Ringgold County continues budget meetings
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The county Board of Supervisors continued their budget talks by welcoming additional department heads in to lay out their budget requirements for the upcoming fiscal year.
Previously, the board heard from the Sheriff’s office, representatives from MATURA the South Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG) the County Treasurer’s office and the Director of Conservation last Monday.
Each of these departments outlined the budgetary requirements for their respective divisions and what their year-to-date results have been so far. For the most part, each department appeared to keep cost increases to a minimum without sacrificing services.
Meetings continued last Tuesday and Wednesday with the county engineers department taking up the bulk of the agenda on Tuesday as this department represents a large portion of the county’s budget each year. The county engineer’s office is responsible for all the secondary roads throughout the county which includes maintenance, snow removal, construction and bridge condition oversight and repairs. The engineers office is also responsible for the design and execution of new construction projects that affect all corners of the county.
The afternoon session was addressed by Kisha Martin, the County Recorder who outlined the progress made by her department within the fiscal year and her anticipated needs for the coming period.
The board did not hold a session last Thursday as they were all away attending a statewide board of supervisors meeting. These meetings are typically conducted during planning sessions in an effort to share resources and information that may be useful in local budget planning.
The board reconvened on Friday and heard from Ringgold County Auditor and Clerk of the Board Amanda Waske. Waske also acts as the county’s Election Commissioner. Waske’s presentation took the supervisors through all the specific expenditures and income streams for the county, of which the council members are very familiar. Since Waske presides over all their own meetings, the supervisors needed little in trying to understand her budget presentation.
Also in attendance was Andrea N.J. Woodard, the executive director of the (ISAC) Iowa State Association of Counties. Woodard was able to share her experiences working with other counties throughout the state in an effort to sympathize with the board of supervisors and the challenges they face. Counties throughout Iowa all struggle to some degree with expense budgets that routinely outpace the revenue side. The county association works with state legislatures helping lawmakers understand the dilemma rural counties face from day to day.
Cheryl Drake, the director of the tri-county board of health made an impassioned presentation to the board while outlining the needs the board of health has going forward. Drake’s preliminary budget actually depicted a 24 percent reduction in costs to the county ($166,766 prior versus $126,923 expected), representing a rare budget surplus over the prior year.
The board members were impressed not only by the remarkable cost controls proposed by the department, but were also suitably impressed by the passion and dedication displayed during her presentation. Drake outlined her personnel requirements and indicated that she was able to secure the necessary career talent that she needed and was able to do so without sacrificing quality of service.
Chairman Colby Holmes made a point to congratulate Drake and all her staff for showing the passion and belief in what they are doing as a service to the community they serve.
“The three most important duties the county has to its residents are Public safety, Public health and Veterans affairs,” Holmes said.
Holmes was joined by fellow supervisors Steve Knapp and Randy Taylor in praising Drake and her department.
In September of 2025, Ringgold County’s Health Department joined with several neighboring counties to help consolidate efforts and improve department efficiencies. By combining efforts, these counties all benefit from an economy of scale while preserving the high quality service required of such an important public service. By working closely with organizations such as ISAC, counties can focus their efforts on care delivery and not as much on administrative overlap.
The Board of Supervisors blocked off Monday’s regular meeting date for additional budget conversations if needed.
