Sales tax vote discussion gets testy

Amidst an ongoing discussion over perceived incivility and the combative nature of conversations at recent county meetings, Auditor Jessica Lara stormed out of the conference room after a heated exchange with Supervisor Lance Granzow on Wednesday morning.

“I’m tired of taking the fall for people that can misinterpret anything that’s said,” Lara said before leaving. “I’m not going to play, Lance. I’m tired of being the fall guy for this county.”

The spat arose out of comments Lara made to the Iowa Falls Times-Citizen blasting a proposed ballot measure that would reallocate some of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds for the rural areas of Hardin County away from property tax relief and into improving secondary roads. Such a change, she argued, could push residents to neighboring counties with lower rates.

“I still think it’s ridiculous, but it’s not for me. It’s for the voters,” she said. “I think that you (supervisors) have an understanding of issues in the county that affect secondary roads. I think that you want to do better on the part of that. I just don’t think that this is the way to do it.”

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