THURSDAY, FEB. 1, 2024 • VOLUME N0. 129 • ISSUE NO. 20 • 1 SECTION • 10 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
COLD SNAPPED By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Jasper County and the 98 other counties in the state of Iowa were pummeled by a year’s worth of snow in about a week, but rural residents are so upset with the slow pace of hauling and plowing operations that they have resorted to calling other county departments like the auditor and DMV in order to complain. Supervisor Brandon Talsma responded to the complaints in a 17-minute video posted on his Facebook page with the comment, “Manners, tempers and patience.” The video has since garnered more than 5,400 views and more than 100 reactions, many of which were sympathetic to the county’s challenges. In the video, Talsma said during budget hearings on Jan. 15 he received around 27 different emails, texts and calls from individuals calling about snow on gravel roads. He then pleaded with residents to not contact other departments if they do not get through to secondary roads, which has been inundated with calls. “You’re not the only person in the county. You’re not the only person trying to get a hold of
them. Just simply hang up and try again,” he said. “Please do not start calling the treasurer’s office, the VA, the auditor’s office, emergency management or anybody else because you can’t get through to secondary roads.” Two or three people in the secondary roads department, he added, cannot respond in an hour’s time to the hundreds of calls they have been receiving since the snowstorms hit Jasper County. Talsma said it is also difficult for him to keep up with the phone calls he is receiving because of budget hearings. Talsma asked residents to please be patient when it comes to the plowing of secondary roads. He understands that residents are getting irritated and want out of their homes. Secondary roads crews have been working 12-hour shifts trying to get the roads cleared since the storms. “We haven’t had a snow event like this in quite some time,” he said. Secondary roads only has so many staff members and resources at their disposal, and the volume of snow, the pace in which it accumulated, the freezing temperatures and the excessively high drifts have only made matters worse for the plowing
Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune Traffic drives along Highway 14 between Newton and Monroe while surrounded by snow. Crews working to plow and haul snow prioritized major highways following recent snowstorms before addressing secondary roads, which enraged a number of residents who were trapped by high snowdrifts for several days.
and snow hauling crews. Talsma didn’t mince words: “We have over 927 miles of gravel road in Jasper County,” he said. “We have over 300 miles of paved routes in Jasper County. Jasper County is 733 square miles. We are the eighth largest county in the state of Iowa. The eighth largest county in the state of Iowa. It’s going to take the guys some time.”
Talsma said he saw a post from Mahaska County that claimed one truck driver spent seven-and-a-half hours to clear a mile-and-a-half of road trying to bust through drifts; Jasper County crews are encountering the exact same conditions. Talsma suggested such conditions are commonplace in the country. “Living in the country brings a lot of freedom and a lot of pri-
Iowa’s property tax reform law comes at a cost for local governments ‘Ramifications’ of House File 718 complicate budgets for cities and counties By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Doug Bishop picked one helluva time to run for mayor of Baxter. In addition to managing his office as the county treasurer and trying to find solutions to his town’s ongoing struggles with EMS service, state laws are making budgeting sessions extra tough for local governments these next few years. He anticipates Baxter’s city officials will have to make some really hard decisions in the coming months and so forth, and it is in large part because of House File 718. Outcry from property assessments last year forced the Iowa Legislature to pass a bipartisan property tax reform law that have some city leaders on edge. Newton City Administrator Matt Muckler has repeatedly criticized the law for penalizing city growth. Bishop is not too fond of the law either, and he lobbed his criticisms directly in the faces of Jasper County’s statehouse legislators during a legislative gathering Jan. 20 at Newton Public Library. State Sen. Ken Rozenboom mentioned in a previous, unrelated topic that most Iowans — including himself — would not like it if the federal government told Iowa how to govern its state. Bishop suggested House File 718 does the same thing, only it is the state telling city and county governments what to do. “We’re seeing everything first hand everything that you’re talking about,” Bishop said. “I heard you,
It may be cold but rural Jasper County residents are getting hot over snow hauling operations
vacy, but you’re also not going to experience the same level of expedited services or the same level of services as living in a city,” Talsma said. “We also are a lot larger territory with a lot more miles to cover than counties like Johnson, Polk, stuff like that.” Talsma also addressed questions from citizens who wanted SNOW | 2
Lawmakers welcome even more feedback about upcoming education bills Jasper County lawmakers are staying in contact with superintendents, AEA leaders and constituents By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Iowa House Rep. Jon Dunwell has already spent several hours talking about the proposal to reform the Area Education Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune Agencies during a legislaFrom left: Iowa House Rep. Barb Kniff McCulla, Iowa House Rep. Jon tive gathering held by the Dunwell and Iowa State Sen. Ken Rozenboom speak to constituents League of Women Voters during a legislative gathering hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jasper County on Jan. 20 at the Newton Public Library. of Jasper County and now a Newton school board Senator, say you don’t want the feds rector. Bishop said House File 718 meeting. Even so, he is coming down and telling us what is driving down what municipaliencouraging even more we’re going to do with ourselves … ties can tax their citizens. For Baxfeedback. but House File 718, the state came ter, the only place the city has room Dunwell has been in down and told us what we could or to cut is people. But doing so potencontact with the four difcouldn’t do as far as taxing our cit- tially comes at a loss of service. ferent superintendents izens.” To make matters even more that are part of his district, Bishop condemned the bill for complicated, the City of Baxter has and he has frequently being a “slammed through, mid- already combined resources and asked for their feedback. dle-of-the-night deal” to appease shares its librarian with the school He has also made concitizens over their high property district. Bishop said what House tact with Dr. Cindy Yelick, assessments. But Bishop said law- File 718 has done is taken away the chief administrator of makers may not have fully under- the city’s local authority to tax its Heartland AEA, and has stood what they were voting on citizens more to maintain services. been having regular conother than they were going to pro- To him, the bill needs to be readversations with her since vide relief for Iowans. As treasurer, dressed. the summer about AEAs. Shaw “She’s Media he understands that. “We need to get back to local conup at the Capitol “But there has been ramifications trol,” Bishop said. “I understand almost every day having since,” Bishop said. the thoughts of y’all passing it, but conversations with legisThe City of Baxter has a full-time we’re in crisis right now in our little lators,” he said. “You have public works director, one police of- town. The bigger ones can absorb it to remember, what makes ficer, a fire department, a city clerk, this bill very unique a librarian and full-time EMS diTAX REFORM | 3 is this is the first time est. 1851
est. 1851
CONTACT US
Newsroom: 641-792-3121, ext. 7 • Advertising: 641-792-3121, ext. 2 Subscriptions/Delivery: 641-792-5320 • Billing: 641-792-3121, ext. 6
we’ve looked at it. There is a lot of legislation that you think moves quickly and does move quickly because it’s the third or fourth time we’ve looked at it.” The AEA proposal and its amendment is brand new and will require a lot of extra studying from legislators, many of whom may not even grasp how AEAs or how special education works in public schools. There is a quick learning curve for lawmakers, Dunwell said. While Dunwell has stated that he does not support the original proposal and is undecided on the governor’s amended proposal, he did tell the audience that he is never against looking for effectiveness and efficiencies, and he suggested decision making should be about the kids and making sure there are outcomes. “The challenge of looking at a bill like this is: Do these changes actually AEA | 3
est. 1851