Connie Boyer runs for third term as Fairfield Mayor

The Southeast Iowa Union sent questionnaires to all the candidates running for seats on the Fairfield City Council and Fairfield Community School Board.

Today we are profiling Fairfield’s Mayoral race between incumbent Connie Boyer and challenger Ed Noyes. Whoever is elected will assume office in January, and serve for two years.

Connie Boyer was elected Fairfield’s Mayor in 2019, taking over for Ed Malloy, who held the position for 18 years.

Here are Boyer’s responses to questions submitted by The Southeast Iowa Union:

1. Can you tell us about what you have accomplished in your first two terms as mayor?

• Helped maintain community stability during challenging times through team work and focus on what’s important for the good of the community

• Reestablished Volunteer Center Board with Volunteer Center Hours at Library

• Started annual employee training program (harassment training, etc.)

• Accounting and tracking of Comprehensive Plan

• Accounting and tracking of all contracts, leases, etc., with Council review at Fall Work Session

• Written Disaster Recovery Plan

• Collaborating with citizens for Fairfield Garden Initiative

• Relationship building meetings between Fairfield Police Department and MIU

• Town Halls & Forums to inform citizens, listen and get feedback (Capital Improvement Reserve Levy, Police Department, Waste Water and Water Departments to name a few)

• Facilitated review and updates to dog ordinance for safety

• Facilitated review of No Engine Braking ordinance, new ordinance passed in 2023

• Housing Study completed to help city understand citizen and community needs and support them

• Hotel Study completed to determine if new hotel is warranted

• Helped create the Jefferson County Mental Health/Brain Health and Wellness Alliance to support our residents

• Engaged Alliant to consider Fairfield for a solar project and that is in contract review now

• Continued support to Martin Brett of Vastu Partners for new construction in North Campus Village to increase housing and tax base

• Private/Public Partnership for construction of shell building, building sold and now occupied with new business

• Private/Public partnership for new daycare center

• Fairfield Arts & Convention Center support for deferred maintenance items in building through Local Option Sales Tax Funds

• Nady Land Improvements for new recreational opportunities

• Airport improvements

• Numerous projects through City Committees-Beautification, Library and Carnegie Museum, Arbor Committee

• Purchase of DOT buildings and demolition to house new improved fire station

• Successful transitions of department head vacancies and hiring of new City Administrator

• Updated water and sewer plants for improved operations and future growth

• Highway 1 improvements along with multiple street paving projects

• Diane Baumann Lane new entrance to Lamson Woods which improved safety and saved approximately $250,000

• Pickle Ball Courts at Heritage Park and enlarged basketball court area to expand recreational activities

2. What do you hope to accomplish if voters elect you to a third term?

• Continued progress with FEDA on Libertyville Road housing project

• Creation of citizen-led real estate investment group to build or rehabilitate homes to help fulfill our housing needs

• Creation of Tiny Home Village (small homes on foundations, not wheels)

• Community outreach in collaboration with FEDA for low interest/no interest loans through AREA 15 to help improve homes

• Progress on Fire Station

• Improved City emergency preparedness for safety and continuity of services

• Create written Volunteer Management Plan as part of emergency preparedness

• Help provide a smooth transition when retirements happen in our police department. I want to recognize the hard work and dedication of our officers during difficult years in this line of work and also through the shortages our department has had in the recent years.

• Progress on the Alliant/Fairfield Solar project

• City parking lot improvements

• Participate in Keep Iowa Beautiful paint program

• Reimagine and remodel the Public Restrooms

• Create a Master Plan for Arts & Culture to help facilitate community quality of life

• Marketing piece to show what Fairfield has to offer for our employers to use at job fairs, especially to show young people we can compete with big city amenities

• Progress on a Splash Pad in a City Park to create a new water activity for children and families

• Progress on a new hotel

• Maintaining/increasing our City reserve funds for continued financial stability

• Improved team work between City and County

• Increase and engage school age children in city government

• Sidewalk plan/improvements to increase walkability: HyVee to Walmart, West Jefferson Street

3. Can you tell us about the role of the mayor and the things you are responsible for?

• Help create a safe, secure, healthy and stable environment for a higher quality of life for all citizens

• Preside at City Council meetings and Council work sessions

• Help set City Council agendas

• Provide leadership, vision while problem solving city challenges

• Appoint Chief of Police, City Attorney, committees and commissions

• Help with employee evaluations as appropriate or needed

• Attend Committee meetings as needed

• Regularly meet in person or by phone with citizens and their concerns

• Meet with business leaders as needed to address concerns

• Represent the community with high personal integrity

• Represent the community throughout Iowa

4. In Fairfield, the mayor is not a voting member of the city council, but you lead the council meetings. Although you cannot vote on resolutions and ordinances, can you talk about the influence you have on matters that come before the city council?

• The Mayor can ask clarifying questions during a meeting or give opinion as appropriate

• The Mayor can attend Committee meetings and engage in discussion as appropriate

• The Mayor can request a committee review of a topic

• The Mayor can give feedback to City Staff working through day-to-day issues which may have to be addressed in Council meetings

• The Mayor can engage citizens who may be experts in certain topics and get their help

• The Mayor encourages input and participation from citizens to give feedback to the Council

• The Mayor can appoint a task force or committee or commission to study an issue to help the Council

• The Mayor can recognize citizens to honor their achievements

• The Mayor maintains the balance and respectful decorum in Council meetings

5. What do you see as Fairfield's biggest challenges, and how should the city address them?

• Housing shortage - we have to continue to tackle this problem as we can via our written Housing Plan and other ideas which I shared above and we have to find ways to inspire and create an improved environment for all citizens.

• Workforce shortage

o Improved housing availability will provide additional homes for workers

o Improved community support programs

o Continued support for quality of life issues and amenities

• Property tax - the best way to increase the property tax base is via commercial property. However, we have to increase housing and workforce to create and support additional employers, which will also increase tax base via residential properties.

• Inflation has significantly increased costs-we have to work harder on grant funding, find creative ways to work within our budgets, and some projects may have to be downsized.

• Capital Improvements Reserve Levy needs to be renewed to help pay for capital projects and maintain current service levels.

6. How do you think Fairfield is doing compared to other cities in Southeast Iowa or compared to cities of comparable size? In what areas are we doing well? Are there areas where we can do better?

• I think our downtown and some areas of town do not look as prosperous as some cities in our area. I get feedback both positive and negative. We have some unique stores, which does bring people from out of town and I hope we can grow retail business. It will take additional population for more critical mass, good marketing for tourism, more events and happenings in our downtown, planning on how to grow our retail, and community support to buy local. In the residential area, it will take more focus on the all the housing issues we have already identified.

• I think one of the things we do very well, is harness our citizen volunteers. Our bright and innovative people continue to improve Fairfield to make it a great place to live, work and play. I would like to see more of our population be involved in volunteering in areas they can enjoy to make a bigger impact in our community.

• Our cultural and recreational amenities are excellent, diversified, well used and maintained and I think superior to other towns our size.

• Fairfield’s young entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well! New businesses are being created by young people and they are finding success in their area. This is well documented through Heartland Forward, Walmart’s Think Tank.