Keokuk, IA – Keokuk residents will decide, November 3, who should serve on the city council. 3 of the 7 seats on the ballot feature contested races. One is in the 6th ward, where the appointed incumbent is facing a challenge from a political newcomer.
Gary Stepp represented Keokuk's sixth ward for years. He stepped down to take over as the city's new Bridge, Cemetery, and Parks Director.
The city council appointed Karole Smith (May 2008) to replace Stepp. Smith worked in the automotive industry for 36 years and now serves as director of Keokuk's chapter of the American Red Cross.
Karole Smith says she wants to be a voice for the 6th ward and the entire city.
"I applied for the council position because I just wanted to help those in the community be an important part of trying to Keokuk a better place to live and a better place to work," says Smith, "and I wanted to be a person who people could call or contact and I would fairly bring it (an issue) to the council and try to see a resolution."
Karole Smith cites the recent addition of a four-way stop sign to the intersection of Johnson Street Road and Belknap Boulevard as an example of her work for the sixth ward.
Her bid to serve the final two years in the term is being challenged by Melvin Smith.
Melvin Smith is a retired correctional officer. He purchases, rehabilitates, and sells homes throughout Keokuk.
Smith decided to enter the world of politics because he feels the needs of 6th ward residents are not being heard or met.
"You were not hearing too much out of the 6th ward," says Smith, "and I thought the people who live out there need someone who will stand up for them. Someone they can contact when they want to."
Melvin Smith says he would be an up-front city council member who would tell residents the truth. He says Keokuk's top priority should be job creation and retention.
Smith says one way to improve those efforts would be to improve the city's appearance. He would like to see the city establish a partnership with the Keokuk School District so students could help residents clean-up their homes and properties.
Melvin Smith says Keokuk can also encourage economic growth by promoting its airport, securing land for another industrial park and creating a new tax increment finance district.
Karole Smith says the city can support economic growth by supporting the job creation ideas of residents and by working closer with local organizations and governments. She says infrastructure improvements can also aid economic development efforts.
"I think that we want to stay with our street renovation program," says Smith, "so if it is at the point where we may be raising taxes to a level where citizens can't handle it, then we may have to look at another track. That could be to just do the street work associated with the CSO project."
Melvin Smith agrees that the street reconstruction project should continue.
Both candidates believe KEDC should receive public funds on an as-needed basis and that Keokuk should not hire a city administrator at this time. Melvin Smith says the current system works much better than having an administrator. "Because it was a high paying job where I did not see him (Odis Jones) do much good," says Smith, "I actually thought he did more harm than good while he was here. Then, the next thing you know, they (the Keokuk City Council) will want to double the salary like they did with their own."
Melvin Smith opposes a municipal tree ordinance. He also believes Keokuk should trade the Keokuk/Hamilton railroad bridge for the former depot so the property can be salvaged.
Karole Smith says Keokuk should keep the bridge. She says the city must make sure it charges enough in usage fees to cover day-to-day expenses associated with the structure.
Smith says the city should also keep the rest of the downtown traffic signals. She says some changes could be made.
"It is my personal opinion," says Smith, "that we might want to look at having the traffic signals on during the day and flashing red and yellow after downtown businesses close. There are a lot of options out there without just removing the signals and being forced (to operate) without them."
Melvin Smith says the remaining signals should stay so the city does not turn Main Street into a thoroughfare.
Incumbent Karole Smith and challenger Melvin Smith want the opportunity to serve Keokuk's 6th ward. Its boundaries stretch from Main Street to Hilton Road to the Highway 61 Bypass.
The winner will be seated after the votes become official. They will then spend the next two years working on the issues mentioned above and those that have yet to reach the Keokuk City Council.