Government : Candidates sought for November Soil & Water Commission ballot

Now that you have made it through the first elections of this cycle, there is one more race to be decided by your ballot in November. Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners will be elected in 100 districts throughout Iowa this November. These elected volunteers have been working with voluntary, private land soil and water conservation in Iowa since 1939. Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners help guide soil and water conservation programs in the district, identify local issues and concerns, and influence state and national conservation programs. Soil & Water Conservation Districts work closely with a number of local, state, and federal agencies, particularly the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-Division of Soil Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This is a great opportunity to become involved in environmental work at the local level. Iowa’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts are a lesser known, but very effective tool utilized to improve soil and water quality across our state. Five Commissioners, elected in general elections on a non-partisan basis for four-year terms, govern each district. There will be two seats open on the Benton Soil & Water Conservation District board this November. If you are qualified to vote in a general election, you are eligible to be a candidate to the SWCD board unless you live in Taylor, Union or Eden townships. There can be no more than one commissioner from any one township and those townships already have a commissioner currently serving on the board. Nomination forms, including a petition, are available in the county Auditor’s office. At least 25 eligible voters must sign the petition. Remember to return it to the Auditor’s office by the filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. August 27, 2014, in order to be on the ballot in November. To obtain more information, contact your local Soil & Water Cons