DISTRICT 3 – Supervisor Tom Hockensmith
Tom Hockensmith was elected in 2003 and is serving his second term as Polk County
Supervisor. He represents Polk County’s Third District, which includes the cities
of Alleman, Altoona, Bondurant, Elkhart, Mitchellville, Pleasant Hill, Polk City,
Runnells and the northeast section of Des Moines. Hockensmith is serving as Vice-Chair
of the Board of Supervisors in 2012. He previously served as Chair of the Board
of Supervisors in 2005, 2007 and 2010.
Hockensmith’s previous professional experience includes positions as a policy advisor
for Iowa Governor Thomas J. Vilsack, a union representative for American Federation
of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and as an electrician for the
Iowa Department of Transportation.
Hockensmith represents the Board of Supervisors on the Correctional Services Board
of Directors, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Des Moines Area Metropolitan
Planning Organization, Metro Waste Authority and Metropolitan Advisory Council.
During his terms in office, Hockensmith identified infrastructure improvements to
support economic development and job growth as his top priority. He was instrumental
in developing Polk County’s comprehensive plan to encourage planned and balanced
growth through the year 2030. He also played a key role in the adoption of a revolving
sewer and water loan program to encourage economic development as well as assisting
Des Moines Water Works in the acquisition of infrastructure from the SE Polk Rural
Water District which resulted in a 50% reduction in rates for their customers. He
was also supportive of the recent Norwoodville Sanitary Sewer Project. Additionally,
Hockensmith helped secure funding for the completion of several roads projects including:
NW 26th Street Interchange on I-35, NE 56th Street reconstruction between Altoona
and Pleasant Hill, Highway 163 at NE 112th Street (Old 316) and the NE 72nd Street
interchange reconstruction between Bondurant and Altoona, NW 72nd Place/Highway
415 Intersection Improvement Project.
Hockensmith played a key role in the construction of the new jail, working with
staff to ensure that construction remained on time and on budget and that this project
did not exceed the $68 million dollar construction cost approved by the voters.
He also served on the jail transition team working with the Sheriff to ensure operational
costs remain static. Serving as the Board’s representative on the Criminal Justice
Coordinating Council, Hockensmith is playing a key role in identifying possible
improvements to the criminal justice system which include developing system-wide
solutions, actions and strategies.
Hockensmith has taken the lead on interoperability in Polk County working closely
with the Polk County Sheriff. This project will solve several issues, for Polk County,
placing police and fire on the same radio band and for Westcom and Polk County it
will replace an aging radio system with coverage issues. This project will also
negate the need to meet the narrow banding deadline of 2013 for the VHF fire radios
and will compliment the Metro Area Interoperability Project and be compatible with
the State Wide Radio Project. This project could also serve as a model for adoption
by other counties.
Hockensmith has lived and worked in Polk County for more than 40 years. He is a
member of the Des Moines Elks #98 and the Izaack Walton League. Hockensmith was
previously a member of AFSCME Local 3450 and IBEW Local #499 and has served on the
Polk County Democrat’s Central Committee.
Hockensmith and his wife have two daughters, one in the Southeast Polk school system,
one attending college and two adult sons.