An upcoming special election on July 16 will determine who will fill the 4th Ward vacancy on the Marshalltown city council left by the passing of Al Hoop in March. Two candidates are seeking the seat: Mark Eaton, a local businessman and Marshalltown native who returned to the community about a decade ago and previously ran for council in 2017 and 2021; and Melisa Fonseca, a REALTOR ® who graduated from Marshalltown High School in 2014.

The first half of their responses to the Times-Republican’s candidate questionnaire are printed below, and the remainder will be included in tomorrow’s paper. A candidate forum will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 9, at 5:30 p.m. inside Dejardin Hall on the Marshalltown Community College campus.

1. What is your personal, professional and educational background, and why are you running for the 4th Ward seat on the Marshalltown city council?

Mark Eaton: I graduated from MHS; I have an Associate’s degree from MCC; I have a Bachelor’s degree in the Engineering field from BYU; I have Master’s in Business and a graduate minor in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) from BYU.

I began my professional career as a traditional drafter in the Engineering Department at Sundstrand (now Danfoss) in Ames. I helped pioneer their CAD (computer-aided drafting) department and integrate their Engineering, Manufacturing, and Business computer systems across three plant locations and two states. I worked as a software developer in the San Diego area for a Finnish company called Ahlstrom Pyropower. I worked as the key employee and product designer for a company in Utah called Alpine Automation. I worked as the key employee and product designer in Utah for a company called Kaibab Artistic (aka as Eclipse). I worked as Operations Manager for a Denver based distributor of pneumatic and automation equipment for the Rocky Mountain states streamlining their operations across two locations in two states. I created and built the two companies that I currently own and operate called The CMC Doctor and Mark Eaton LLC. These two companies sell and operate internationally.

I am running for City Council to use my experience in business to represent the people and focus on improving the City fiscally, physically, and socio-economically.

Melisa Fonseca: My name is Melisa Fonseca, I was born and raised in Marshalltown. I am a first generation Marshalltownian, my parents arrived in Marshalltown in the early 1990’s and established their roots here. My mother and father met in California and migrated here in search of their hometown. They had many options before settling in Marshalltown and I am happy they chose here. My sisters, Tania and Janet Fonseca, are who I grew up looking up to and they set a really good path for me to follow as I grew up. My oldest sister, Tania, is a project manager at Fisher-Emerson, and my middle sister, Janet, is a registered nurse and a U.S Army Veteran.

We are all Marshalltownians, including my Mother, Tomasa, who has done her best to watch over us and her grandkids. She is helping serve the community by providing exceptional child care with her registered day care. My son, Santiago, will be a kindergartener at Woodbury Elementary School, which is special because that was my sister’s and my elementary school.

After graduating high school, I attended the University of Northern Iowa. Obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate and Financial management. I became a real estate broker in 2024 and opened up the first bilingual brokerage in the area, Alta Vista Real Estate ~ Alta Vista Centro de Bienes Raíces. When I was newly licensed in 2019, I joined Premier Real Estate and am thankful for the experience I gained there.

This year has brought so many good and new things in my life and one that I didn’t expect was running for city council. The late Al Hoop’s passing definitely left a big spot to fill and I think that I am the right person to step in. I know that I have been a part of Marshalltown and Marshalltown has been a part of me for a very long time, with my extensive volunteering experience, professional education, and community connections. The 4th Ward Seat is a position that will mean a great deal to me and to a lot of people of Marshalltown. When I first declared my candidacy back in April, I was definitely nervous, but as time has gone by with the Melisa Fonseca for Marshalltown campaign and the tremendous support/guidance/energy others have given has helped to keep the momentum going to win this election. I know what it takes to be a community advocate, be committed and invested in Marshalltown, even more so with this election. It goes to show that I have the strength. energy, and dedication to be the councilor Marshalltown deserves, with bringing the perspective of a Woman, Latina, Millennial, Community Volunteer, Businesswoman, and more.

2. What would your top priorities and areas of focus be if you are elected to the seat?

Eaton: Roads/Codes/Taxes: According to reports provided by consultants and paid for with your tax dollars, our local streets need a minimum of $10M per year spent on repair. The City needs a published Master Plan for Road/Street repair.

As for codes, the Council, with input from the people, needs to review and modernize all of the Codes and Ordinances. There are a lot of them. They need to be enforceable in a uniform manner.

The City Council’s core job is to define how much revenue the City needs to operate and how that revenue is allocated throughout the fiscal year. Property taxes are the City’s largest source of revenue. Other sources of revenue include Road Use Tax (RUT), federal, state, local grants, and fees – including the new automatic traffic camera ATE fees. As an incentive to attract new growth and keep existing residences & businesses, the Council must keep property taxes as low as possible while still meeting the needs of the City.

Fonseca: I have been door knocking for my campaign and after speaking with my 4th ward neighbors I have received one-on-one feedback on what is important to them, what the city needs to prioritize, and I have connected with local businesses and organizations in Marshalltown. What I’ve learned is that there are numerous priorities, and to pick just a couple wouldn’t be fair to the residents of Marshalltown. While listening to Marshalltown residents it is a priority for me to keep the momentum to the future with: infrastructure, public safety, economic development, affordable housing, community services, community engagement, recreation and culture, and budget management to ensure the priorities are getting done.

