November 4 City/School Election will see five contested races among Allamakee County ballots
Tuesday, November 4 is scheduled as the City/School Election to determine which candidates will be elected by voters to leadership positions at the most local levels of government and guidance. Out of the six communities and three school districts within Allamakee County, there will be a total of five contested races, according to candidate listings from the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office following the September 18 candidate filing deadline.
CITY GOVERNMENT
There are five mayor seats up for election within the six Allamakee County communities featuring a city government system. Lansing is the only community where the mayor’s office is not on this year’s ballot, and that community’s three at-large city council seats on this year’s ballot are all being pursued by current incumbent candidates Stan Schwartzhoff, Mike Manning and Steve Murray, with none of those three having a declared opponent in this year’s election.
The only mayoral seat being contested in this year’s election is in Waterville, where incumbent mayor Dave Monserud is being challenged this year by Jason Bollman. Otherwise, Waukon Mayor Arvid Hatlan, New Albin Mayor Tom Feuerhelm and Harpers Ferry Mayor Jerry Valley are all running unopposed in their re-election bids. The city of Postville currently has no declared candidate for mayor, as current mayor Dennis Koenig will not be seeking re-election on this year’s ballot and no candidate papers have been filed.
Two communities will have contested city council races on this year’s ballot. Harpers Ferry has two at-large seats up for election this year on its council, with three candidates pursuing those two seats, including incumbents Alan Garin and Kenneth Barta, in addition to challenger Larry Darling.
The Waukon City Council will have one contested seat in Ward 3, where current councilmember Dave Blocker is not seeking re-election. That vacant seat is being pursued by Cassie Cahoon and Cole Spain, with two other Waukon City Council seats on this year’s ballot being pursued by incumbent candidates Steve Wiedner (Ward 1) and Tim Smedsrud (At-Large), both of whom are running unopposed in their re-election bids.
In addition to the previously mentioned Lansing City Council, the communities of New Albin, Waterville and Postville all have the same number of candidates as the number of seats up for election on this year’s ballot, with all of those council positions being At-Large seats. New Albin has incumbent George Blair and newcomer Michael R. Mitchell pursuing that council’s two open seats, with Postville having two incumbents seeking re-election to both of their open council seats in Mary Engstrom and Rebecca Engelhardt.
The Waterville City Council will have all five of its seats up for election and an equal number of five candidates listed on the ballot. Incumbents Robbie Burrett, Bethany Dundee and David J. Christianson will be joined by newcomers Joe Weipert and Kayla VanderKolk in each seeking one of those council seats.
EDUCATION
The three school districts located in Allamakee County will also have seats on their respective boards of directors up for election this year, with two of those school districts each having a contested race. The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) has four seats on this year’s election ballot and one contested race in the election.
Incumbent Arla Wagner will be challenged in this year’s election by Tyler Verdon for the EACSD At-Large Director seat on this year’s ballot. Newcomer Glen Delaney will be running unopposed for the EACSD District #3 seat. Both the District #1 and District #2 seats are on this year’s ballot to fill a vacancy, with Heather Lutz pursuing the District #2 vacancy and no candidate officially being declared for the District #1 seat.
The Postville Community School District has two At-Large positions up for election on this year’s ballot and three candidates seeking those two seats. Mary Huinker, Crystal Duffy and Michael Sass all filed papers to be listed on this year’s ballot in pursuit of those two school board seats.
The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) is the lone school district in the county to not have a contested race on this year’s ballot. There are two seats open on the ACSD Board of Directors with a single candidate seeking each, including incumbent Jesse Delaney seeking re-election to his At-Large Director seat and John Palmer seeking election to the District #1 seat that is being vacated by Scott Melcher not seeking re-election.
In addition to those school board decisions, most Allamakee County voters will also be asked to choose a District #2 Director for Northeast Iowa Community College’s Board of Trustees. Kathy Gunderson of Postville is the incumbent candidate seeking re-election to that seat unopposed.
ABSENTEE VOTING AND ELECTION INFORMATION
Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer has announced that the First Baptist Church in Waukon will be a “temporary” polling location for this year’s City/School election for those who have usually voted at the former Waukon Events Center, which is now under new ownership and not available for use in this year’s election. A Notice of Election with polling sites and a complete list of candidates and offices for this year’s election will be published in a future edition of The Standard.
Those unable to make it to the voting polls Tuesday, November 4 may vote absentee prior to that election day. Absentee ballots can be requested to be mailed to a residence, and those requests can be made now until Monday, October 20 by contacting the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522, or an absentee ballot request form may be downloaded at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/vote/absentee/, filled out and mailed to the Allamakee County Auditor, 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172.
In-person absentee voting is also available in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon during regular business hours (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) up until the close of business the Monday before the election. Sample ballots and additional election information will also be available for viewing online at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/ once it is all available.
