Wayne Lynch, Republican Candidate for Boone County Supervisor, May 19, 2026

Today I'm visiting with Wayne Lynch. Wayne has announced that he is a candidate seeking the Republican nomination for Boone County Board of Supervisors. Wayne, thanks for taking time to come and visit. Thanks for having me. So let's talk a little bit about yourself. Wayne Lynch, what brought you to be a candidate here in Boone County? Well, I'm a lifelong resident of Boone County and I just I've been done a lot of public service in my adult life for the Boone County Fair Board and I just feel that I want to give back to Boone County and make the best decisions and do the best things possible to make sure Boone County proffers and our next generation prospers. So, born and raised here? Yes, sir. And married kids? Yep, married. I married my wife Julie for 28 years. Okay. And we have a son Brennan and a son Nathan and my son Brennan just had a grandson. So, well grandpa, there we go. Part of the plan for the do things for the future, right? You've had success for the, I did want to say because I know people would say, Wayne's doing what for the Fair Board? You've had success, recognized. Did you get some recognition? Yeah, I was 2025 Fairman of the Year. For the state? For the state, for the state. All the associations of Fair Boards select one person to win that award every year. So, I was very deeply honored by that. So, we do that. Well, let's talk a little bit about running. What attracted you again, Supervisor, just the additional public service next step up or? Yes, I thought that. It's one thing, if I am successful with a nomination, I don't plan to get off the Fair Board anytime soon. That's something I really enjoy. You know, I like to give back to the youth of Boone County, but I just want to make sure that I can do the right things right and make sure that we are spending our tax dollars wisely. Okay. So, spend, obviously do some farming and things like that in other business? Yes, my brother and I operate a family farm and then also my brother and I and my son, oldest son, Brennan, operate Lynch Auction Company in Eastern Boone County. Okay. You keep busy? Yes, I do. Well, the Supervisor position, obviously, again, Boone County, we're still with three. We don't do so. Everything is at large. So, I know a lot of people around the county, I'm guessing, from your business and your work that you do in farming. Big things, what do you hear when you're out there? Because obviously, it's always challenging. I know property taxes have been the big buzzword and Boone County, I know they always talk about their levy rate is low, but you say, we want to see, I want to see those dollars. Is that what you're looking at? Yeah, I mean, basically, I want to say, I think in the upcoming year and next couple of years, we're going to see some budget shortfalls, I think, and we just got to make sure that we are spending our money efficiently and make sure we can stretch Boone County's tax dollars as far as we can. That's going to be one of the big challenges. If there are reductions, do you have priorities in there? I mean, you're not going in there with a mission to cut certain things and stuff like that. The big thing is, you just want to make sure your dollars are spent as wisely as you can. I mean, number one priority for me is public safety. I mean, I want everybody in Boone County to be safe. So a big thing there. Obviously, that's Sheriff's Department and that means communications, jail, everything else. Yeah, we have to take care of the communications, the 911, all that. Just make sure, I mean, like I said, first and foremost, Boone County's safety is number one on my list. Okay. But some of the challenges, a perfect example might be, again, with doing like safe communications, first of all, getting people to work there and then keeping them there. And same with jailers in the jail. Sometimes you got to spend some money to get the right people in there to keep them. I agree. And that's one thing. I mean, we're close enough to Des Moines and Ames that a lot of the good people get picked off. And we got to make sure that we're competitive and attracting those good people because I mean, we want Boone to prosper. And that's by keeping the good people, we can do that. So that's one of those things where it might mean it might lead to, okay, we might have to ask for a few more dollars to cover salary increases and things like that. Those are tough choices to make, especially when you're looking at people that are saying, you know, we need to reduce. I agree, Jim. But yes, you know, it's easier to keep them than to keep rehiring them. So I mean, I think, you know, it's something that people are going to have to understand that we need to retain these workers. And, you know, if we're training someone new every three to six months, it's we're just throwing that money down a kind of a rabbit hole. So we got those are some of the challenges there. Other areas, mostly obviously spending. What about policy, some of the policy things that are going on? I don't know. No problems with it. I mean, first of all, we know that they have concerns about, should we have a data center here? Or should we have some more economic development? Are we taking out some of our prime farmland? Those are concerns that people have had since back in the 60s. Yeah, I agree. Like I said, I'm not for taking out farm ground. I mean, I'm a lifelong farmer. But data centers, I guess I really, I don't know that much about them. But I lean probably towards them, I guess, from what I do know right now. Like I said, the biggest issues I want to make sure that we we keep, you know, Boone County people, you know, our projects and policies first. Okay, so mostly ag ag oriented. That's what we are. Yes. Okay.

