Mayoral candidates face off in Washington

    Washington residents will go to the polls Tuesday to select a mayor and four of the six members of the city council, all but one of whom will serve four-year terms. Voters will also elect two of the three members of the parks commission, whose terms last six years.

    Sandra Johnson has been the mayor of Washington for the past year after having previously served on the council. She said she enjoys working with citizen groups to make the city a better place.

    ?I like working with the volunteer organizations in town,? said Johnson. ?What we need to accomplish cannot all be done by the private sector or all be done by the government sector. We have to work together.?

    Johnson said that private and volunteer groups would be especially important when it comes time to complete the 2010 census.

    Johnson said she wants to make recycling an option for residents in the downtown area as a way of reducing what the city sends to the landfill.

     Norm Bruty is a write-in candidate for Washington?s mayoral race. He spent 17 years on the fire department and said he misses that kind of community service.

    ?I?ve lived here all my life, and I?d like to give something back to the community,? said Bruty. ?This would provide me a chance to do that,? said Bruty.

    Bruty said that the city could afford to cut spending.

    ?It seems like we?re spending beyond our means. We don?t need to have the Cadillac of everything. I think Washington needs to grow, but right now we?re spending money before we grow.?

    Bruty also offered his thoughts on the wastewater treatment plant.

    ?I know we need a new wastewater plant. I?d like to see that project done as conservatively as possible,? he said.

    Karen Wilson-Johnson has served on the council for one year after being appointed to fill Sandra Johnson?s vacated seat. She currently occupies an at-large seat that is up for re-election in 2011. She said she is excited about moving city offices into the old library. 

    ?The old library will be a good location for city hall,? said Wilson-Johnson. ?The building has more curb appeal and is more professional looking. The police, fire department and city offices are on top of each other in our current building.?

    Wilson-Johnson added, ?I hope there?s a good turnout. If you?re able to vote, you should be out there voting.?

    Russ Zieglowsky is up for his second term on the city council representing the second Ward. He said he wants to help the community that was there for him in his time of need.

    ?I was injured in a hunting accident six years ago,? recounted Zieglowsky. ?The community really came together then to lend me and my family support.?

    Zieglowsky?s top priority is building a new wastewater plant. Beyond that, he said it is also time for a new water tower. He remarked that serving on the council has opened his eyes to why it takes so much time for the council to perform its functions.

    Merlin Hagie is seeking a return trip to the council after completing a term as an at-large representative. Hagie is a plumbing supervisor at the University of Iowa and said that his line of work got him interested in council issues.

    ?I became interested in the city?s sanitation department because of my occupation,? said Hagie. ?I?m running because I?d like to continue to be a part of the city I?ve lived in my whole life.?

For the full story, see the Oct. 29 edition of The Washington Evening Journal