Benjamin reflects on 14 years of service as a commissioner

LEXINGTON – For 14 years Linda Benjamin of rural Cozad, has served on the Dawson County Board of Commissioners. Tuesday, Dec. 30, was her last meeting. 

Benjamin did not step down voluntarily from the board, but lost her elected position to P.J. Jacobson of Cozad, 372 votes to 314. 

Although she lost her position, Benjamin has no plans of sitting quietly at home. 

“There are a few doors that have opened,” Benjamin said.  “I don’t plan on going home and being a stay-at-home grandma’.”

Instead, Benjamin has accepted a government appointment by Governor Dave Heineman as the chairwoman of the Nebraska Juvenile Justice Coalition.  She has been a member of the coalition since her appointment by Governor Mike Johanns six years ago. 

Benjamin considers it an honor to serve the state further as the chair. The day after her last Dawson County Board of Commissioners meeting she traveled to Lincoln to present the governor with her three-year plan for the coalition. 

The coalition advises the Nebraska Crime Commission on juvenile justice and federal grant funding allocation.  For instance, Dawson County has applied for federal funding to electronically monitor juveniles, an alternative to incarceration.

Benjamin will work to make sure funds needed for programs across the state are used effectively.

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said of the position. 

The job, however, is not paid, but she automatically becomes a member of the Federal Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, which  requires her to travel to the nation’s capitol beginning in February. 

Benjamin has always considered herself an advocate for young people, especially the abused. 

“I’ve always had a passion for helping children,” she said. “The children in the state of Nebraska need a powerful voice.”

Benjamin doesn’t plan on disappearing from the Dawson County Courthouse either.  She said she hopes to get an appointment to Child Appointed Special Ad-vocates (CASA) now that she has completed her 30-hour training course and still serves on the foster care board as well.

Benjamin, who turns 60 this week, originally came to Cozad as a schoolteacher and has been married for 35 of the 37 years she’s lived there.  She and her husband, Howard “Howdy” Ben-jamin, run a family farm north of Cozad.

Their daughter Jessica is an artist in Omaha. Their son Ralph, who runs a cow and calf operation nine miles from her farm, has two grade-school aged sons who love to visit her, recently watching the Huskers in the Gator Bowl at her house. 

That being said, Benjamin hasn’t always been perceived as a mild mannered grandma and schoolmarm.

During her 14 years on the board she was often the first to speak up after uncomfortable silences in meetings. On more than one occasion she took it upon herself to make a motion to vote on an issue, whether controversial or mundane, after enough discussion. 

Benjamin is known as the one who asks tough questions of people in front of the commission.  Though not naturally grumpy, she would ask up-beat characters if they had too much cappuccino. 

If she was perceived as bossy, it was not necessarily a character flaw. In fact, she reluctantly entered government in the beginning.

Fourteen years ago, Benjamin didn’t intend on running for the Dawson County Board of Commissioners. She had gone to the courthouse to pay her vehicle taxes and registration and was approached by the county treasurer at the time, Kermit Pierson. 

He encouraged her to apply for the newly created position on the commission that previously had three members, and was increased to five in 1994 when voters in the county decided that they needed more representation. 

“I told him I’d think about it,” Benjamin said.

“‘Well,’” he said, “’the deadline’s today.’” 

Benjamin then walked to the county clerk’s office, signed an application, gave an interview for the position, and the next thing she knew she was selected as the District 4 Commissioner.

In her 14 years of service she has never been afraid to speak up and voice her opinions and concerns, especially in the face of opposition. 

“Maybe it didn’t come out quite right, but I’ve always had a strong voice,” she said. 

Though her opinions of what was best for the county weren’t always shared by others, she did what she thought was right.

 “That’s what you’re supposed to do in public office,” she said.  “You serve the public, and nobody else,” she said, and she leaves office with absolutely no regrets. “I was representing 24,000 people. I didn’t just work for myself.  They expect you to ask lots of questions.”

When asked what one thing she was most proud of, Benjamin said it was a tough question to answer. 

“They’re all memorable,” she said. 

She recalled going to Lincoln to receive an award for the statewide coalition, Operation Extra Mile, which tries to urge people to do something about under-aged drinking. 

A group of young people came to the county board with a message while Benjamin was chairman. They said that young people were tired of losing their friends to alcohol related accidents and challenged the board to quit ignoring it and to take a stand on under-aged drinking.

Benjamin said that, along with county law enforcement, they declared zero tolerance for any adult who procured alcohol or drugs to minors. They also fought against the sale of alcoholic beverages seen as they marketed toward under-aged drinkers, such as drinks called Zippers.

Zippers, with 12% alcohol, come in bright colors and fruity flavors and have packaging that resembles popular gelatin snacks. 

“We got an award from the Nebraska Project Extra Mile for taking a stand against under-aged drinking,”  Benjamin said.

On her last day, several county office workers came forward to present her with going away presents, including fellow commissioner Bill Stewart.  He gave a short speech saying in the beginning the two had a difference of opinion, but  they came to realize they were both on the same page when it came to Dawson County, and that they were both interested in making Dawson County a better place. 

He said he would miss Benjamin, having served together for 10 years. 

“She worked hard,” he said. “She probably knew more about our budgets than anyone else in the courthouse, or maybe even the county.”

When asked what she’d miss the most about being on the commissioner’s board, Benjamin said, “The people; I’ve met so many different people throughout the state of Nebraska.”

On her last day as a commissioner she took with her a wooden sign someone had given to her that reads, “I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas.” 

She laughed at the memento as she packed it, a testament to her willingness to speak her mind and get things done.

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