Rob Sand holds Town Hall meeting in Waukon
Rob Sand addresses crowd at Town Hall in Waukon ... Standard photo by Joe Moses.
by Joe Moses
Current State of Iowa Auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand held a Town Hall style meeting Tuesday, August 25 at Robey Memorial Library’s lower-level Community Room in Waukon. The Town Hall was open to the public and credentialed members of the press with all attendees required to RSVP prior to the event.
Approximately 70 individuals were present for the Allamakee County Town Hall included in Sand’s 100 Town Hall Tour taking place in each of Iowa’s 99 counties with two Town Hall meetings taking place in Lee County in the southeast corner of the state which has two county seats, Fort Madison and Keokuk, something that is unique to that county in comparison to the rest of the state.
Prior to the Town Hall at Robey Memorial Library, a 10-minute press availability allowed questions from various media outlets. In response to questions from The Standard, Sand discussed the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) Program which encourages public entities across the state, including school districts, local governments and agencies, to implement and share cost saving ideas or “PIE Recipes” that improve efficiency and reduce waste.
Relating to the PIE Program during the remainder of his term as State Auditor and if elected Governor of Iowa, Sand made note of discussions relating to the possibility of making the PIE Program mandatory for state entities including local governments and school districts, and that he is hopeful the next elected State Auditor will continue the PIE Program from that office.
Relating to Senate File 478, signed into law in 2023, which significantly restricts the State Auditor’s ability to investigate state agencies and officials, Sand stated, “I want to restore the power of the State Auditor’s office. The bill they passed removing that power was the single biggest pro-corruption bill in Iowa history. I think it’s really important for Iowans to understand that every single government watchdog in America that weighed in on the law said it would lead to an increase in waste, fraud and abuse - all of them - many Republicans included.”
Sand noted that this law should be repealed and that if elected Governor, the Iowa Legislature will likely become interested in oversight and allow that to happen. In addition, Sand discussed the role of Town Hall meetings in hearing concerns and receiving feedback from elected county officials.
To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, September 2, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
