The Gazette uses Instaread to provide audio versions of its articles. Some words might not be spoken correctly.
IOWA CITY Republicans passed a new state legislation earlier this year that requires a change in the way county supervisors are chosen, and Johnson County’s Temporary Redistricting Committee is getting ready to submit its precinct plan, the first stage in the process.
Senate File 75 mandates that county supervisors be chosen by districts rather than at-large in Iowa counties having a population of 125,000 or more, or that are home to one of the state’s three public universities. Currently, Johnson, Black Hawk, and Story all elect countywide supervisors and have Democratic-leaning boards.
This week, a precinct plan that the committee developed in collaboration with county staff was made public. It uses information from the 2020 census to certify the population in each precinct.
Once the county board of supervisors has approved the plan, it must be delivered to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office by October 1. When the group was formed, county administrators stated that the goal was to submit the plan by the end of the summer.
Following submission, the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency will illustrate the five districts in the representation plan and publish it by January 1, 2026.
When the national census is finished every ten years, we redistrict all of the counties, and the LSA creates the maps. County Auditor Julie Persons stated, “We are simply in a situation where Senate File 75 is having us do this supervisor redistricting right now, but we are going to follow the same process we follow every ten years to keep it consistent.”
The Johnson County Republicans appointed one member to the three-member redistricting committee, while the other two were chosen by the board of supervisors. Sue Dvorsky, a former Iowa Democratic Party chair, and Nate Mueller, Johnson County’s assistant director of planning, development, and sustainability, were appointed by the board of supervisors.
Iowa City-based architect Thomas McInerney has been appointed by Johnson County Republicans. McInerney had previously been a member of the county party’s campaign committee.
Random draw for district term limits
In November 2026, ballots will be cast for all five supervisory board seats. Some supervisor districts will be given two-year terms, while others will be given four-year terms, in order to generate staggered terms. These terms will start following the election in the fall of next year.
Persons stated that she intends to choose which districts receive which term lengths in a public meeting using a random selection procedure. Following the plan’s approval and publication, that will take place. Supervisors will be chosen for staggered four-year terms following the 2026 election.
Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz and Board Chair Jon Green’s terms are scheduled to expire in 2026. After being elected to four-year terms in November 2024, supervisors Rod Sullivan, Mandi Remington, and Lisa Green-Douglass will now be up for election in 2026.
[email protected] is the commenting email.
Subscribe to the myJohnson County Update newsletter to receive a weekly summary of Johnson County happenings.
