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Dickinson and Dietzel lay out contrasting visions for Dubuque County at League forum
Summary
At a Dubuque League of Women Voters forum, candidates Rick Dickinson and Kristen Dietzel debated county priorities — from Sunnycrest and data centers to water quality and manufactured-home protections — emphasizing different mixes of local regulation, partnerships and county leadership.
Carmen Hernandez, president of the Dubuque League of Women Voters, moderated a county supervisor forum where Democratic candidates Rick Dickinson and Kristen Dietzel described sharply different approaches to county government.
Dickinson, who asked attendees to call him Rick, framed his campaign around restoring civility and preparation on the Board of Supervisors. "First, we repair what's broken and that is the culture of the board by returning civility and professionalism to the board," he said in his closing remarks. He urged supervisors to be active partners with cities and neighboring counties and said he would seek to learn details about county business if elected.
Dietzel emphasized policy-driven, collaborative solutions and repeatedly stressed the importance of partnerships. She pointed to local efforts such as the Dubuque County Watersheds' farmer-to-farmer program and real-time monitoring as examples to scale. "We can choose a direction that believes in taking care of our neighbors no matter who they are," she said in her closing statement.
On several substantive issues the candidates agreed on broad goals but diverged on tactics. Both oppose outright bans on large livestock confinement buildings, favoring regulation and enforcement over prohibition; both said they would bargain in good faith with county employees despite 2017 changes to collective bargaining law. They also agreed that shared services with neighboring counties warrant careful consideration as a potential efficiency.
The forum covered a long list of topics — Sunnycrest and the fairgrounds, data centers and a proposed moratorium, manufactured‑home protections, water quality and PFAS, county funding for the Dubuque Airport, cybersecurity after a county fund transfer hack, and how to attract young families — with the candidates offering distinct priorities and remedies for many items.
The League said the forum will be rebroadcast on local channels and on the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages; the next candidate forum will be held Oct. 14. Voters will decide the two winners in each party who will advance to the November ballot.
