A lawsuit brought against the Story County Board of Supervisors by a state representative and a local farmer running for Story County Supervisor may be headed for the appeals board.

Rep. Barbara Finch, R-Ames, and David Deyoe of Nevada originally brought a case before the Story County Trial Court in August 1999.

Judge Michael Moon dismissed the case March 28, saying the matter of county budget was not one for the courts to decide.

Backed by the Story County Farm Bureau, Finch and Deyoe argued that the services provided by the rural services fund benefited the entire county, and should be paid for by the county’s general services fund.

Finch and Deyoe both own land in rural areas and pay taxes to the rural services fund.

The case was eventually whittled down to who should pay for the Sheriff’s Department of Story County.

“The reason this lawsuit was brought about was because rural land owners were paying for uniformed patrol,” said Christina Gruenhagen, attorney for Finch and Deyoe.

“When the Sheriff’s Department patrols Highway 30, it benefits everyone who travels,” she said.

“The traffic tickets are evenly split between rural and urban residents,” Gruenhagen said.

There are now two possibilities for the case.

“We can elect new [county] supervisors, or there’s still an appeal period,” Gruenhagen said.

She said they have not yet decided how to proceed.

The Story County Board of Supervisors, the group against which the suit was filed, argued city residents, who already pay for patrol, should not have to finance rural patrol.

Jane Halliburton, chairwoman of the Story County Board of Supervisors, said the suit was a “big waste of time and money.”

“People who live in cities already pay for law enforcement,” Halliburton said.

Story County Attorney Steve Holmes said in a press release the lawsuit taxed the legal reserves of Story County.

The 30-month case, he said, cost the county more than $70,000, not including research time.

He could not be reached for further comment.

Finch and Deyoe were assessed $407.75 in legal costs.

Gruenhagen said the Farm Bureau’s contribution to the suit was “mostly just time.”

When the suit was originally filed, both Finch and Deyoe were officers of the Story County Farm Bureau.

“As Farm Bureau members, the Iowa Farm Bureau was requested to provide assistance [in the case],” Gruenhagen said.

“If there’s loud music in town, people call the sheriff’s office,” Gruenhagen said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s in a city or rural area.”