The candidates for Keokuk's open Alderman At-Large seat bring different ideas for improving the city to the race.
Christopher Dailey says after living all over the world, he has decided to make Keokuk his permanent home.
He wants to get into city government because he is worried that Keokuk will follow in the path of other run-down river cities.
Dailey says Keokuk can avoid that if it starts depending on itself.
"We have water, farmland and the dam, so we could really be self-sufficient," says Dailey. "I would like to see Keokuk move on a path where we as a city can take care of ourselves without having to rely on the outside government."
Dailey says that process starts with changing attitudes in Keokuk, getting people to look to improve themselves and their homes.
He says he wants the city to help with the development of neighborhood gardens.
Daily says he also supports pushing Keokuk in the direction of a tourism-based economy, hiring a porfessional city manager or administrator and supports hiring more employees in the cemetery department.
Meanwhile, former Keokuk Alderman Dan Winn gave up his city council seat, two years ago, to make an unsuccessful run for mayor.
He now wants to rejoin the panel, via the open alderman at large seat.
Winn says he misses the opportunity to serve his community.
He says one way to do that is to bring back community-based events like the annual street fair, or develop new ones, beyond bald eagle days and the civvil war reenactment.
"I think that that brings people together," says Winn. "It brings people to the area for those activities and it is geared to the everyday person, somethingt that the citizens can be involved in and get behind and enjoy."
Winn says he also wants to focus on repairing the city's streets and improving the downtown district.
"We need to have some type of money set aside so we can work on the streets in a timely manner so we don’t have to tear therm out to repair them.”
Winn wants residents to take more pride in their community and to recycle more.
He also would look into allowing some all-terrain vehicles on city streets.
