The candidates for an open seat on the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors have different goals for the office.
Tom Broeker
Republican Tom Broeker of Burlington is completing his fourth year on the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors.
He first ran for office to make Des Moines County government more efficient and to be an advocate for every taxpayer in the county.
Broeker said those are the same reasons he filed the paperwork to seek a second term.
"We want a county that provides high-quality services, and attracts jobs (and) workers to help spread the tax burden over a larger property base," Broeker said.
He said in a second term he will continue to focus on day-to-day operations, the annual budget and the overall financial outlook, particularly regarding how cuts by the state and federal governments will impact the county.
"Things roll downhill and as state and federal governments face financial challenges," said Broeker. "So they will shift them so it will mean less money coming to the local governments, the city governments, the county governments. We need to be alert and flexible enough to make the changes that will be necessary."
Broeker is proud of the recent changes made to the budgeting process, focusing on how much money is available instead of spending requests.
He said he will continue to search for opportunities to improve services and save money through regionalization and to lobby the state for additional resources to improve county roads.
Ann Distelhorst
Democrat Ann Distelhorst of Burlington said her family has always been involved in politics and community service and she sees this as her opportunity to get involved.
She wants to be a voice for all residents of Des Moines County and someone they can come to with their questions, ideas or concerns.
Distelhorst said a priority for her is to open up county government and promote what is going on and available to the public.
"There are some wonderful things happening here in Des Moines County, but we are not good at telling people what they are," said Distelhorst. "Part of that is because of state reorganizations and changes that make it difficult for even employees to know what is going on and I think that is something I can bring.”
Openness and transparency also extends to board meetings according to Distelhorst.
She said if elected, she would work to move the board meetings to different times and different locations. Currently, meetings are held at 9:00 Tuesday morning at the Des Moines County Courthouse.
"That is not always a convenient time for residents who have something to bring up," said Distelhorst.
She said if elected, she would support putting more resources into public infrastructure, continuing the jail diversion partnership with Lee County and improving efficiency across departments.
