BecomeaCommissioner.docVIP

West Pottawattamie Resident? Eligible to vote? Become a Soil Water Conservation District Commissioner! If youre a resident who is eligible to vote in a general election, youre an eligible candidate for the West Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) board. In Iowa, Conservation Districts are managed by five commissioners elected on the general ballot to serve four-year terms with one commissioner per township. With assistance from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-Division of Soil Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, commissioners address the natural resource issues that are most critical in their districts. The major criteria for being a successful commissioner is an interest in natural resources and the people of West Pottawattamie County. Candidates for commissioner are elected in even numbered years with no political party designated. Positions are rotated so that three/two commissioners are up for election out of the five-member board. Townships open in November 2006 are: Boomer, Crescent, Garner, Hazel Dell, Keg Creek, Lake, East West Lewis, Minden, Norwalk, Rockford, Silver Creek and York. You need a nomination petition from the SWCD office to be signed by at least 25 eligible voters and an affidavit stating your name, residence and an assurance that you are an eligible candidate. These must be filed with the County Auditor no later than 4:30 pm on the 69th day prior to the general election. The next general election having commissioners on the ballot will be November 7th, 2006. If elected, you will take an oath of office January 2nd, 2007. Districts offer services without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, political beliefs or marital status. Studies have shown that where minorities and/or women are represented on boards in proportion to their presence in the area, program participation by these groups increased. District boards are seeking more div