It's a process, but I do genuinely think that our roads are in better shape now than when I began," he said.

McIntyre's term is also up in 2022, but she says she wants to stay on the board to address unfinished work.

"The transfer of dispatch to the emergency commission, finish the courthouse, build the engineer's shop — if I had the opportunity to go back, I think I would have made the 911-communications and engineer's shop site my two top priorities," McIntyre said.

Although most of those projects are scheduled to either begin or finish in 2022, McIntyre says she's not done working for the county.

Another project on the back burner is bringing a bond issue to voters to fund paving rural gravel roads. The issue is still in the planning stages but could cost $15 million.

"I've been wanting to do this since the beginning, when I was first elected," McIntyre said.

The topic of funding secondary road paving has come up in the board's study session. McIntyre said if the bond issue is passed in 2022, due to financing and construction schedules, it would take an additional two years to complete the paving plans.

With DeKock leaving the board in 2022, he's not looking at new opportunities. Although he said he might consider running for the Iowa legislature someday, DeKock said that the time isn't right.

"I don't see that happening in the short term," DeKock said. "But I think I could do some good there when the time is right."

For now, he's setting his sights closer to home.

"I will stay involved — I really do like public service — but my two older daughters are in travel softball leagues and the youngest is going to be five. For now, I'll practice more law and, who knows, maybe I'll be a coach," DeKock said.

Teresa Kay Albertson covers Des Moines' southern suburbs for the Register and the Indianola Record-Herald. Reach her at talbertson@registermedia.com or 515-419-6098.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Warren County, Iowa Supervisor Aaron DeKock won't run for reelection