County Commissioner Ed Peterson's Priorities
The principal business of government is to provide essential services at high-quality levels as efficiently as possible. For Johnson County, those services include roads, sewers, public safety, libraries, parks, public health, mental health and community assistance.
The role of the Johnson County Commission is to assure that county government does its job. Beyond fulfilling that central function, my areas of concentration as a county commissioner are:
1. Addressing the urban character of the county by targeted spending.
With a population that is over 530,000 and growing, Johnson County is an urban community. Due to this size, the county budget increasingly must be directed at needs such as infrastructure, transportation (including both roads and public transportation), and essential human services (mental health, public health, and community assistance programs).
In order to prevent sprawl, I believe the county’s leaders must insure that developments around the fringe are justified.
2. Making sure that all Johnson Countians can get to work and school.
This year Johnson County is implementing its first expansion of the bus system to all-day service on a few selected routes. I will support and encourage further deployment of this expanded service in keeping with the long-range strategic plan for implementing regional public transportation in Johnson County. An added benefit for the public from improved transportation systems is energy cost savings.
3. Protecting the environment and saving precious resources.
Johnson County is known as a trailblazer among local governments in adopting sustainable operating practices, and I will continue my leadership to assure that all future operations meet or exceed industry standards for energy efficiency, waste reduction, and environmental compatibility. I will continue to lead the county toward its goals of zero waste output by the year 2030 and an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
4. Preserving the amenities that make Johnson County a great place to live.
support development of park land that the county owns but that lies idle. I also support construction of additional library facilities to serve western Johnson County. Efforts to develop the Johnson County Museum into a suburban study center with an emphasis on suburban artifacts have my endorsement.