Tony Knobbe said he’s “having a blast,” in his first term as Scott County supervisor, navigating long-term initiatives like jail expansion, immediate projects like the new dispatching system, and fast-breaking flood and virus disasters.
“This is pretty much what I thought I was getting into: Find ways to balance limited resources and allocate them to create the best good for the citizens of the county.”
Knobbe said his Wells Fargo banking career and prior service on Quad-City and county civic boards made him a good candidate during his 2016 bid. He said the last four years as chairman bolstered his experience, and humility.
“Depending on the crowd you’re speaking to, there’s always another crowd with a different opinion. Our job is how do we find that happy medium,” he said.
An example is relenting to support the county paying for 1,624 radios when municipal police and district fire departments join the new dispatching system.
Knobbe also chairs the Scott Emergency Communications Center board and helped direct the county’s share of a bi-state Quad-City emergency dispatching upgrade. Initially, he thought local departments should “have some skin in the game,” and pitch in a little for part of the $8.5 million needed just for radios.
“A realization I came to at such a late hour is those rural departments have limited ability to create skin. They have pretty limited fundraising ability,” he said.
Knobbe also joined supervisors in unanimous votes this year to increase the county’s tax rate for the first time in ages, and add staff, mostly for the sheriff and county attorney.
He differentiates that from past board practice on staff. “The mantra for many, many years was, ‘The answer is no. What’s the question?”
Park View
He raises Park View as an example of supervisors' willingness to collaborate.
“We’re instituting a rental property ordinance, addressing something no one has in the past. In the first year or two, there will be some expense to the county as a whole. But at some point, it hopefully will reduce sheriff’s costs. And we’ll get some revenue coming from fees and fines,” he said.
Now he’s eager to start working with Park View residents who want to explore incorporation.
Sheriff’s staffing
Knobbe and all supervisors supported hiring more deputies, and he wants to take a deeper look at rural versus urban deployment.
“I sense more and more coverage year after year of Davenport emergencies by sheriff’s personnel. I’m not convinced that was a conscience decision. I don’t object to those responses. But if it becomes something more than an occasional occurrence, we in essence become part of the Davenport police department.”
Knobbe said he respects the “gentlemen’s agreement” for back up among departments. “But who benefits more, the sheriff’s department or the city of Davenport when it comes to covering each other’s backs? I’m not sure what the answer is, but it’s probably my job to ask the question.”
Land use
Knobbe backed the county’s defense against a lawsuit by developers against supervisors’ decision not to maintain new roads built in rural subdivisions.
“I don’t blame the plaintiffs so much as history. It’s attractive to develop out in the rural county. Is it the county’s obligation to provide city services to rural residents? …This board has said we think if you want to develop land, it’s not necessarily our obligation to provide city services.”
When considering land-use issues, Knobbe said he spends a lot of time thinking about the future. “Most of my thought process in this job is spent worrying about precedent. If I do this for you, how many will be lined out the door to the same deal?”
Juvenile detention
Knobbe says he’s convinced the county needs some kind of juvenile detention center expansion. Federal law in 2022 will bar any juvenile suspect from an adult jail, which Scott County has relied on for bed space.
Juvenile center director Jeremy Kaiser and other studies indicate the county’s 18 juvenile detention beds are not enough. Knobbe cheered Kaiser’s development of juvenile auto theft rehab program where offenders work with victims on alternatives to detention.
“But we need some kind of expansion, and probably not on the current site,” Knobbe said.
Pandemic responses
Knobbe has come around to endorsing face masks, but remains adamant against mask mandates, questioning the county’s authority to do so.
“Iowa has taken the approach for the most part that decisions happen at the state level with the governor and her team, but with lots of discussion with local folks.
Easy to see what we should have done in our rear view mirror. It’s also easy to look back and see science on COVID was a bit of a moving target. Perhaps it’s unfair trying to find fault.”
He said customer queuing and other accommodations developed by the treasurer’s office are effective and should continue. He also pledged to sustain and improve online streaming and posting of supervisor committee and board meetings. Scott County’s lack of video meeting coverage has been an issue in past campaigns.
“The good news is the CARES act and state allocation can be used for equipment and resources to implement this. It won’t be county property taxes that pay for it. It will be state or federal.”