Brimhall and Conrad answer questions in Mt. Pleasant mayor race

MT. PLEASANT – The two candidates for Mt. Pleasant mayor squared off in a public forum Thursday, Oct. 16.

Hosted by the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance and KILJ Radio, the event pitted incumbent Mayor Steve Brimhall against challenger Kasey Conrad, who took turns answering 10 questions from the alliance’s executive vice president, Rachel Lindeen.

Brimhall spoke about having grown up in Henry County, attending WACO High School, and then serving in the U.S. Army, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. Brimhall was the market president of U.S. Bank for 37 years, and in addition to his tenure with the city council, has served as the treasurer of Main Street Mt. Pleasant and has been chair of the landfill commission. He spoke about how former Mt. Pleasant Mayor Tom Vilsack, who became the state’s governor and then nation’s ag secretary, assigned him to be in charge of personnel policy. He said the city has managed the taxpayers’ money well by borrowing at opportune times to get the best interest rate.

Conrad spoke about her own experience, including being a small business owner of over 40 years. She co-founded a professional women’s group, which raised over $8,000 for school libraries with help from Kiwanis. She described herself as not a “cookie-cutter” candidate but rather a “builder.” Konrad was among the leaders of an educational firm where she wrote requests for proposal for 40 schools in the United Arab Emirates. She has overseen the opening of six private K-12 schools, each with over 1,000 students.

One of the noteworthy differences between the candidates arose during a question on tourism, asking what the city could do to grow and support it. Brimhall said everyone who hears the word “tourism” immediately thinks of the Old Threshers Reunion, the town’s main annual attraction. He said it brings thousands of people to Mt. Pleasant, which helps fund the hotel/motel tax. This year, the city gave Old Threshers additional revenue from the tax to help promote its 75 th anniversary.

Konrad said she loved Old Threshers, too, but felt that Mt. Pleasant could do more to advance tourism such as accenting its square, which she referred to as the towns’ “front porch.”

“Old Threshers should not be the only game in town,” she remarked.

Conrad spoke about how the city has become more diverse in recent years, which makes it “more rich.” Since Amtrack stops in town twice a day, she felt that local entities such as the Quaker Museum in Salem and other weekend events should take advantage of that, which would help the hotels hurt by the closure of Iowa Wesleyan.

Lindeen asked the candidates for their top ideas to grow the city’s population. Conrad suggested attracting remote workers, who could be recruited at trade shows and shown the benefits of moving to Mt. Pleasant. Brimhall said he serves on the Mt. Pleasant Development Commission, and he feels the main obstacle to growth is a lack of housing, but the city is making great strides on that front. He noted that since Iowa Wesleyan closed two years ago, 17 apartments have been added in its former buildings, and five residences have been sold. He noted 17 more apartments are planned for Hershey Hal in 2026.

During closing remarks, Brimhall said that he’s devoted 35 years of his life to city government. In that time, he’s learned that local government is about building consensus. The mayor can’t do much on their own, especially in Mt. Pleasant’s form of government where the mayor does not have as much power as other systems.

Brimhall said that, if he is re-elected, he will focus on safe neighborhoods, upgrading the city infrastructure, and retaining jobs.

In her closing comments, Conrad noted that she is the first woman to ever run to be Mt. Pleasant’s mayor, and that she pledged to listen to and represent every single person. She thanked Brimhall for his service to the community, but felt that he has done all he can and that it’s time for a new person in the office.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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