City Elections to take place in area communities Tuesday, November 8

Elections for city officials and consideration of some public measures will take place in local communities throughout Allamakee County Tuesday, November 8. Polling sites in Lansing will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., with polls in Waukon, Harpers Ferry, New Albin and Waterville open from 12 Noon to 8 p.m. that day for community residents to vote at their respective polling sites. Those sites, along with sample ballots and other election information, can be found on Page 10B in last week’s (October 26) print edition of The Standard.

WAUKON BALLOTS
Residents of the City of Waukon will make their way to the polls to elect two members to the Waukon City Council, along with the City’s Mayor. All three of those governmental seats on the ballot feature unopposed incumbent candidates, including Mayor Loren Beneke, Ward 2 Councilman Dave Sanderson, and At-Large Councilman Trent Mitchell.
Residents of Waukon will also be asked to approve Public Measure D on this year's City Election ballot. That measure seeks authorization to impose a four-percent hotel/motel tax, effective January 1, 2012, the proceeds of which shall be used by the City in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter 423A. A resolution passed by the Waukon City Council designates 75% of the funds raised by that hotel/motel tax will be used to fund park and recreation programs and facilities, while the other 25% would go to the City’s general fund.
Also on the City Election ballot will be three seats on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees. All three of those seats are uncontested, as incumbent candidates Dave Stangeland and Dennis Lyons are each seeking re-election to their respective positions, while Kevin Hanson is seeking election to the Board seat currently held by Don Angel, who is opting not to seek re-election.
 
LANSING RACES
Lansing residents will head to the polls to vote for a new mayor and City Council members. The number of declared candidates, however, is extremely limited. Of the six city government seats on the Lansing ballot, there is just one declared candidate.
Mayor Don Peters is not seeking re-election and no one has filed the proper paperwork to declare their candidacy to fill that seat prior to the deadline. With Peters having been elected to the mayoral position two years ago by virtue of write-in votes, Lansing voters face much the same situation this time around as well.
In addition, of the five current council members, only Deb Volker has formally declared her intention to seek another term. The remaining four seats will also have to be filled by write-in votes or by appointment if no write-in candidates fill the seats.

OTHER AREA RACES AND MEASURES
The residents of Harpers Ferry, New Albin and Waterville also have city officials to vote for Tuesday, November 8, as well as a public measure for the residents of Waterville to consider. Those area races include the following:
In Harpers Ferry, Mayor Jerry C. Valley is seeking re-election unopposed, and three At-Large City Council seats have just three declared candidates listed on the ballot, including Betty J. Palmer, Norman J. Delphey and Robert Holm.
New Albin will be electing a new mayor, as Dick Mauss will not be seeking re-election. Barry Stahl is the lone declared candidate on the ballot for that position. City Council candidates Kathy Goetzinger, Joel Sires, Jr. and Joel Monroe are seeking to fill three Council Member At-Large seats, while a Council Member “To Fill A Vacancy” is also on the ballot, with Debra Stantic the lone declared candidate listed. Diane Erbe is also running unopposed in her bid for the City Treasurer position.
In Waterville, David Monserud is the lone candidate for Mayor once again, with the following five candidates all on the ballot to fill five Council Member At-Large seats: Robbie Burrett, Janice L. Donahue, Kurt L. Rathbun, Bob Ryan and Robert Schlitter.
Waterville residents will also be voting on Public Measure E, which will authorize a change in use of sales and services tax revenue from its current 40% rate for public safety and repair to 20% for that purpose, while increasing the amount designated for sewer system maintenance from its current level of 20% to 40%. The remaining 40% of the revenue will continue to be designated for the City's general fund.