T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — From left to right, Republicans Kathy Holtz, Amanda Kriegel, Jolynn Harger and Ashley Bolen participated in a Tama County Treasurer candidate forum at the Tama Civic Center on Tuesday night. Kriegel is the incumbent and is seeking her second full term in office.

TAMA — The four Republican candidates seeking the office of Tama County Treasurer gathered for a forum held at the Tama Civic Center on Tuesday night and fielded questions from moderators Mark Doland and David Turner, both current Tama County Supervisors, before a crowd of approximately 60 people.

The treasurer serves as the chief financial officer, tax collector, and motor vehicle registrar for the county, and currently, it is the only contested county race on the ballot as incumbent County Recorder Amelia Kemper, Supervisors Turner and Heather Knebel, and County Attorney Brent Heeren, all Republicans, are running unopposed.

In addition to incumbent Amanda Kriegel of Tama, who was first appointed in 2022 before subsequently being elected to a full four-year term, Kathy Holtz of Toledo, Jolynn Harger of Traer and Ashley Bolen of Tama are all running for the treasurer seat, and each candidate kicked off the forum by introducing herself.

Holtz, a native of Sumner and a mother of three, has lived in Tama County since 2000 and has a background in accounting though she now works as a full-time certified pharmacy technician at Hy-Vee. She previously ran for county treasurer in 2022 as an independent.

Kriegel moved to the area in 1997 and graduated from South Tama County (STC) High School. After living in Cedar Rapids, she returned to Tama County to raise her children as a single mother. Harger, a North Tama graduate, said she comes from a long line of Tama County residents and has a blended family of five children with her husband Travis. She has worked for Tama County Public Health and Home Care for the last 22 years.

Bolen graduated from STC in 2002 and has worked in a wide variety of positions in different industries, but she said it led her back to accounting as she most recently served as the business office manager with the Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD). She purchased her grandmother’s house west of Tama. Each candidate was asked why they were the best candidate for the job, and all spoke of the need to provide high level customer service while treating taxpayers with dignity and respect. Kriegel pointed out that she has generated approximately $1.8 million for the county in interest alone during her tenure.

“We contribute 90 percent of our money back because we get so much in revenue. So I believe I’ve proved with my revenue and the way our office runs that I”m still the person that deserves the job,” she said.

Each candidate indicated that they would work closely with fellow department heads, with Kriegel citing her own experience doing so already. When asked what they would change if elected, both Bolen and Harger suggested that an improvement in customer service was needed — with Harger citing complaints she heard from people who urged her to run.

“They said they’ve walked in there, and there’s been long lines of people and no one was available to help them. I think people need to realize that when they’re coming in to pay their taxes, they don’t want to be there, so if you can make their experience a pleasant experience as much as you can and show them that their time is valuable… The least they can expect is a friendly face and someone that is thankful for what they’re doing for them. They’re the reason why we have jobs,” Harger said.

Kriegel noted that everything the office does is dictated by Iowa Code and didn’t feel any substantial changes were in order. The candidates were then asked to expound on their biggest strengths — Holtz said she is hard working, caring and compassionate; Kriegel said honesty and accountability were her two defining qualities along with leading by example; Harger said she is dependable, always shows up and gives 100 percent; and Bolen called herself analytical, friendly and enjoying a good challenge.

The next question, which asked each candidate what would be the biggest reason they might fail in the position after four years, prompted them to reflect on their weaknesses, though none of them believed they would fail if elected. Kriegel said she wasn’t very organized but believed in “organized chaos,” while Harger wears “her heart on her sleeve” and Bolen sometimes can be “a little bit of an island” and too independent. Holtz added that she would welcome constructive criticism if Tama County residents feel she is not doing the job as they desire.

The candidates were then asked how they would handle finding out about a major issue impacting the county’s economic viability. They agreed on double checking first to ensure the problem is real and then going to other county officials like the supervisors and the county auditor.

“You don’t always want to just show the problem. You want to have an idea of what an outcome or a change would be but then get to the people who can actually create that change,” Bolen said.

Kriegel recounted a past instance where the county had to borrow from its health fund to keep the general fund solvent, which she caught. The candidates then discussed their leadership styles and working with fellow employees before speaking more broadly on why they are running.

“I want to watch Tama County and see Tama County prosper. I’d love to see it have some positive vibes going through it, see some growth, see what it can be like for my granddaughter,” Holtz said. “I want to contribute to Tama County and serve Tama County. That is what I’ve done ever since I first came here, just more at the volunteer level, so I’d like to serve Tama County at a more professional level.”

Kriegel cited a desire to find a challenge, stability for her family and an opportunity to give back, and Harger said she hadn’t thought about running until several people pushed her in that direction. Bolen described herself as a people person who wanted to give back to the community and county where she resides.

Before their final remarks, Doland and Turner solicited a round of applause for all four candidates. Once they had finished, Doland praised them as “four wonderful candidates,” and Turner applauded them for stepping up to run for office.

“Folks, give them all a hard look,” he said.

Afterward, the candidates stuck around to take further questions from attendees.