Julie Persons is set to become the new Johnson County auditor after she was selected on Aug. 24 as the Democratic Party’s nominee. She will be the first woman to tackle the role in 48 years.
Persons is the current mayor of Swisher, a tiny town with a population just cresting 900. She took office as mayor in January and less than a year later was nominated to become the county’s auditor during a four-candidate convention.
She became mayor after Swisher’s previous mayor retired and no other candidates stepped forward.
“I had already been working for the city and knew the council and the previous mayor, so we went through the appointment process,” Persons said. “Rather than being elected because nobody ran, I was appointed.”
Persons said she finds fulfillment in her work in local government, and her new position has broadened her understanding of the role officials play in small communities.
“I didn’t realize that you do a lot more than just running the council meetings and signing the checks and ordinances,” Persons said. “It runs the entire gamut, but things that happen in a small town, probably the mayor is going to have to be directly involved.”
The Johnson County auditor’s position became vacant after long-time auditor Travis Weipert resigned on July 26, citing personal health concerns. Weipert had served as the county auditor for over a decade.
His resignation prompted the convention, which later led to Persons’ nomination. In the meantime, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors appointed Erin Shane, the county’s deputy auditor, to serve for the remainder of Weipert’s term.
The August convention drew four candidates: Alex Stanton, Shannon Patrick, Newman Abuissa, and Persons, The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
John Deeth, caucus convention chair for the Johnson County Democratic Party, told The Daily Iowan that this is an unusually high number of candidates for such a position.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a convention with four candidates,” Deeth said. “We’ve had one where we went to a second ballot, but Julie received just over a majority on the first.”
To secure the party’s nomination, a candidate needed 57 votes — a majority of the 113 county Democratic delegates present at the convention. Persons received 60 votes.
The auditor for Johnson County oversees the administration of local, state, and federal elections, ensuring that voting processes run smoothly and accurately. The Auditor’s office also maintains voter registration records, handles property ownership records for tax purposes, and manages the county’s accounts payable and payroll functions.
As mayor of Swisher, Persons said she’s gained experience in managing municipal budgets, facilitating public meetings, and working closely with city residents.
“I wish I had known what local government was like when I was younger,” she said. “You can see tangible results from the work done at the city and county levels.”
Ed Cranston, chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party, said he is enthusiastic about Persons’ nomination.
“I think she’ll be just a wonderful auditor,” Cranston said. “Looking at her background, she’s had leadership roles that would be similar to what she would be doing there in the auditor’s office.”
Cranston also praised Persons’ commitment to transparency in her role as mayor.
“Folks in Johnson County will know what’s going on there in the auditor’s office,” Cranston said.