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story I wanted to do two things when I took office. I wanted to increase the miles of paved roads and access to running water. I felt like our county would
develop steadily if we could provide more paved roads and more water.
— Mike Jacobs
Standin
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By Scott Perkins County Lines Editor
hances are, most visitors to the Johnson County Courthouse will hear whistling casually echoing off the white marble walls and floors when the judge is in. The playful melodies are tuned by a man who genuinely loves people and is at home in every sense of the word. The story of his journey with Johnson County governing begins in the top drawer of his dark wooden desk. It creaked just a bit as he pulled it open and reached in ... Johnson County Judge Mike Jacobs keeps the first county financial statement he received when taking office in the top drawer of his desk. When he assumed the county judge’s position in 1992, Johnson County had a total of about $491,000 in the bank account, and was carrying almost $300,000 in debt. Today, the county has no debt and boasts more than $9 million in its general account. However, the financial stability of Johnson County is only one side of the story. Jacobs, who described his management style as laidback and fair, stressed how critical building a consensus among all parties is when planning a project. “It is very important to get everyone on the same page when planning a county project,” Jacobs said. “It’s better all the way around when you sell everyone on the idea in the beginning and generally work together. I can’t emphasize how important this aspect has been to our success.” As soon as he took office, Jacobs focused his governing efforts on improved infrastructure and said he knew that was the road to the future 30
in for the county he grew up in. “When I first took office, I wanted to improve two things,” Jacobs said as he held up two fingers. “I wanted to increase the miles of paved roads and access to running water. I felt like our county would develop steadily if we could provide more paved roads and more water.” Growing steady is exactly what Johnson County has accomplished, even during some down times in areas across the nation. Johnson County’s population in 1991 was a little more than 16,000, but according to the last census, 25,540 people reside in the county today. Jacobs touted the recent completion of 46 miles of water infrastructure along State Highway 21 in the northern portion of the county. He also pointed out that all but two primary roads and two secondary roads that qualify for state funding in the county are now paved. “These infrastructure improvements helped bring the tax base up to benefit the county general fund and road department and so on,” Jacobs said. “That fact is the basis for the other improvements we’ve been able to complete in the county.” The list of Johnson County’s completed projects is significant and ongoing, and they all have one common denominator — no new taxes were enacted to get the jobs done. County employees have also received a raise every year with Jacobs at the helm. “We’ve paid for these projects as we went with no tax increases,” Jacobs said. “Depending on the projects, we have used some grants, local partners, and above all other factors, we’ve made these things happen by working together.” COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2012
