Letters

By Lauren Whitehead, Solon City Council member from 2017-2026 I appreciate that V Fixmer-Oraiz is being open about their opposition to the proposed 120-bed jail (not 240, as often cited). If you are going to oppose a project, do it honestly and directly. I have tremendous respect for V as a community leader and influential […]

By Gary Sanders, Iowa City If you are undecided who to vote for between Supervisors Rod Sullivan and V Fixmer-Oraiz in the June 2 Johnson County Democratic Party primary for the new District 4 Supervisor seat, I have two suggestions: 1) Watch the 45-minute YouTube recording of the April 18 Johnson County League of Women […]

By Jutta Rubright, Solon County Supervisor Jon Green has been quietly leading the Board of Supervisors and other officials for the past two years toward a plan for a new jail and bond proposal. In fact, the other Supervisors trust Green as they elected Jon to be Chair of the Board for a second consecutive […]

By Solomon Fenton-Miller, Coralville My partner attended her first Johnson County Board of Supervisors meeting on May 6 to share concerns about the county jail survey. Most supervisors listened respectfully and offered additional opportunities for discussion. Supervisor Rod Sullivan, on the other hand, likened my partner to RFK Jr. for questioning scientific results. He later […]

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 […]

By Laurie Tulchin, Johnson County I will be supporting Jon Green for Johnson County Supervisor in the June 2 primary. Jon was raised on an Iowa farm and currently lives on his farm near Lone Tree. His leadership on land use, the environment, and clean water for the past 5 years on the Board of […]

By Emerson Cram, Iowa City Johnson County Democrats, we are at a crossroads. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to elect a slate of progressive candidates to the Board of County Supervisors. V Fixmer-Oraiz, Jon Green, and Mandi Remington are the principled community leaders we need in the face of intricate and multiplying […]

By Sue Ellen Tuttle, Ames There is a person who taught at Iowa City West Junior High in 2004 that is my hero, even though I’ll likely never meet them. An assignment they gave ignited a future of identifying and fighting for civil rights and social justice in one of their students who would go on […]

By Tom Carsner, Iowa City Supervisors V Fixmer-Oraiz and Jon Green stood up for worker’s rights, fairness, and justice when they opposed Supervisor Rod Sullivan’s unprecedented and arbitrary firing of Board Executive Director Guillermo Morales in September 2024. Sullivan arbitrarily ignored County employee policies about “for cause” termination, progressive discipline, and basic employee rights. Sullivan […]

By Finch VanDyk, Iowa City I’m standing at the ballot box and staring down the future of Johnson County. Like it or not, there it stretches in front of me: 50, maybe 60 years lived in these 613 square miles. What kind of future will it be?  Two names stare back at me from the […]

By Kelcey Patrick-Ferree, Iowa City, District 5 On June 2, we will hold a primary election that includes Johnson County Supervisors. Because Republicans have decided that 3 counties in Iowa are no longer permitted to decide whether or not to use districts for Supervisors, we have had our 2024 local election undone. Mandi Remington, who […]