Former Dallas County Auditor Gene Krumm of Earlham has filed nomination papers for a spot on the June 5 primary ballot. He is seeking the Republican nomination for the district three board of supervisors seat, an office currently held by fellow Republican Kim Chapman of Adel.
Krumm, a three-term county auditor, retired the end of 2016. His successor, Dallas County Auditor Julia Helm, was elected in the 2016 general election and assumer office in January 2017.
In his final address to the board of supervisors at the Dec. 27, 2016, meeting, Krumm said the “time has come to spend more time with the grandkids and less time shoveling snow.” Maybe a year of quiet rustication has left Krumm restive and longing for “the insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,” as the poet put it.
“You can come back anytime you like,” Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson, then the board chair, told Krumm in 2016. “As you’re an observer of life in the county and hear of things, we’d sure love to hear from you again.”
Krumm appears to have taken Hanson at his word.
“Well, I’ll watch the minutes and read the press,” Krumm said, “and might have to come back and set you straight a couple of times.” His remarks were met with the general merriment of all present at the time.
The only other candidates so far to file nomination papers for county-level elected offices are incumbent Dallas County Recorder Chad Airhart of Waukee and incumbent Dallas County Treasurer Mitch Hambleton of Dallas Center. The offices of county attorney and district one supervisor are open for nominations.
The deadline for filing is Wednesday, March 28 at 5 p.m. at the Dallas County Auditor’s office at 210 N. 10th St. in Adel. Nominees for the Republican and Democratic primary elections require at least 100 signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot. Libertarian candidates need 35 signatures.
Dallas County Auditor Julia Helms recommends that candidates for elected office collect many more than the minimum number of required signatures in order to avoid a potential challenge to the legal sufficiency of the candidates’ nomination papers.
I am sorry. You retired as county auditor. You should stay retired and give the supervisor job to a younger person. And when will the current board realize that for the size of Dallas County there should be five supervisors like there are in most counties. With three republicans on the job, they can railroad anything in that they want.