3. In general, do you feel like Marshalltown is headed in the right direction, and if not, how would you propose reversing that trajectory?

Eaton: If you mark progress by population, then we have progressed very little. However, I have driven the backroads of much of this country and many towns and cities have declined while Marshalltown has maintained and even grown slightly. I believe the old ways of economic development like TIF and tax abatement are detrimental to growth. I believe that the Council needs to create a more free and equitable playing field for development. There are approximately 18,000 adults and 10,000 households in Marshalltown. Each of them with their own dreams of growth and improvement. The Council should not take away from those dreams to fund another individual’s dream. The Council’s job is to provide the right atmosphere for progress to happen organically. Successful dreams will result in progress.

Fonseca: In general, I feel like Marshalltown is doing well, I think that we have pros and cons like any other city but what’s important is that it is guided in a way that will sustain the pace and keep up with the needs. If the community members think it’s falling behind on a certain aspect, then there is always room for improvement and room to plan. What’s important is knowing that the council is watching out and taking Marshalltown’s health as seriously as can be, because we are all part of this town and know it deserves, along with us, the best.

4. Last fall, voters rejected the proposed five percent franchise fee on gas and electric bills by a wide margin. If it had passed, about 71 percent of the revenue generated from the fee would have gone to street repairs. Do you believe the investment in road repairs can still be increased within the current budget, and if not, is there another revenue source you would suggest exploring to fund such projects?

Eaton: I believe, based on public comments, that if there had been a street repair master plan in place that the franchise fee would have passed. I believe that the voters feel misled on this topic. They are promised money for roads every year but they do not see any progress on their street. 100% of the franchise fee should go toward street repairs based on a master plan. As I mentioned earlier, we need to be spending $10M per year minimum on local street repairs for the next 10 years to overcome the past neglect. If you want progress we need to dress for success. Our streets need to look new and vibrant, not broken down and tired. Everyone knows that curb-appeal is important.

Fonseca: This is a great question because we can reflect on a vote and learn from it for the future. I think that with all the energy focusing on roads that something like this would have been supported. It does take the community to come together for these improvements to move forward, and if the majority does not think so then new avenues need to be looked at. Connecting with the right city staff, like the city engineer and the finance director would be an avenue I would take to see what can be done. The city staff is great and are the ones who can provide the information to bring to the council. And in addition, where I would come in would be to inform my ward of the information they need to make an informed vote, and it helps that I can speak 2 languages.

5. Code enforcement has been a hot topic in Marshalltown for much of 2024. Do you believe current efforts have been effective, and if elected, what, if any, changes to the process would you advocate for and support? Additionally, do you have any thoughts or ideas on how to address vacant and/or dilapidated downtown buildings and fill them with businesses?

Eaton: Codes, the laws of the city, are very important to communicate how everyone should act within the community. Codes should be developed collectively and revisited continuously. We have many codes on the books that are outdated and should be revised or eliminated. Many cannot be enforced. And, in my opinion, some are used to target individuals. If elected, I will propose a more proactive review of the codes and ordinances by the Council.

Fonseca: Enforcement of codes is necessary, keeps certain standards and helps us all. As I’ve attended city council meetings, I’ve heard members of the community express their concerns, and adding new ideas is key to working to improve quality of life. The goal here is to maintain and improve community standards, ensure a safe, healthy, and an attractive environment for all residents. A connection between the city and its residents is what I would do to see where there has been progress even if it’s small, because small improvements add up. With the vacant properties, it’s great to see that there are individuals/businesses seeking approval from the council to bring in new ideas for the best use and ultimately renovate the real estate. I think that getting the word out on the buildings, doing some marketing, getting it presented in its possible potential state, is a beneficial step to bringing in a new business to town, and as we know, I work in real estate for a living and can provide tremendous beneficial ideas to the council, unique to each property.

6. The city council is currently in the process of hiring a new city administrator for the second time in less than a year. The housing and community development director job has been vacant for over a year now, and current Police Chief Mike Tupper has indicated his intention to retire from his position early in 2025. What knowledge and expertise would you bring to the hiring process, and how would you help to ensure that the right people are attracted and retained to serve the city?

Eaton: These positions are all key leadership positions within the city. As a key employee in many startup and established businesses, I have participated in the hiring and evaluation process of team members and partners. I will use my experience to help guide the re-staffing.

One of the key challenges Marshalltown has had recently, is the lack of a clear and unified vision on how to properly service the taxpayer’s needs and desires. There are too many closed groups resisting input from the community at large. As a result, staff are often pulled in conflicting directions. This environment is not conducive to long term careers and success. We really need to believe in authentic collaboration and build a team Marshalltown.

Fonseca: There are city staff positions that need to be filled for sure, and having been in contact with city staff, I know they are working hard to get the right candidates for the job. Some of the city staff that have been around for many years would be a great asset to connect with to see what needs they have and how the council may help them. Also, how the council may provide the tools for them to be successful in their hiring process. I do know from city staff that there is a headhunter working to get these positions filled. I hope that the staff who are leaving may recommend a candidate to take their spot. It would be great for the city HR to have reliable new hire and quicker turnover. It is also important to have a complete and accurate job description, for those future applicants to see and as a councilwoman I would be able to connect with human resources and see how I may help them.