Linn County Pauses Plans to Hire Rural Economic Development Director

County leaders will revisit the position in the future after prioritizing other staffing needs.

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has decided to pause plans to hire a dedicated rural economic development director, opting instead to focus on other staffing needs for the upcoming fiscal year. The board says they will continue to evaluate the role and how it can best serve the county's rural areas, with the possibility of revisiting the position in the future if funding becomes available.

Why it matters

The decision to pause the rural economic development director role comes as Linn County has seen a surge in economic development proposals, including the planned restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center and a Google-backed data center near Palo. The position was intended to help guide and promote economic growth in the county's rural and unincorporated areas, which often lack the resources of larger cities.

The details

Last fall, the Linn County Board of Supervisors voted to create the rural economic development director position in an effort to leverage professional expertise to support economic development outside the Cedar Rapids metro area. However, in revisiting the decision, the board determined they have other more pressing staffing needs to address in the coming fiscal year. While one supervisor argued passionately for the role, the board's chair and another supervisor asserted it is not an immediate need and that the county should focus on other priorities at this time.

  • In November 2025, the Linn County Board of Supervisors voted to create the rural economic development director position.
  • In February 2026, the board decided to pause plans to hire for the role and revisit it in the future.

The players

Kirsten Running-Marquardt

Chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Brandy Z. Meisheid

District 3 Supervisor on the Linn County Board, representing the county's only majority-rural district.

Sami Scheetz

District 2 Supervisor on the Linn County Board.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're trying to put together a position that will serve the county and its rural and unincorporated areas in the best way possible. I absolutely believe it's a position we need moving forward, we're just trying to learn and formulate the best way to do that for our county.”

— Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Chair, Linn County Board of Supervisors (thegazette.com)

“Any opportunity that we have to support our small towns — many of which could never afford a position like this — that would build them up and help them with grants, economic development and finding incentives, that's something I'm always passionate about.”

— Brandy Z. Meisheid, District 3 Supervisor, Linn County Board (thegazette.com)

“I went through the list in terms of what the county needs today, … and I don't think (a rural economic development director) is an immediate need.”

— Sami Scheetz, District 2 Supervisor, Linn County Board (thegazette.com)

What’s next

The Linn County Board of Supervisors will continue to evaluate the rural economic development director role and may revisit the position in the future if funding becomes available.

The takeaway

Linn County's decision to pause plans for a rural economic development director highlights the difficult tradeoffs local governments must make when allocating limited resources. While the position was seen as valuable for supporting economic growth outside the main metro area, the board determined other staffing needs took priority in the current fiscal year.