Two candidates seek to unseat Steve Van Oort in Polk County District 3 in Altoona, Ankeny

Two candidates seek to unseat Polk County supervisor Steve Van Oort to represent District 3 in Altoona, Ankeny and a portion of unincorporated Polk County.

Republican Van Oort, who is serving his third term on the Polk County Board of Supervisors, faces Republican challenger Mark Holm in the June primary. The winner will square off against Democrat Kim Hagemann in November.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal, Des Moines area legislative and local candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

More: Early voting has started for Iowa's June 4 primary election. Here's what you should know:

Who is Mark Holm?

Age: 48

Party: Republican

Grew up: Family farm close to Corydon

Current town of residence: Ankeny

Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science from Iowa State University

Occupation: Public service manager for Iowa Department of Transportation

Political experience and civic activities: Two ? years as mayor of Ankeny, 10 years City Council member (nine as mayor pro-tem), current chair of Metropolitan Planning Organization, Metro Waste Authority (past chair), Metro Advisory Council, Des Moines Partnership Board, Mid Iowa Association of Local Governments, Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce, Ankeny Business & Industry Collaborative, Uptown Ankeny Association, Polk County Emergency Management and Ankeny Historical Society

Who is Steve Van Oort (incumbent)?

Age: 73

Party: Republican

Grew up: Ankeny

Current town of residence: Ankeny

Education: Ankeny High School, John Brown University

Occupation: Polk County supervisor

Political experience and civic activities: Former Ankeny City Council member and mayor of Ankeny. Now Polk County supervisor. DMACC Foundation board member. President of On With Life Foundation. Founding member of the Ankeny Community Foundation. Board member Discover Altoona. 32-year member Ankeny Rotary Club.

Who is Kim Hagemann?

Age: 59

Party: Democrat

Grew up: Central Wisconsin

Current town of residence: Crocker Township/Polk City

Education: Bachelor of Science in soil and crop science from the University of Wisconsin Platteville. Graduate work in plant breeding and genetics from Iowa State University. Passed the patent bar and is a registered patent agent.

Occupation: Retired after working in the crop seed industry for over 30 years. She started out in biotech research and moved into intellectual property management, which entailed writing and prosecuting patent applications and then writing and negotiating research contracts for an international seed company.

Political experience and civic activities: She is an active Democrat and has volunteered for numerous political campaigns. She continually works for a better environment and is a member of various environmental groups. Recently, she led a team to engage and push the Polk County supervisors to act on a plan to reduce the county’s greenhouse gas emissions. This work led to passage of a resolution to decrease Polk County's operational greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.

What is the most important issue facing Polk County and how would you address it in office?

Holm: The economy and jobs. Inflation is harming Iowa families daily and especially those Iowans on a fixed income. Polk County has seen a 52% increase in revenues over the past decade, but the levy rate has remained virtually unchanged. We should let Polk County homeowners and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money so they can reinvest that in their families, businesses, and communities. I am proud of my record in Ankeny, a record that demonstrates tax cuts work.

Van Oort: Polk County is committed to serving residents by investing in and leading on quality of life and economic development initiatives. This means continuing to focus on infrastructure and ensuring that continued development of sewer, water, roads and bridges supports growing communities. My experience on the board has shown me that quality of life and economic development are more successful when there is regional collaboration. Central Iowa has solved problems collaboratively and the largest suburb, Ankeny, and other northeast Polk communities would benefit from a continued seat at the table to work on problems like affordable housing and public transportation.

Hagemann: The most important issue facing Polk County is growth. How we deal with development and land use will set the stage for the quality of life for decades to come. We can either stake out a plan that makes Polk County continually a better place to live, or we can let the momentum of current developers decide how and where we grow. We need to have conversations about smart growth and how certain policies are adding to suburban sprawl and in the end we will not be financially sustainable when cost of maintenance for infrastructure outpaces our ability to keep taxes in-check.

What new programs or initiatives would you advocate for under your leadership?

Holm: Cut property taxes. Property taxes are the only tax not linked to an increase in income or what people spend. Property taxes are a drag on our families and businesses. With valuation increases, Polk County landowners are facing higher tax bills with the dollar not going as far. We need to cut property taxes.

Van Oort: As a region we have to focus on housing. I’m not talking low-income housing — I’m talking housing, period. We have a tremendous housing shortage to serve families of all income levels. As we focus on bringing business to our region, we need a strategy to ensure the new jobs we create are supported by a proportional amount of new housing. Polk County is a local government that can support the kind of leadership and collaboration that it will take to serve every community equally in addressing this issue. The Board of Supervisors is about bringing communities together to solve problems.

Hagemann: I would advocate for re-evaluation of how the board allocates all funds and particularly how it distributes grants from Prairie Meadows money. All money allocated should be focused on helping our communities for the long term. Grants should be targeted to public schools, fire departments, and community nonprofits. Grants should be used to leverage federal money allocated for solar, energy efficiency, and electrification of transportation. This grant money has the ability to fund projects that could save local governments, school districts, and nonprofits millions of dollars in utility bills each year for decades to come.

How would you manage rising personal costs for taxpayers while maintaining a county budget that provides essential services to residents?

Holm: The city of Ankeny has doubled in population size since I was first elected, while the size of city government has not. In this time, we lowered the tax levy for nine years straight. We implemented fiscal changes that saved taxpayers money both short and long term. Along the way we found opportunities to expand fire, police, and EMS services to match the demands of our growth. We have approved labor agreements that address the economic challenges our county faces while being fiscally responsible with taxpayers’ money.

Van Oort: Polk County has maintained a consistent levy rate or reduced the levy rate in all of my years as a Polk County supervisor. As property values grow, so does our community. This means an increasing need for services throughout Polk County. We have maintained the highest quality of services for a growing population without raising our property tax levy. We have worked collaboratively with jurisdictions within Polk County to deploy resources in the most efficient manner.

Hagemann: Every dollar spent by the board needs to be assessed on how it will benefit its residents today and in the long term. Projects that seem a great value today may become a financial burden in the future. If the county promotes smart growth and makes one-time investments that save our communities money for decades to come, we can maintain our infrastructure and make our communities better without adding financial burden.

What is your approach to balancing the needs and interests of residents in growing cities and in small towns?

Holm: Needs of those in small towns are like the needs of those in growing cities. Clean water, proper liquid/solid waste disposal, recycling, and safe roads for our loved ones are imperative for all communities. Under my leadership, Ankeny has partnered with the surrounding communities to provide mutual aid assurances for timely EMS, police, and fire protection for all. Having grown up in a small town and now serving as the mayor of a growing city, I am mindful of the needs and interests of all communities big and small.

Van Oort: I can’t emphasize the importance of collaboration enough. There is no problem too big or too small, regardless of which side of town it comes from. Polk County has invested in our townships and in our largest cities. Collaboration is the true key to striking this balance. What does limit our ability to work in every corner of the community is unnecessary competition with our neighbors and an inability to collaborate. An example of successful collaboration is our work in public safety and mental health where jurisdictions share communication networks, data and support the development of new programs and technology.

Hagemann: We need to look at the whole picture. Growth for growth’s sake is not a winning way for anyone. We need to look at the data available and best practices for a sustainable future. Livable communities that are safe, reduce congestion while increasing walkability and bike-ability and reduce risk of weather disasters such as flooding and power outages benefit us all. Balancing the needs of all involved will be best met when we make decisions that benefit people and the environment over the profit or wants of a few.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the candidates running for Polk County supervisor District 3