Your seven City Councilors make popular and unpopular decisions in every City Council meeting without exception. The popularity of our decisions is solely based upon your emotional attachment to the issue at hand. It is impossible to please all of the citizens of Marshalltown all the time.

Rest assured that we take our jobs very seriously and research each and every issue. Maybe we sometimes fail to explain the bigger picture, or share all of the details, or convey the amount of limited resources necessary to fulfill the requirements of any given project. However, we can justify our votes, both popular and unpopular.

One such unpopular vote that I took a lot of heat about was my “no” vote on funding the Arts and Culture Alliance. Put yourself in a seat next to me on the Council for one moment and tell me what you would do if each and every one of the 200 nonprofit agencies in Marshalltown came to the Council and asked for taxpayer funding. Which ones would you say yes to and which ones would you say no to? Big Brothers Big Sisters, Trees Forever, CAPS, House of Compassion, CIRSI, the Emergency Food Box, or MIW, for example? They all provide beneficial and valuable services to the community. Is one less deserving than the other?

Now think about this: you can join me in the decision making process. In this November’s City election there will be four seats on the City Council up for vote in addition to that of the Mayor’s.

You do have a say in Marshalltown’s future. Run for office or just simply vote for the candidate that best represents your shared beliefs. Either way, you have my respect and my thanks!