Budget Cuts: Sanders said the Board of Supervisors needs to return to a ‘zero-base’ budget system, or one that requires the budget to start from zero and build up from there.

“We have to justify and prioritize what we want,” he said. “Fully fund those things that we need to be doing, and then if there are programs that we want to fund but we just can’t afford, well, those are just going to have to wait.”

Health Care:The Board of Supervisors responds to issues of funding for health related issues in Iowa, such as money for mental health care. 

Sanders said one of the things the board was going to have to face was how to fund mental health care after the state put a cap on the amount of money the county could raise for mental health and promised to bridge the gap, but hasn’t yet come through with the funding.

“So it’s those kinds of issues that we’ve got to be able to juggle as supervisors and say ‘hey, wait a minute this is all priority,’ he said.” This is why it’s so important to take a good look at our budgets so we can find funding for these things.”

Jobs and Economic Development: Sanders believes the current portion of the budget that the Board of Supervisors allocates toward economic development is too low and there isn’t enough tangible support provided by the board to support economic growth in Story County. 

“I plan on sitting at the table and fully working and participating with the development community,” he said. “We would offer letters of support and things like that.”

He said he also supports raising the current budget allocation for economic development in the county and reprioritizing what the money can be spent on.

“Our budget for economic development is laughably low at $75,000 on a $40 million budget,” he said. “And we only spend about $55,000 of that a year, usually on things like welcome signs for towns. We give them $5,000 and call it economic development.” 

Civil Rights: Sanders said he believes that the recruitment and hiring practices of both minorities and women in Story County to be a high priority and under the review of the Board of Supervisors.

“We set the policy and procedure and government for all of the county offices,” he said. “I am a huge proponent of making sure that we have a broad base of diversity and that we are truly hiring the best person for any given job.”