ADEL, Iowa — Dallas County Treasurer Mitch Hambleton announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection for a third team in 2022.
The Dallas Center Republican was first elected treasurer in 2014, having previously served nine years as Dallas Center Mayor, eight years on the Dallas Center City Council and 10 years as chairperson of the Dallas County GOP.
“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Dallas County as treasurer for the past eight years,” Hambleton said in a statement released Thursday. “I’ve been incredibly blessed to be able to work with such a great group of hard-working individuals.”
Hambleton was unopposed in the 2014 election and handily won reelection in 2018 against an opponent. With a degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa, he worked in the insurance industry for more than 30 years before seeking elected office and has used that experience to make many changes in the treasurer’s office.
During his tenure, Hambleton implemented a number of changes that have reduced expenses and increased efficiency in the treasurer’s office. He started bar coding the tax statement stubs that are mailed out, which allows the office to scan and electronically record taxes and deposit checks each day.
Reforms in the processes in the motor vehicle division of the treasurer’s office have also been very visible evidence of Hambleton’s influence.
“Our response to COVID has caused us to work smarter in our motor vehicle area,” Hambleton said. “Prior to 2020, it was not uncommon for a citizen to wait one to two hours to receive service. As we opened back up, we took a hard look at how we could better serve those who need our services. Our online appointment system allows folks to make an appointment online, come into the courthouse and be out in 15 to 20 minutes. It really is a time saver for the public and allows us to better manage our staff.”
Hambleton came into an office that was running annual deficits of nearly $140,000, but his improved processes, cautious spending and prudent investing of the county’s surplus funds has brought more than $2 million in surplus funds to county coffers.
In addition to his lengthy record of public service, Hambleton is active in his church and serves on the Board of Directors for the Iowa County Treasurers E-Government Alliance and the Dallas Mutual Insurance Company, He was long active in the Mid-Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Hambleton lives in Dallas Center with his wife, Ruth. They have two adult children and eight grandchildren.
