New Polk County Supervisors Balancing Full-Time Jobs with Governance
Polk County’s new supervisors plan to juggle their full-time jobs while serving in office, raising questions about their commitment.
Polk County, Iowa, Mark Holm, Jill Altringer, County Supervisors, Governance
Des Moines: Newly elected Polk County Supervisors Mark Holm and Jill Altringer are planning to keep their old jobs while also serving as supervisors. They didn’t mention this during their campaign, which has raised some eyebrows.
These supervisors have a lot on their plate. They oversee the county budget, make decisions on economic development, set tax rates, and even decide who gets community grants. They can hire and fire department heads too.
Things got a bit heated recently when Holm and Altringer reportedly asked County Administrator John Norris to resign just a day after taking office. This led to some tension with other supervisors.
Interestingly, Polk County supervisors are among the highest-paid in the country. They’ve been giving themselves raises for years, with the latest being a 4% increase. Their salaries even surpass that of Iowa’s governor.
On top of their salaries, they can also participate in a retirement savings program where the county matches contributions. This is a nice perk for them.
The county’s guidelines say supervisors can set their own hours, but they’re also expected to be available to the public full-time. Holm works at the Iowa Department of Transportation, while Altringer is a lobbyist. She’s even brought in a partner to help manage her workload.
Altringer has a lot of experience balancing multiple roles, having served on the Grimes City Council while raising kids and running a campaign. Holm, on the other hand, believes the supervisor role isn’t necessarily full-time, even though he’s getting full-time pay.
He mentioned that he might adjust his approach as he learns more about the job. Former supervisor Robert Brownell expressed concern, saying taxpayers expect supervisors to be fully committed. He believes trying to do two jobs at once could lead to one being done poorly.
Brownell shared that being a supervisor involves a lot of meetings and engagement with the community. He stepped away from his business to focus on his role as a supervisor, and he seems to be enjoying retirement now.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New Polk County supervisors plan to keep their full-time jobs