IOWA CITY

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved Fiscal Year 2024 maximum tax askings of $38.9 million for general services and $7 million for rural services.

The approval came during a public hearing held March 29.

Funds requested for rural services are an increase of 0.68%, or $48,026, from Fiscal Year 2023, which ends June 30.

A large chunk of the funds will be used for maintenance and work on roads, along with funds for rural libraries, and salary and benefit increases for the Soil & Water coordinator and a sheriff patrol deputy.

“That maintenance, upkeep of those roads, are access to agricultural lands,” said Supervisor Chair Lisa Green-Douglass. “This is one of the ways that’s real visual for our public to see that we do, in fact, serve our rural population.”

The funds for general county services is an increase of 2.93%, or $1.18 million, to $38.93 million. The money will fund the salaries of 17 new county employees, salary and benefit increases, taser replacements for the sheriff’s department and a number of county building improvements.

In a work session held earlier March 29, the supervisors agreed to 4% salary increases for supervisors and other elected officials, and 4.8% for Sheriff Brad Kunkel.

The entire FY24 budget will be voted on at a later session in April.

Transgender Day

A proclamation honoring March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility drew emotional responses at the board’s formal session March 30.

V Fixmer-Oraiz, the first transgender to serve on the board, read the proclamation, which was followed by testaments from nine public speakers in the crowded boardroom.

“This means so much to me. Having you here means so much to me personally as a transgender elected official,” Fixmer-Oraiz said, addressing those in the audience. “I see in you the future that I want to live in.”

“Don’t give up,” said Supervisor Royceann Porter. “Please don’t give up. We are fighting for you.”

“I was a suicidal kid,” Supervisor Jon Green said in an emotional moment. “I needed a lot of help. I got that help. And it got better. It didn’t get better because it had to. It got better because going deep, I had a community, a family of people who loved me.

“For all of you, we see you, we love you and will fight like hell for you.”

Johnson County’s honoring of the transgender community came at a time that the state legislature was passing a number of anti-transgender and LGBTQ bills.

“The rest of Iowa that isn’t acting the way that they should as humans, we’ll see you and we’ll hear you and we’ll see that there are others standing alongside you,” Green-Douglass said. “We’ve got you.”

“It takes a lot more courage to be who you are than it does for legislators in Des Moines to write hateful bills,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “It takes mountains more courage. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Board Action

The Board approved a fireworks permit for Andy Neuzil and Stumptown Shooters for a planned PGT safety class to be held in the Lone Tree-River Junction Road area April 29.

The Board set public hearings April 19 at 5:30 p.m. for the Johnson County budget estimate and general obligation loan agreements.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of Public Health Week, April 3-9.