By Jim Magdefrau
VINTON – It was a brief meeting for the Benton County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 30, at the Benton County Service Center, Vinton.
Melinda Schoettmer, Benton County Treasurer, met with the board about abating mobile home tax for IV701FFFR24437 per Iowa Code 435.23 (3). The mobile home had burned down in Urbana. This allows for a new mobile home to placed on the lot.
Jeff Holmes was appointed to the veterans affairs commission. The board approved a fireworks permit for Iowa Pyrotechnics Association on May 25-26, Action was tabled to Thursday on a permit for Boomtown 2024, Aug. 23-24.
Weeds
Eric Schares, weed commissioner, met with the board about the county’s spray notice. The notice was approved to be published. The notice is as follows:
NOTICE – ROADSIDE SPRAYING
Roadside spraying will begin May 2, 2024. Signs Available for Native & Wildflower Plants
NO OTHER SIGNS WILL BE GIVEN
(2024 Program will be spot spraying only)
Benton County has a No Spray Sign permitting process that can be found in the Benton County Right-of-Way Management Policy. Residents interested in this program will need to fill out a permit and pay a one-time fee to enroll in the program which includes two signs. These will be the only No Spray Signs that will be honored. Please contact the Benton County Weed Commission with any questions at (319) 472-2040.
Meeting comments
Sheriff Ron Tippett addressed the board at the close of the meeting, regarding comments made during the county’s budget hearing the week before. He said he reviewed sheriff’s budgets, and the sheriff’s office has always been under the budget estimate. The large increase in the administrative budget was the “Back The Blue” bill that affects three people in the office. He said he went through the budget to remove “cushion” the best he could while leaving enough in case something happens. The budget for 2025 went down. He added that he is not an end-of-the-year spender. He said, “It’s important to me as a taxpayer to be vigilant with the county’s money and return as much as I can.”
Al Schafbuch also spoke at the end of the meeting regarding the budget hearing. He observed, “The increase is 12 percent, which is an awful amount.” He said the Farm Bureau looks at the ending balance of the entire county. Individual budgets are over-estimated, according to the Farm Bureau, making it higher on the estimate. Therefore the ending balance is lower. He wants the supervisors to look a little bit more when a department head comes in with an increase in the budget, and look at it a little closer to get spending in line.
Schafbuch also asked about public meeting procedural rules and rules of conduct.
Jim Magdefrau 