We have another City election upon us and thankfully I am not in the thick of it, but I do have some thoughts.

Floyd Harthun, the past Mayor of Marshalltown, taught me the importance of having vision while on the City Council in the 1990’s.

Vision is what do you want to see in the future of Marshalltown? What could it be like in the future? We all know what Marshalltown was, or has been in the past, but we cannot re-create 1950 or 1975 no matter how hard we want to or try. It isn’t possible.

But, we can make the future Marshalltown something to brag about!

Of the hundreds of decisions that Councilors make yearly, how does it fit into their vision for Marshalltown?

A strong vision of the future for Marshalltown is a must for Councilors.

Momentum is tough for people to understand. Right now, Marshalltown has momentum in upgrading the downtown as well as many other developments and improvements. It takes YEARS to get momentum going. Momentum does not happen all by itself. Public and private investments are happening and you can see the progress even in the face of State cuts to budgets. It is very important that our momentum continues for as long as we can keep it going. Years of hard work by many people have gotten us to this point, don’t let it stop!

Teamwork between Councilors, City staff and other City leaders and organizations is also important. Gathering a consensus and willing to compromise to move forward is the hallmark of a good Councilor. Tough decisions must be made and sometimes we disagree by our votes but we are all on the same team, Team Marshalltown.

As you choose your candidates to vote for, make sure they have a vision for Marshalltown, understand momentum well and are willing to work as a team for Marshalltown’s future.

The better the team, the brighter Marshalltown’s future will be.