Kirk Nesset chose to run for Story County Supervisor because he saw a need for change.
“I’m somebody who’s accomplished a lot,” Nesset said. “My wife and I are empty nesters. So I said, you know what? This is the time.”
Nesset currently works as a field appraiser for the Ames City Assessor’s Office. Before that he worked for Prelude Behavioral Services in Des Moines, doing community outreach and education on gambling addiction.
Now, Nesset said, he’s focused on bringing accountability to Story County in terms of how it spends its residents’ tax dollars.
“When you pay taxes, it’s like donating money to a church or a nonprofit,” he said. “You need to make sure you know where that money’s going. Year after year, I hear people say their taxes are too high, and they can’t afford it.”
Nesset believes in bringing “absolute, complete efficiency” to Story County government, whether that means deciding which programs or budgets to cut, or choosing whether to replace certain positions once current county employees retire.
Nesset said he believes in running the county the same way he runs the portfolio of rental properties he owns.
“I run it like it’s my money, because it is,” Nesset said. “Government shouldn’t be any different.”
Nesset also pressed the importance of paying local government employees a good wage, saying the county can’t afford to lose law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel, for instance, every time a higher-paying position opens up somewhere else.
“It’s cheaper to pay someone more than to hire and train someone new,” Nesset said. “These young kids get hired on as cops, and then they hear, ‘What? Des Moines is hiring?’ You’ve got to pay to keep good people.”
Story County also needs to work on bringing in new businesses, Nesset said, as well as convincing Iowa State University graduates to stay in Story County rather than taking their education and expertise elsewhere.
“We need to recruit new companies to come in and set up shop so we can build our tax base,” Nesset said. “We have a major university, with an infinite number of graduates who could choose to stay in the community and fill jobs. If you provide more opportunities, people will consider coming here to shop or even relocating and moving here.”
Companies that consider coming to Story County should be “like a kid in a candy store,” Nesset said, “so when they want to come in and do business, they know that we’re here to help in any way possible.”
Clear communication between voters and their elected officials is also Key, Nesset said.
“We need to tell people, ‘Here is what we need. What questions, comments, concerns or even smart remarks do you have?’”
Nesset urged voters to look beyond party differences when going to the ballot box.
“You need to be electing people you know are going to lead,” Nesset said. “You shouldn’t even have an R or a D next to your name.”
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