Jefferson city voters will elect someone to the city council in a special election Tuesday, June 25.
There are four candidates on the ballot – Amelia Carman, Darren Jackson, Mike Mentzer and Mark Wright.
GreeneCountyNewsOnline posed questions to the candidates about their qualifications for the council and important local topics. Their answers follow, exactly as the candidates wrote them.
AMELIA CARMAN, age 33
What qualifications or experience would you bring to the Jefferson City council?
I’m a government employee and understand how agencies run and know the importance and challenges we face with our infrastructure. I was born and raised in Jefferson and I feel that I know what the expectations of the citizens of our community.
What should Jefferson’s top three priorities be and why?
1. Maintaining & fixing infrastructure- living in Jefferson my whole life I’ve noticed there has not been a lot of updates to any of our systems whether it be the water lines, sewer or the city streets and gutters. I feel that we need to do more than just maintain, it’s time to start doing some upgrades so that way our whole system does not fail eventually.
2. Growth and Development- to keep the younger generations local and or bring the younger generations back to Jefferson I feel that we need to grow, to do this we need to be able to introduce new businesses to Jefferson with higher-paying jobs. Personally I have to drive to Ames on a daily basis, I would love to be able to have a job in Jefferson that pays as well as what I’m making currently. Another aspect of this is housing, there needs to be more affordable housing for people that want to live here that is acceptable for the average income of Jefferson. As I mentioned earlier I purchased my home 5 years ago, I would not have been able to afford it had it been listed at full price, but it was a foreclosure so i was able to get a great deal on it.
3. Safety and emergency services- I feel that we need to support our local police department and fire department. Being on the fire department and working at the sheriff’s department gives me a different perspective than the majority of our community. There needs to be more funding for all of our emergency services.
What should be the city’s role be in downtown restoration and development?
City council should continue to provide an avenue to the building owners to research grant monies to restore and rebuild the downtown structures.
Should the city assume debt for economic development?
Depending on the investment and what the return on the investment would be. I believe each individual opportunity should be analyzed on its own merit.
In 50 words, why would you be a great city council member?
Jefferson needs to have a voice in our community representative of the younger generation. We need to be more than a retirement community. I want help our future generations have a safe community with many employment opportunities, a place to raise families and to see the city grow.
DARREN JACKSON, age 47
What qualifications or experience would you bring to the Jefferson City council?
The experiences I bring to the Jefferson City Council are my service on the Grand Junction City Council and several other boards and committees. Some of those boards and committees include Horizons, GCEA (as co-president), Community Players of Greene County, and being an Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Grand Junction. During my time on the Grand Junction City Council, I helped with the completion of the new community center and the storm sewer. The community center provided space for more events that the old community center and city hall could no longer give. The storm sewer helped alleviate the flooded basements in many of the homes. Jefferson does not face exactly the same problems as many small towns, but they are similar. Namely, how to continue to keep the city attractive and provide needed maintenance of the infrastructure.
What should Jefferson’s top three priorities be and why?
The city’s top three priorities should be continuing to be a viable location for new businesses while maintaining current businesses, attracting young families to move to Jefferson (or move back), and having good housing in the city for those people. The reasons why are obvious: Father Time is undefeated. No matter how many invested people we have working on making Jefferson better today (and we have the blessing of many great people), we are all just placeholders for the next generation. Jefferson is one of the best cities its size anywhere, but we can’t rest on our laurels. We must provide the opportunities for future Jefferson leaders so they can continue to lead and be inspired by past examples.
What should be the city’s role be in downtown restoration and development?
When I first came to this area, I was impressed at how many businesses were open on the square. Most Iowa towns Jefferson’s size, or even bigger, usually have a lot of ‘used to be’ businesses with plywood windows and collapsing roofs. “Jefferson is lucky,” I thought that day. But, I was wrong. Because it is no lucky accident that Jefferson has a vibrant downtown; it is because of the hard work and optimism of so many organizations and citizens. And it’s only getting better. City government’s role in this is to be a partner where and when it can with growth. A ‘no brainer’ one might say, but I lived in towns in Missouri where the city was not only not a help to growth, but a hindrance. Jefferson is on the move, but it doesn’t take many naysayers to end it. I think that would be a betrayal to all that Jefferson has already done. The city needs to continue to invest in downtown development.
Should the city assume debt for economic development?
The planning stage of the latest bond issues that have been passed and the ones that are proposed predate my time on city council. However, I have been proud to join my fellow council members in unanimously approving them. The improvements that these bonds are funding were developed over many years by the council and other entities. They include a range of ideas from better garbage pickup to beautification of areas of the city. All of these improvements are really an investment in the hope-filled future of Jefferson.
