Washington County State Senator Larry Marek says Iowa has finished the fiscal year with over $300 million dollars in surplus, a sign he says proves his and other lawmakers efforts to “grow [the] economy and balance the budget without raising taxes” are having a positive impact.  Despite Iowa’s $300 million dollar surplus, former Governor Terry Branstad told Washington area residents at a town hall meeting this week that the state’s money was being mismanaged.  The Republican said that as governor, he would be more fiscally responsible than current Iowa Governor Chet Culver by limiting state programs to what the budget would allow.