OSAGE, Iowa — Mitchell County supervisors last week unanimously agreed to hire a private investigator to catch Mennonite farmers who drive steel wheel tractors on hard surface roads in violation of the county’s road protection ordinance.
The investigator will report to the county attorney. The supervisors will also place newspaper advertisements asking residents to take pictures of steel wheel tractors on hard-surface roads and call the sheriff.
A week earlier the supervisors proposed meeting with policy making leaders of the Groffdale Conference Old Order Mennonites to work out a compromise.
Groffdale Mennonite Daniel Zimmerman of Orchard conferred with a church bishop in Pennsylvania about the meeting proposal. He gave the supervisors a statement summarizing what the bishop told him.
“Requiring our members to place steel wheels on our tractors is a religious regulation, reflecting our long-standing religious belief in separation from the world,” said the statement. “We feel that this belief is supported by scripture passages such as Romans 12:2, ‘Be ye not conformed to this world.’ ”
Zimmerman said church ministry meets twice a year in a national conference to interpret and apply biblical principles to church issues.
“Over the last 40 years, the ministry has repeatedly upheld and affirmed the use of steel wheels at these national conferences,” the statement said.
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Harlan Nolt, a Groffdale Conference minister from Riceville, said change must start in a member’s home church at council meetings held two times each year. From there the issue goes to the ministry council meeting where a majority have to accept it.
“As far as I can see, this was never brought up in individual church council or ministry council meetings,” Nolt said. “It was brought up if there might be an option to change, and everyone voted to uphold what we have now.”
Board of Supervisors chairman Joel Voaklander read a letter from Eloise Kuper of Osage, who sent photos of steel-wheel tractors on Primrose Avenue.
“If you hire a private investigator, plan on having him work the night shift,” Kuper wrote. “It is truly when these vehicles travel at their best. The issue isn’t better paving, but obeying the laws of the land.”
“I don’t think we have much choice,” said supervisor Bob Marreel in making the motion to hire a special investigator.
“Call your conference and see what you want to do,” Voaklander said. “You can see where we’re going, and it’s not going to pleasant for you folks. I think you’re going to have a bunch of discontented members here pretty quick.”
“You have to respect our point of view, too,” said Jim Reiff of Elma. “We try to respect yours, but it puts us in a hard spot.”
He asked why this is only a problem in Mitchell County.
“Because you are affecting our roads,” Walk said. “We borrowed $16 million. We’re trying to protect our investments.”
