News & Updates 
from Linn County Government

July 2016

Creating a customer-centered culture

Customer satisfaction is one of the primary goals of Linn County’s new strategic plan.

Throughout our departments, we are putting ourselves in our customers’ shoes to better understand your experiences and use that understanding to improve and innovate. Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers spoke about this initiative during his State of the County address in April.

Now, in a Gazette guest column, he talks about the initiative again and explains how we are looking at our work in terms of products that we produce and how we can improve our products to increase customer satisfaction.

In his guest column, Supervisor Rogers gives examples of county departments that are successfully putting this concept into practice. Read the guest column...

Voters to decide whether to change the Board of Supervisors from 5 to 3

At the November 8, 2016 general election, Linn County voters will decide whether the Linn County Board of Supervisors will remain a five-member board or change back to a three-member board.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors voted to put this question on the November ballot in light of a petition drive to reduce the number of board members.

In November 2006, following a successful citizen-led petition drive calling for a vote on whether to increase the Board of Supervisors from three members to five members, Linn County voters approved a measure increasing the Board of Supervisors from three members to five members. In July 2007, voters then approved changing the form of government of Linn County 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.

If the measure to change the Linn County Board of Supervisors to a three-member board is approved in November, another ballot measure may follow at a later date for voters to decide if the board members will be elected at-large or by district.

Linn County announces one-stop permit process for new home construction

Building a new home in unincorporated Linn County is now a little easier, thanks to a new one-stop permitting process for new home construction.

The new process reduces the number of departments an applicant has to visit from three to one, saving time for residents and contractors.

Before a new home can be built in unincorporated Linn County, separate permits are required for the building, road entrance (including E-911 address assignment), and well and septic permits. The new process creates a one-stop application process where an applicant can apply for each of these permits at one location.

This improved permitting process is an example of how Linn County is working to implement a customer-centered culture to improve customer satisfaction.

Linn County mails new voter ID cards to registered voters

Registered voters of Linn County are receiving a new voter ID card in the mail along with important information about the upcoming general election. The Auditor’s Office initiated this practice before the 2014 Gubernatorial General Election and is continuing this effort for the 2016 Presidential General Election.

Cards are arriving in mail boxes now.

New this year is information on how to opt-in to a text message service to be alerted about election information in Linn County. Read more...

Find us online:

Website: linncounty.org
Twitter:   @LinnCounty

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