“Exira Matters.” Rob Sand Visits Exira To Meet with Community Facing Water Restrictions

Rob Sand: “Government is supposed to work for everybody, and what the most important thing for it to do is find people or communities, entire communities, that are in crisis."

DES MOINES, IA – Yesterday, Rob Sand visited the town of Exira (population 763) to talk with members of the community about the challenges they have been facing for over the last three weeks while under a boil advisory without access to water. The advisory, which was only lifted just yesterday in nearly every town, stretched across Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and northern Pottawattamie counties.

Rob was joined by community leaders and elected officials, local entrepreneurs and small business owners, and parents who have had to navigate the boil advisory with no help or support from state leaders.

Read more about Rob’s visit to Exira below:

Des Moines Register: ‘Exira matters’: Rob Sand campaigns in rural Iowa town facing water restrictions

• “Sitting at a table in the public library, State Auditor Rob Sand troubleshooted concerns from five city leaders and residents about the small town’s ongoing water supply restrictions and regulatory battle with its utility provider.”
• “Sand said he’s visiting rural Iowa towns such as Exira — population roughly 800 — as he campaigns for governor because he believes they matter.”
• “Sand said there’s too much emphasis on Republicans and Democrats clashing, and not enough problem-solving for Iowans like Exira’s residents, who are required to conserve water and have been under at least “Level Yellow” water restrictions for the last two years.”
• “After the roundtable, Blake Asberry said Sand’s interest in Exira and its residents meant a lot. ‘It’s encouraging and it’s refreshing,” Blake Asberry said. ‘I like to see someone who steps in who is not afraid to be able to go into a traditionally red county and just hear what people are thinking.’”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: In southwest Iowa, Rob Sand hears of water shortages and boil advisories plaguing a town

• “Sand listened to the concerns as part of a gubernatorial campaign swing through rural Iowa, but problems for Exira, and other customers on Regional Water Rural Water Association’s system, have been ongoing for several years.”
• “Sand, a Democrat from Decorah, listened to the experiences of the Exira residents and said it should be a crisis to which state leaders pay more attention.”
• “‘Exira matters,’ Sand said. ‘I think anyone in Iowa that’s facing problems like this should have their problems fixed. Government is supposed to work for everybody.’”

KCCI: Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand visits Exira after drinking water boil advisory lifted

• “Democratic candidate for Iowa governor Rob Sand visited the town of Exira Tuesday afternoon to meet with concerned residents and local officials about their ongoing water situation.”
• “Sand sat down with residents and local officials at the public library to talk about how life has been like under the advisory. Mom Emmy Benton said it has been tough with kids.”
• “Sand said he believes the state government needs to be paying more attention to towns like Exira, which are facing issues like this. ‘I think Exira matters,’ Sand said. ‘I think anyone in Iowa that is facing problems like this should have their problems fixed.’”

The Gazette: Western Iowa residents express concerns about water quality, shortages during roundtable

• “The water quality concerns in this corner of the state were highlighted during a roundtable held by Democratic Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand’s gubernatorial campaign Tuesday afternoon at the Exira Public Library, where he spoke to local residents and officials.”
• “Sand, who said he wanted to hold the roundtable to bring more attention to the issue in Exira, thinks it’s important for government officials to focus on the issues Iowans face rather than focusing on partisan politics. ‘Anyone in Iowa that’s facing problems like this should have their problems fixed. Government is supposed to work for everybody, and one of the most important things for it to do is find people or communities, entire communities, that are in crisis,’ Sand said.”

KCRG: Gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand hears water shortage concerns in western Iowa roundtable

• “Some western Iowa towns are under boil water advisories. Residents haven’t been able to drink straight from the tap for about two weeks now. Democratic candidate for Governor Rob Sand stopped in to talk to residents of one town.”

KETV: ‘Not out of the woods’: Exira city officials voice concerns after boil advisory is lifted

• “Exira officials shared their concerns with current state auditor and governor candidate, Rob Sand, during a roundtable discussion on Tuesday. Sand said he doesn’t think there’s one solution, but does believe there’s something the state government could do to help.””
• “‘People’s taps are running dry, where they have to boil everything, but they’ve got a house with five people in it,’ Sand said. “What are you going to do? Boil water all day? That should be a crisis. It should be something that people are paying a lot of attention to.’”