Budget Cuts: Cooper said he believes the current system of budget allocations needs to be changed.

“You have to go back to square one, which is what they should have been doing a long time ago,” Cooper said. “You’ve got to justify what they’re spending money for. If you want me to write the check, tell me what you are going to spend it on.” 

Cooper said the current system of setting the county’s budget doesn’t require enough oversight on exactly where the money is going.

Health Care: Story County, along with several other counties in Iowa, is struggling under the burden of spending on mental health, which is mandated by  the state government.

Cooper said he’s hoping that the state is going to follow through on its word to fund the shortfalls in mental health spending among Iowa’s counties.

“This is something the current supervisors are going to need to continue to address,” he said.

Job and Economic Development: Cooper said he didn’t think the county was utilizing the assets it already had as well as it could be.

“There are a lot of people in Story County that are pretty knowledgeable and have a lot of contacts in the industry and that’s what business is all about,” Cooper said. “Everybody knows somebody and that’s another way to expand.”

He said the Board of Supervisors are going to have to focus on getting new business partners and new leads for economic development from people who were already residents of Story County.

Civil Rights: Cooper said he didn’t think diversity in Story County was a big problem.

“The different departments in Story County, and the elected heads in these departments, are doing a pretty good job,” Cooper said.  “There are a few problems with departments having poor hiring practices, but it seems like most of them have been doing really well, and my philosophy is, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.