There are four candidates in this election cycle's Harrison County Board of Supervisors race. They are Lary Clark, Dan Cohrs, Alex Meyer and Rebecca Wilkerson. Their Q&As are below. Bill Nelsen will appear on the ballot despite dropping out of the race several weeks ago due to personal matters.
Name: Lary Clark
City/town: Mondamin
Candidate for: County supervisor
Explain who you are:
I am a Harrison County native, born on a farm west of Pisgah in 1960. Except for a short period during college, I’ve lived in Harrison County my entire life – in the same house where I was raised. I started farming in 1978, the year I graduated from West Harrison High School. I was first licensed in real estate in 1985 and in 1997 passed the broker exam and opened my own real estate brokerage. 27 years later I am still listing and selling and have over 20 rentals and remodels for sale.
I am married to my beautiful wife of 40 years, Joann, and we have three adult daughters – Jennifer (Boone) McIntosh and their two sons Bentley and Jett, Jessica (Matt) Remington and their children Gage, Duke and Elsie, and daughter Jacqueline and her fiancé Grant Carstens.
Why did you run for this position?
The main reason I’m running for Supervisor is I love where I live and feel called to do whatever I can to make life in this county as good as it can be for all citizens. We have been fortunate in this county to have very good Supervisors – both currently and in the past – but I also believe with my education and business background I can add a new perspective and bring some new ideas to the table. I also believe with my leadership attributes I can help foster a climate of cooperation and teamwork within the courthouse and throughout the various departments within the county. I will personally meet with county employees to address their concerns and will always be available to them as well as constituents.
What from your background qualifies you for this position?
Living here my entire life has allowed me great insight into the needs and hopes of the citizens. Also, I am particularly well-prepared to serve because of my education, professional experience and a lifetime of leadership positions. At Creighton University I majored in Economics, minored in Political Science, and took some graduate level Economics courses. I’ve served on numerous Boards of Directors, including the ISU Extension Council, Harrison County Pork Producers, SWI Association of Realtors, Loess Hills Chapter of Pheasants Forever and Mondamin Community Center, all of which I also served as President. On the Realtor board, I was the first President in 100 years from outside of Council Bluffs. I was head Varsity basketball coach at my alma mater from 1997 – 2011, and with several Conference and District Championships, the thing I am most proud of is that we never had a practice that didn’t start with the Pledge of Allegiance.
What are your goals if elected?
My primary goal is to serve every resident of every town and rural area to the best of my ability. After that, I will focus on promoting new, affordable housing. Everybody wants lower taxes, and I plan to do just that by increasing the tax base. To be “affordable,” it needs to be in an area with city water and city sewer, so within the confines of our county towns that have those utilities available. Business and industry will follow, but you can’t put the cart ahead of the horse! The housing HAS to come first.
I also want people to know that I am committed to serving every taxpayer with full transparency and accountability. I also promise to be fully accessible to everyone, with my cell phone number and email address readily available.
In closing, I humbly ask each of you for your vote. I have a passion to serve, and I promise I will not let you down!
Name: Dan Cohrs
City: Logan
Candidate for: Board of Supervisors
Explain who you are:
My wife Chris and I were both born and raised in Harrison County. We have four children and six grandchildren. I started farming when I graduated from high school and I also worked at United Airlines for 20 years. After that my brother Todd and I started farming together, and since then our sons have joined our farming operation and I also raise chickens for Costco. The highlight of my life are my children and grandchildren and I enjoy spending as much time with them as I can.
Why did you run for this position?
I am running for the Board of Supervisors because I care about this county that I raised my family in. I want to make sure it continues to grow for future generations. I am not afraid to voice my opinion and I will work hard to make common sense decisions that are best for all communities in Harrison County whether big or small. I enjoy working with people and my door is always open to listen to your concerns. I am honest, dependable, hard working and dedicated and I hope to be the voice for you and your families.
What from your background qualifies you for this position?
I have many years on the farm doing spreadsheets, financial statements and balancing budgets. My 20 years on the Logan-Magnolia school board gives me the financial experience and having to make tough decisions for the district. During my years at United Airlines I worked with management, Employee Assistance and the public and I hope to incorporate some of what I have learned with all levels of the county. I believe these are a few things, along with my lifetime experiences that prepares me for being a county supervisor.
What are your goals if elected?
I want to work with local towns to create a process to bring new housing developments so we can continue to keep our small town businesses running and start new ones. We need more housing in order to bring more people to our communities to achieve this goal. I hope to bring better communication between the Board of Supervisors and the community, as well as working hard to control spending.
Name: Alex Meyer
City/town: Modale
Candidate for: Board of Supervisors
Explain who you are:
I am a farmer and transportation owner who has lived right outside of Modale for 12 years now. I am married to my wife Kaitlyn and I have two beautiful daughters, RyLynn and Blakelee.
Why did you run for this position?
I chose to run for this position because I am committed to Harrison County. The rural way of life has always been something my wife and I have loved and hope for our girls to enjoy the values that come with that.
What from your background qualifies you for this position?
I have owned and operated a large-scale, nationwide transportation and brokerage company that has serviced many aspects of our economy. As a farmer I’m very knowledgeable in agriculture. While running said businesses, I managed my farm life and was able to continue growing it in this county.
What are your goals if elected?
My goals would be to bring a new fresher look on things. I’m experienced in budgeting so I would love to really evaluate that. I’m committed to building trust, good communication and helping this county grow to its full potential.
Name: Rebecca Wilkerson
City/town: Mondamin
Candidate for: Harrison County Supervisor
Explain who you are:
I have lived in Harrison County for over 40 years. When I was young I lived north of Magnolia and graduated from Logan-Magnolia High School. I have been married to my husband, Gary Wilkerson, for 35 years. We have two children and six grandchildren. We live on a small farm between Mondamin and Pisgah. I have been active in the Harrison County community and attend monthly meetings for several community organizations.
Why did you run for this position?
I have been considering this position for several years. I have been attending the board of supervisors’ meetings since 2020 learning what it entails. I have been attending nearly every week for the last year. I have been learning about how county government works and how the different offices work together. I have time to dedicate to this position and I will bring a different perspective to the board. I am running to serve the people of Harrison County by bringing fiscal discipline to the office. I feel I am good at making good fiscal decisions with a broad view and an eye for the future. I want to eliminate wasteful spending and prioritize the needs of the taxpayers. I believe the supervisors are to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and I believe I can put the needs of the people over the wants of the government.
What from your background qualifies you for this position?
My experience in the restaurant industry from serving to management taught me public relations skills, scheduling and personnel management skills. My experience in accounts receivable and client scheduling taught me additional bookkeeping and public relations skills. My personal financial experience comes from managing our family and farm budget for 35 years and I understand the concept of not spending more than your income. I am on a board of directors that oversees personnel and financial matters which has enhanced my ability to work with others in these areas. I have been learning about the supervisor responsibilities at the many meetings I have attended for the last several years. I look forward to attending the training that Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) provides for this position.
What are your goals if elected?
My main goal is to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending to reduce the tax burden on citizens without reducing the necessary services. This goal would include taking more time to research issues before making decisions. A second goal is to livestream the board of supervisor meetings and have at least one meeting per quarter in the evening. This would give the taxpayers the opportunity to participate in the decisions the supervisors make for the county. Another goal is to reduce property taxes to attract new businesses to the county.
