Jack Whitmer is the Democratic candidate who views Story County as a county in good standing with no needs for vast improvement. Whitmer is running for the Story County Board of Supervisors.

“We have no need for quick fixes, nor are we in crisis. We need to come together and plan what Story County will be in twenty years,” Whitmer said. He added that long-range planning and strategic planning was the key.

Whitmer said part of the long-range and strategic planning is to lay out the criteria and circumstances in which the board could collaborate with other businesses and services in order for the county to provide public service and facilities.

These public services, Whitmer said, would include public safety and recreation services.

Whitmer said the criteria used in selecting a business partner to share and control responsibilities are very important. Whitmer said organizations are chosen to work with Story County to provide services should be well examined so the partnership will work out.

He said there is an issue that is on the minds of rural residents of Iowa — hog lots.

“Right now we have no control as far as county zoning is concerned,” Whitmer said. He added that he has tried to do research on the issue and has come up with an alternative attack on hog lots.

Whitmer said the first action to take is to ask the state legislature for legal control over hog lots.

He said shared control between the state and local legislature would be a good idea. He proposed creating a state statute that would form a governing board containing county and state officials. Whitmer said the governing board could create policies for a particular confinement for the hog lots.

Whitmer said lobbying would be involved to ensure the governing board would have a majority of local officials. He said people who actually live in the effected area should be the majority on the board.