IOWA CITY

Jon Green, a former mayor of Lone Tree and still a resident there, was voted in as Vice Chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at its annual organizational meeting Tuesday.

Green has been on the Board since 2021, when he won a special election for an open seat. He won a four-year term in the November 2022 elections.

He was mayor in Lone Tree from 2018 to 2020.

Rod Sullivan, a longtime member of the Board, was nominated to be 2024 chair by Green and then voted in by the rest of the Board unanimously.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve Johnson County in 2024, working with Chair Sullivan in leadership,” Green told The News. “I expect a challenging year with the (Iowa) Legislature continuing its attacks on local government and jurisdiction, but we’re in better shape than most counties. Along with challenges come opportunities, and I’m excited for some initiatives we should be launching in the coming months.”

Green was nominated by Sullivan and then confirmed by a 4-1 vote.

Royceann Porter, who was the first Black to serve as Chair in 2022 and has often had disagreements with Green, voted against his nomination.

Green will be Vice Chair in 2024, taking his seat during Wednesday’s work session, with a potential move up to Chair in 2025.

Among his accomplishments was his work in helping to get the Direct Assistance Program approved to needy county residents with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Official Newspaper

The News was one of four newspapers designated as “official newspapers” of Johnson County.

Also approved by the Board was The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, the Press Gazette of Iowa City and the Solon Economist.

Board Committees

Sullivan was designated as the board’s liaison to the City of Lone Tree for 2024.

Green and 2023 Board Chair Lisa Green-Douglass were designated to fill Supervisor slots on the Rural Economic Development Committee.

Among Green’s other assignments are serving on the Eastern Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) Board of Directors.

V Fixmer-Oraiz, the newest member of the Board who was voted into a four-year term in 2022, desired to take a seated position on the Systems of Care committee, which meets monthly. However, with Green-Douglass and Sullivan already serving on the committee, that prevented Fixmer-Oraiz from joining that panel due to the maximum of two supervisors allowed to participate.

Ryan Maas, a county attorney, suggested that Fixmer-Oraiz could listen, but not participate due to state code regarding official meetings and quorums.

“It doesn’t sound like anybody is willing to change,” Fixmer-Oraiz said during the board’s Dec. 27 work session. “I would just hope that we can figure out something moving forward.”

“We’re not at a point of rustling it up, reconfiguring it,” said Green-Douglass, who noted the group resumed meeting in person just over the last year due to restrictions of the pandemic.

Board Action

At its Dec. 28 formal session, the Board approved a 28E agreement with Linn County for inmate housing.

The Board set 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11 as the date for the monthly formal session that will include multiple zoning and platting applications.

Next meeting: The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. Jan. 4.