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According to information shared by Marshalltown City Clerk Alicia Hunter on Monday evening, the city council will be accepting letters of interest for candidates seeking appointment to fill the Third Ward vacancy left by Dex Walker's departure before the seat goes on the ballot alongside the proposed gas and electric franchise fee in the Sept. 12 special election.
After initially announcing intentions to appoint Walker's replacement and allow that individual to serve until the November general election, legal questions arose with regard to the Iowa Code, and the city was informed that the seat would be required to go on the ballot in September. Regardless, some councilors still expressed interest in making a short-term appointment, and that course of action has been deemed within the law by the city's legal counsel.
Under the current timeline, candidates who wish to be considered for appointment must submit a letter of interest addressed to Mayor Joel Greer and sent via email to clerk@marshalltown-ia.gov or mailed or delivered to City Hall, 24 N. Center St., Marshalltown, IA 50158, with the name, address, and why the individual is interested by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10. Interviews will be conducted during the Aug. 14 regular meeting with a resolution to appoint likely being approved afterward.
The new councilor would then serve for two meetings -- Aug. 28 and Sept. 11 -- before the special election and, if elected on Sept. 12, would serve out the remainder of Walker's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2025. If another individual is elected on Sept. 12, he or she would take office at the Sept. 25 council meeting.
All six of the current councilors were contacted for comment on the situation Tuesday afternoon, and at presstime, only At-Large Councilors Barry Kell and Gary Thompson had responded. Kell told the T-R he was still unsure of the path forward.
"At the time the council voted to appoint, we were under the belief the election for the position would happen in November. Now (that) it will occur in September, it justifies the need for us councilors to determine if that is still the best approach. I am not aware of any conversations to date on it," Kell said. "Whether we still desire to act is the question that needs answered. (The) timeline to the election is very limited."
Thompson said he would vote against any appointment -- even if it was the candidate he wanted -- because he believes the decision should be left to the voters, and he didn't see the reasoning in installing someone to sit for two meetings before the election.
"The only rationale that I can see to appoint would be (that) there are three councilors that want to put something on the agenda the 28th and the 11th that they want to railroad through, and those three would try very hard to appoint someone that would vote in line with them so they can get something railroaded through in those next two council meetings before the election," Thompson said. "That's the only rationale I can think of. There's no other reason... There's no big projects that aren't already in process, so there's nothing that I can think of that's coming up on the council that has to be handled that couldn't be handled at the end of September or in October, November, December (or) January."
He added that he believes elections should always be the decider, regardless of the outcome or the level of participation.
"The overriding factor is the citizens have a right to choose who represents them, and I don't care if you have a special election and 10 people go vote. They're the ones who decide then," Thompson said. "I've always believed that. I always will. Nothing will convince me otherwise... It just doesn't make sense. There's nothing that's gonna happen in those two meetings that we need the seventh person in there. The only thing I can think of, you know, you've gotta look at the hidden agendas, and there's something that three of them are already working on that they want a fourth vote (for) to make it 4-3."
So far, three candidates have submitted letters of interest --
Bennett
Kinnick
Nichols
Bennett, a classmate of Walker's at MHS, said that because the former councilor was elected to serve a four-year term in 2021, he hoped an individual with "the same general mentality" would fill the role, whether it ended up being himself or someone else.
"I won't say that I've ever had a particularly strong desire to be in politics. The work is certainly important and I am passionate about it, but I know how divisive it can be," Bennett told the T-R. "The best I can do if elected for the role is just listen to my constituents -- not just the vocal minority, but the not-so-vocal majority as well. As long as I do my best to reflect their desires, while also considering the views of local experts for any given subject, then I think I'd be doing an okay job."
Kinnick said she was throwing her hat in the ring to focus on city spending and engaging all of her constituents, regardless of where they fall on a certain issue.
"I am interested in the position because I feel it's important for the voice of the people to be heard. It's important to listen to the concerns of the people. One of my goals would be to be very approachable since I would be representing the people of the Third Ward. I would return phone calls, e-mails, and the like. I would look at all sides of an issue before making a decision," she said. "I also feel that as my dad drilled into my head, 'There is a difference between wants and needs.' As people strive to live within their means, the city should too."
Nichols shared a note he has been distributing as he seeks signatures for his candidacy and identified his top four goals if he were to be appointed and/or elected: hiring a new city administrator who has "the values and priorities" of the citizens of Marshalltown in mind, infrastructure (streets and sewers), promoting Marshalltown by supporting local businesses and assets, and prioritizing infrastructure and critical services during the budgeting process.
"I believe that the best solutions are crafted when we bring together the collective wisdom and ideas of our community members," Nichols said. "As a city council member, I will work to bring our community together and ensure that voices are heard and respected. I believe that together we can create a brighter future for Marshalltown."
Candidates who wish to run in the special election do not need to participate in the appointment process. Any Third Ward resident will have the opportunity to file an affidavit of candidacy and nomination petition with at least 75 signatures to fill the remainder of Walker's term. Candidacy paperwork must be filed with the Marshall County Auditor's Office at the Courthouse by Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at 5 p.m. Filing paperwork is available at https://www.marshalltown-ia.gov/758/City-Elections or printed in the vestibule at City Hall. Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Hunter at 641-754-5701 or clerk@marshalltown-ia.gov.
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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.