By Alisa Meggitt, Iowa City
Supervisor Jon Green is the steady, thoughtful leader Johnson County needs in turbulent times. His colleagues on the Board recognized that leadership by electing him Chair for a second consecutive year — an unprecedented vote of confidence. Jon’s calm, bridge-building approach has provided dependable leadership and delivered real results for the county over the past five years.
Over the last year and a half, Green has worked to build consensus among Board members, residents, law enforcement, and other stakeholders on plans for a new county jail that can earn broad public support. He helped guide discussions toward a 120-bed proposal, persuading some to scale back larger plans while encouraging others to support a more practical compromise. Now, his leadership is essential to bringing the jail bond proposal to voters this November.
As Johnson County continues to face political pressure from Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers in Des Moines and Washington, Jon Green has consistently stood up for local values and vulnerable communities.
When LGBTQ+ rights came under attack in the legislature, Jon spoke out clearly in support of equality and inclusion. When Governor Reynolds ordered flags lowered to honor Charlie Kirk, Green declined to recognize someone he viewed as divisive and instead lowered flags in honor of Jesse Jackson and Melissa Hortman.
Jon has also helped lead efforts to support Johnson County’s immigrant community through both advocacy and action. He worked with the staffs of Rob Sand and Bernie Sanders to begin securing a $1,400 relief grant for workers excluded from federal COVID assistance programs. He later collaborated with fellow supervisors and Iowa City councilors to reach a compromise solution that could move forward.
When funding was cut for the Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS), which monitors nitrate levels in Iowa waterways, Jon quietly organized support from other counties to provide temporary funding. Thanks to those efforts, statewide funding has now been secured for another year.
In five years as a county supervisor — and previously as mayor of Lone Tree — Jon Green has shown he can successfully lead both small-town initiatives and countywide projects. I’ve seen firsthand how responsive he has been in helping residents address concerns on Newport Road and throughout the community.
Johnson County has benefited from Jon Green’s leadership, and I encourage voters to re-elect him as Supervisor for District 2 on June 2.
