The Linn County Board of Supervisors today approved the ballot language that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot regarding the number of members on the Board of Supervisors.
The approved ballot language will read:
“Shall the following public measure be adopted?
Shall the citizen’s representation by members of the Linn County Board of Supervisors be decreased from five (5) to three (3) members, effective January 1, 2019?”
Background
On July 11, 2016, the Linn County Board of Supervisors voted to put on the Nov. 8, 2016, ballot a referendum allowing voters to decide whether the size of the Linn County Board of Supervisors should change from the current five-member board back to a three-member board.
In November 2006, following a successful citizen-led petition drive to allow voters to vote on whether to increase the size of the Board of Supervisors from three members to five members, Linn County voters approved a measure increasing the size of the Board of Supervisors from three members to five members. Then, in July 2007, voters approved changing board representation from at-large supervisors to supervisors by district.
Linn County is currently represented by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each supervisor must live in his or her district and is elected by residents of the district. This form of government has been in place since January 1, 2009.
A recent petition drive to change the number of supervisors from five back to three prompted the Board of Supervisors to place the question on the Nov. 8 ballot to allow voters to decide.