As to the cost: Jefferson’s debt service levy for FY 19 is $2.15. The bonds will raise the debt levy to a projected $2.70 in FY 21-22; $2.50 in FY 23-26 and then below $2 after that. On the other hand, this is less than our debt service levy in the recent past which was $2.65 in FY 17; almost $3 in FY 15, and over $4 until FY 07. Of course acquiring debt for no reason should never be a government’s goal, but these are good reasons that have been studied for a long time. The debt service levy will not be any more burdensome and actually less than it was ten years ago.
In 50 words, why would you be a great city council member?
The reasons that I think I am a good city council member are my previous experience; my hope for the future of Jefferson and her youth; my ability to listen to all sides with empathy; and my easy-going nature paired with the ability to make tough decisions.
MICHAEL MENTZER, age 67
What qualifications or experience would you bring to the Jefferson City council?
I served on the Paton city council for three years, starting out as an appointee,and was then elected in the next election. I resigned my position when I moved back to Jefferson.
While at Electrolux (25 years) I trained in team concept and was part of a presentation at Iowa State University.
I served on the Little League board and coached for 25 years.
I was the town marshal for Churdan. I also served on the Churdan fire and rescue team and as a firefighter in Jefferson (certified diver on underwater rescue, retiring after 20-plus years combined service.
The majority of my experiences required me to work with others in both small and large groups. My feeling is no one person can do it all.
What should Jefferson’s top three priorities be and why?
1. Affordable housing. In order to bring people to town to live and work, we need to be able to offer affordable housing. Also, we need to keep in mind that we have people on fixed incomes. I’ve heard proposed rents from $800 to $1,00 per month and those who are low income or on fixed incomes cannot afford that. We need to determine how to bring in some new construction so that those who can afford higher priced housing can “move up” to those, freeing up lower cost housing for those who need it. All of rural Iowa is having the same issues, so we are competing with them as the smaller towns die out and people are looking at larger towns with more amenities.
2. Property taxes. We need to work on making improvements while not pricing ourselves out of the market with high property taxes. Prioritizing the projects is key. We cannot do it all overnight. One complaint I hear a lot is that our real estate taxes are too high compared to other cities with more amenities.
3. First responders. If we are going to ask people to move here, we need to be able to ensure them that we can protect them and their property. Our first responders need adequate, updated equipment in order to do their jobs and be safe themselves. We can improve in that area.
What should the city’s role be in downtown restoration and development?
The city should have input as to the structures (design, size, etc). In order to draw businesses to downtown one thing we can do is use our authority to grant tax abatements. The money the city (which comes from our taxpayers) invests in buying and remodeling buildings needs to be done conservatively so we can realize a return on our investment. The more we can utilize grants to accomplish our goals, the better. One of the complaints I hear is that “the city shouldn’t be in the real estate business.” We need to keep the taxpayers updated on what we are doing, what it is costing them and how it actually benefits them in the long run.
Should the city assume debt for economic development?
No answer provided.
In 50 words, why would you be a great city council member?
Jefferson is my hometown. I’ve seen Jefferson at its peak (a larger population with more stores). With each generation the cause of change and needs are different. We need to focus on how we can capitalize on what we have, keeping in mind this will neer be like the 1960s.
MARK WRIGHT, age 59
What qualifications or experience would you bring to the Jefferson City Council?
I have been a resident of Jefferson for most of my life and raised my family here. As a self employed individual for 25 years with sales and farming background, I am very aware of the delicate decisions that are required to be made when operating a business. I am also one of the leaders in our local church congregation responsible for financial matters.
What should be the city council’s top three priorities and why?
Two of the top priorities as I see it should be the police department and the fire department. These departments/individuals possess a courage that deserves our respect and support. The third priority would be controlled spending so that funds are available when important projects arise.
What should the city’s role be in downtown restoration and development?
I am all for the city being involved in the restoration and development of the downtown area. There has to be stipulations that go along with this and we need to be mindful of the money that is being spent on these projects and what the return is going to be.
Should the city assume debt for economic development?
Whether or not the city would assume debt for economic development would hinge on what the development would be as well as the cost.
In fewer than 50 words, why would you be a great city council member?
I am a fair minded individual that’s experienced in sound decision making, which qualifies me as a good steward of the tax payers money. These decisions cannot be made lightly. They must be what is best for the city and the people of Jefferson.
