~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Responding to a letter from the Greene County Republican Central Committee objecting to the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, the Greene County board of supervisors affirmed continued placement of the box at the east side of the courthouse at their meeting on May 6.
Auditor and election official Billie Jo Hoskins described the letter as objecting to the use of the absentee ballot box and asking that the voting box for absentee ballots “be done away with.” Basis for the request appeared to be concern that unauthorized people could be voting by using the box to deliver their absentee ballots.
County attorney Thomas Laehn, attending by telephone, told the board State law permits the use of a locked absentee ballot box to provide access to voting for people unable to get to the second floor of the courthouse.
The board discussed the safeguards put in place by State law: camera surveillance, locked ballot box, and ballots removed from the box four times daily during the voting period. Hoskins said the ballots are removed every four hours by herself or a designee, even on weekends.
Hoskins told the board she thinks the absentee ballot box serves voters in Greene County. She said about 10 ballots were cast through the absentee voting box during the most recent election and the usage could be higher during the Presidential election coming up in November.
“People don’t trust the postal service any longer to deliver their absentee ballots,” she said.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph said, “With taking ballots out four times a day, it would be easy to pinpoint any problem through the camera surveillance.”
Supervisor Dan Benitz said he didn’t have a problem with the absentee ballot box “as long as they’re registered voters.”
“Like I’ve told you, they wouldn’t have an absentee ballot if they weren’t a registered voter,” Hoskins replied.
Board chair John Muir asked whether there have been instances of misuse and Hoskins said there has not.
Laehn commended Hoskins for her work as an election official, going back to before she became county auditor.
Laehn said, “Billie has been dedicated to ensuring we have as wide a participation as possible (in voting). (The absentee ballot drop box) serves the elderly and disabled voters so there are no impediments to their participation (by having to go to the second floor to vote or drop off their absentee ballots.) Billie is exposing herself to criminal liability if she doesn’t follow the restrictions (required by State law.)”
“A ballot drop box is a lawful practice,” he said. “Billie would alert me if she saw any kind of fraud. The sheriff’s office and my office would criminally prosecute anyone who tries to tamper with an election. It’s at Billie’s discretion to determine whether to have a ballot drop box.”
Hoskins, a Republican, said, “As Commissioner of Elections, I represent the people of Greene County as a whole and not the Greene County Republican Party Central Committee or even the entire membership of the Republican Party of Iowa.”
While acknowledging the decision is the responsibility of Hoskins, the board did affirm their support for the use of the absentee ballot drop box in Greene County.
In other business, Laehn told the supervisors crime rates are down in Greene County so far in 2024.
He said probation violations and revocation have accounted for some crime and he credited cooperation with Department of Correctional Services and Boone/Greene County Probation for helping the county hold people accountable for following through with substance abuse and mental health treatment and preventing new offenses.
Laehn also commended law enforcement for “ensuring criminal offenders are held accountable.”
Laehn said three recent repeat offenders have been sent to prison with sentences of more than seven years, five years, and seven years.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported on road projects and an investigation into whether the installation of signage caused a resident’s basement to flood.
Weiss also described a nitrogen spill three weeks ago in Willow Township, describing it as a minor accident and appreciating the fact it was reported.
He said there has been a change in funding for bridge replacement on Grimmell Road to 100 percent federal funding now.
The supervisors unanimously approved a Louis Dreyfus grant to the Greene County Fair Association for a previously described project to build sheep and goat pens at the fairgrounds. The Association plans for collaboration with high school students to do welding and other work on the pens. New sheep-raising families have made new pens needed.
The supervisors also unanimously approved a transfer of $474,342 from the TIF Special Revenue Fund to the debt service fund to pay principal and interest for the Career Academy bond payment.
Benitz said, “Programs (at the Career Academy) have not been happening. Iowa Central is supposed to offer proper vocational programs. There’s no automotive, no electricity. No woodworking teacher.”
“There are certain jobs needed in this community. It would be nice if we could get training for people,” Rudolph said.
“In the original discussion, at the beginning of the program, there was interest from John Deere and others. I don’t know what happened with all that,” Muir said.
The board discussed how to follow up on their concerns and auditor Hoskins agreed to consult with Teresa Green, Career Academy specialist.
The supervisors unanimously approved the sheriff’s office applying for a grant for a DATAPILOT cell phone downloading system.
Sheriff Jack Williams said, “We can do cell phone investigations ourselves on the spot (with the DATAPILOT System) with court permission in sex crimes investigations.”
He said a license for the system would cost $6,280 and be good for two years.
“Now, we have to wait for analysis. We use (state services in) Fort Dodge for free but it takes forever to get the information which hampers investigation and prosecution in sex crimes and drug dealing,” Williams said.
Attorney Laehn endorsed the system.
“Cell phones contain great amounts of information. They are an increasingly important tool in investigation and prosecution of crime,” Laehn said. “Now, we can arrest someone and get a search warrant for their phone, send the phone to an outside agency, and maybe wait six months for information. If a defendant demands a speedy trial in 90 days, the cell phone evidence will be too late for trial. We’re at the mercy of outside agencies.”
The supervisors also unanimously approved the Iowa DOT Greene County Secondary Roads Five-Year Construction program.
The supervisors set a public hearing for a FY2024 budget amendment for Tuesday, May 28, at 9 am.
