Candidates vie for Washington City Council

The Southeast Iowa Union is featuring the candidates seeking elected office to city councils and school boards in the region. The Union will profile the candidates in various races throughout this week. Today, we focus on the candidates running for a seat on the Washington City Council.

The following candidates have returned questionnaires.

Brendan S. DeLong

1) What office are you running for and why?

I am seeking re-election for Washington City Council, Ward 3. I care deeply about this city, and where we are headed. I think it's important to have well-established goals and a great future for the kids that are raised in this town. I want to make it so people *want* to live in Washington, and the past four years we have made great headway.

2) Have you ever held this office or any other elected position?

Yes. I have held the current position for the previous four years.

3) What are three challenges you see facing the community/school district?

First challenge is key businesses leaving/shutting down. We have lost several *key* businesses in this town. It's hard to attract large companies to this town, when you are so far off of the main highways. However, we need to work hard at getting some well-established businesses that support great jobs back to our community.

Second challenge is infrastructure. We have several failing watermains, sewers, etc. While I think we have made *great* progress, there is still lots of work to be done. We are currently in the middle of a $1.5 million sewer reduction project but there is still plenty of work that needs accomplished.

Third Challenge: Housing. Affordable housing is tough to find. We are making current progress, with development of housing lots, and housing rehab programs. The city should continue to work with developers to provide for this need.

4) What is something the city/county/school district is doing well that you would like to build upon?

Infrastructure. The City have been doing great at rehabilitating our streets, watermains, and sewers, all without raising our tax levy! I would definitely like to continue this movement well into the future.

5) Why should you be elected to this position?

I bring four years of experience to the table and understand all the challenges that we are currently facing. I have an understanding on how budgets must be kept and how to control spending. The residents have been hit hard with rising costs over the past few years, however, I feel proud to say that the City of Washington's tax levy rate has not changed in seven years! To accomplish all the work we have without raising our tax levy has been a great achievement. I also feel it's really important that we move forward with all our current projects and goals, without raising our tax levy, so we *can* attract young families to this community. After all - they are our future!

Millie Youngquist

1) What office are you running for and why?

I'm running for my second four-year term for one of the at-large seats on the Washington City Council. In the past four years, I've learned a tremendous amount about how the city works, from finances and budgets, to municipal services such as police and fire, library and parks, and streets and sewers. I would like to keep serving in this position in order to continue to work for Washington and its residents with the knowledge I've gained. I'm running again because I can actually say that I enjoy being a part of a group that is shaping Washington's future! I love our community and am proud to be called a 'Washingtonian”!

2) Have you ever held this office or any other elected position?

Yes, I have been in this same position for the past four years. Previously, I served as the state president of the Iowa Choral Directors Association, a 1,000 member professional organization serving choral teachers and musicians in the state of Iowa. I am currently serving as the President of the Washington Area Performing Arts and Events Center Board, President of the Washington Branch of the American Association of University Women, and the Chair of the Washington Hotel/Motel Tax Fund Administration Committee.

3) What are three challenges you see facing the community/school district?

Challenges and areas that we need to continue to address are: housing development and housing refurbishment, downtown renovations, continuing with our street and sewer improvements and maintenance of our new and older facilities and equipment.

4) What is something the city/county/school district is doing well that you would like to build upon?

The Washington City Council is in an excellent position right now. All councilors take our job seriously, preparing for meetings by reading our packets and serving in various capacities in the community. Currently on the council we have people experienced in construction, building maintenance, parks and recreation, public health, business, education and tourism.

By working together for the common good we have been able to bring some great things to Washington in the past 4 years: a new business park, a new water treatment plant, a new water tower, a new fire station and soon-to-be-remodeled city hall/police station and a new Wellness Park. In addition, we have made progress in renovating the city's sewer system and replacing and repairing streets. All the while we have attended to the city's immediate needs and responded to citizen's comments, suggestions and concerns.

I would also like to see Washington apply for and receive the designation as an 'Iowa Great Place”. This state program operates under the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and empowers Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by connecting Iowans to the people, places and points of pride that define our state. There are currently 41 'Great Places” in Iowa, I would like to see Washington added to that list. We already have many of the resources and unique qualities that make us a great place. This designation could also open a significant source of grant funding to our community.

Washington is on the right track and we need to keep moving in a forward direction!

5) Why should you be elected to this position?

I bring four years of experience and training to this position. In addition, my retired status allows flexibility to prepare for and attend meetings, conferences and training sessions. I work well with all kinds of people, am open to new ideas and I enjoy working together to come up with solutions to citizen's comments, questions and concerns.

Danielle Pettit-Majewski

1) What office are you running for and why?

I'm running for City Council in Ward 1 because I enjoy the opportunity to serve the community and focus on how we can improve services to our residents, find common sense solutions to existing challenges, and make investments that keeps Washington a thriving community that creates opportunities for residents to live, work, play and thrive.

2) Have you ever held this office or any other elected position?

Yes, I'm the current councilmember in this office. I filled the position after a vacancy in July 2018.

3) What are three challenges you see facing the community/school district?

Washington is making a lot of progress, but we still have some challenges we are working on.

1. We need to update our water main infrastructure. Our current infrastructure has aged and we need to continue to invest in replacement to reduce the number of water main breaks in the community.

2. We have a need for affordable housing in the community. We need to increase the number of houses for first time home buyers, as well as apartments and rentals that are safe, healthy and affordable for families.

3. We need to ensure that the City of Washington doesn't lose access to local EMS services in our community. This is a vital healthcare service that saves lives and keeps us all safer.

4) What is something the city/county/school district is doing well that you would like to build upon?

I'm very excited about the expansion of our Wellness Park in Washington. This will be an asset that attracts new community members and provides our community with a great place to play, and I can't wait to see it reach completion.

I'm also very excited about the investments the City has made in recent years in infrastructure. By continuing to make small improvements over time, and maintaining those investments, we can avoid costly and unplanned replacements or failures. Infrastructure isn't always exciting, but keeping the water safe to drink and toilets flushing is essential to a healthy community.

5) Why should you be elected to this position?

I would be honored to be re-elected to this position because I bring a unique perspective to the City Council. Health is my passion, and so much of the planning and ordinance implementation that we do at the municipal level can have a positive or negative impact on the residents' health. I love this community and I want to continue to reinvest in the town that has welcomed my family and I so warmly.