Here's one we didn't have much on this this time around, because it wasn't that big of a hot topic for Boone County, but imminent domain, obviously, we know we had the issue when the Dakota Access Pipeline went through. But we did have a little bit a little corner of Boone County for Summit's Carbon Solution Pipeline. What about things like something like that imminent domain? What are your thoughts about that? I believe it, you know, that you between that that private person wants to go through and the property owner, they should be able to work it out. I hate to see that government are coming and say that they have to. I mean, I like it to see be a, you know, the last resort that imminent domain ever have to be used. For the county, occasionally, they get they don't use it as often as a lot of people think, but sometimes road work does need to get done. Bridges in particular, those are big challenges and and takes up a little bit of right away. Yes, it does. And I think, you know, if we just have communication between the property owner and the county, you know, hopefully we can come to agreement before it gets to that, you know, where they have to use imminent domain. Okay. But I think in most cases that it that that can happen. Let's talk a little bit about drainage. That's always a hot topic. Well, especially depends how much rain we're getting. There are a lot of different things that are going on in some of the areas for drainage. We've had basically bottom line is supervisors. And people kind of get mixed up over this. They have to be trustees for the drainage district by law. That's what I have a law is. So they're trustees for the drainage district, but they don't do anything in that district unless residents property owners in that district petition for it. So and I know if you're downstream, you got to if you get an assessment on it for something that was done upstream. What's this all about? So those are some of the hard, hard things that a lot of people aren't aware of. But again, it's important for us. Yes, I agree. It is important. You know, no one wants to have that, you know, have their land flooded. And it's just something you know, that they have to take on a case by case basis. And I think some people that don't realize that Boone County farms us out to independent contractor. You know, yes, it does have to come for the Board of Supervisors. But I mean, there's a process and most people don't know it. And it's something that, you know, I hope I learn more about it, you know, through through my canisee. And if I am elected, but it is something that, you know, that that's it's challenging. And, you know, I hope that we don't have too many. But inevitably, it's going to happen. I think drainage districts have been an issue a lot longer than we've been around. Let's put it that way. Okay. We know that. Another example might be up, say around Boxhome, of course, the heavy rains there last year, they had flooding around their community, and they have some drainage district that might need a little work. But the question would be, how do they go about that? That would, it's not something that the trustees can actually move forward on. It needs to be people within that district. Yeah, within that district, the property owners need to start their petition and, you know, bring it before the board of supervisors. So otherwise, it's just try to do the most cost effective thing you can, right? That's right. Yeah. Well, we keep working at it. One of these days, well, I'd like to say drainage isn't going to be a problem, but it's always going to be a problem, especially with farmland and the cost of inputs and everything else going on, too. What about rural roads? How are we doing there? What do you think? I think Boone County does a great job, you know, it's, you know, there's always big improvements and stuff. And we have to make sure that we have, you know, a good access for farm to market, you know, just, you know, infrastructure is very important. And they're doing a great job, you know, if we can help manage our budget and make things go further and, you know, do the best we can, you know, I'm all for that. I think one of the big challenges are bridges, obviously, we've got a lot of bridges in the county or for some, they're just simply culverts, but they're big enough to be classified as bridges and, and not inexpensive. What we used to be able to get done for 500,000 is now 1.1 million. Again, cost of doing it is getting up there and then the resources to do it. You get so much from the state, but you do have to have some local backing. Yes, that's one thing that we can, you know, make sure that we are taking grant opportunities, looking at all the grants we can and, and the health ops says the budgets by getting grants. There is, there is grants out there available. I know I wanted to go back to economic development because we are seeing a lot of growth along Highway 30 between Boone, actually, all the way from Ogden all the way west end of the county to the east end of the county. Let's go with that. A lot of growth and development along there. Concerns about that? Are we doing too much? Do you think it's fitting in pretty much with the plan that's been developed? What are your thoughts on that? I know I think we're, it's fitting in and I think, you know, as, as an agribusiness person, I mean, I, it's great to see all those agribusinesses come along and, and I think it's something, you know, I, I think it's something that's going to help our tax base. It's going to keep our kids here and I think it's just something that, that's going to keep growing in Boone County. We do, we do lose a little bit of farm ground, but it's reasonable. Yes. Within reason. Yes. What about rural subdivisions? That's, we're starting to see some more of those showing up out there too. And that gets into some of that public safety, fire prevention, fire safety and things like that. Yes. I mean, I hate to see good farmland come out of, out of use, but I mean, I do, you know, realize the urban sprawl, you know, and that's, that's going to keep happening. And we just have to make sure that we plan for, you know, and like I said, we're able to take care of those people when they need it, you know, services. A lot of it is into our timbered area and stuff like that right now. So hopefully everybody stays safe. That's a big one. Yep. So public safety, really, what are your high priorities? Got to maintain that. That'd be Sheriff also communications in the jail and otherwise roads, property tax and just reasonable spending for our dollars. That's correct. Got to look at all the services. Now, let's talk a little bit about the learning curve. Should you be there? Obviously, it would be different than what you've done is being on the, on the fair board. And, but are there things that skills that you picked up there that you'd like to be able to use? Yes. I mean, I'm as, you know, as a over 25 years on a fair board, you know, I've, I've learned to listen to all sides, you know, and I, that's, I maybe might think my biggest attributes, I'd like to take in everybody's, everybody's side and just kind of make a balanced decision to, you know, for the, for the good of everybody. Sometimes it'll be a hard decision, but you feel you can do that. Yes, sir. All right. Wayne Lynch is seeking the Republican nomination for Boone County Supervisor. So let's talk a little bit about your campaign. That signs out. I know that. Are people, how do you get in contact? How can they get in contact with you? What's the best way to do it? Hear, hear more about your campaign, maybe talk to you about different issues, things like that. Yes. Well, I think I have a Facebook page for Wayne Lynch for Boone County Supervisor. I am going to have a meet and greet at the high V this Saturday from nine to 10 in the cafeteria area. So again, just opportunities get, talk to me. Yes. Yeah. Like I said, also, there is a forum Wednesday night at the library with all the candidates to another, another opportunity for people to come meet the candidates. Okay. All right. So opportunity there and get a chance to talk your case. Yes. Present your case. Wayne Lynch, our guest on our program. Thanks for joining us.