It’s Time to Vote for City Council

There are three seats open on the city council. All three of seats are currently held, and those incumbents are seeking re-election. They are Dan Berner, Scott Campbell, and Brad Helmerson. All three answered the same questions.

John Doyle is the other candidate. He is running for the first time. He too answered questions, but in a different format per his request.

I would like to thank all four men for their cooperation.

We will hear from the incumbent city council members first. Again, these three candidates answered the same six questions. Only two of the four candidates sent a picture, so it was decided to go pictureless.

The incumbents answered the following six questions:

Q1. Please share anything you’d like about your personal life, i.e. family, how long you’ve lived in New London, your profession, etc.

Brad Helmerson

A. I have in lived New London my whole life. My wife, Deb, is an RN. We have two sons. Kyle is a chiropractor and Cole is an electrician. I am the sales manager for L & W Quarries.

Scott Campbell

A. I have lived in New London for 18 years with my wife Jennifer, who is an educator at the middle/high school here in town. We love the town of New London, and although we both have nearby local roots, New London is where we both consider our hometowns. I am an accountant in West Burlington.

Dan Berner

A. I have lived in New London for 47 years. I am married to my best friend, Cheryl. We have been married for 24 years. We have three kids. Two are grown and have their own families, and we have Cyrus at home. He is an 8th grader at New London Middle School and High School.

Q2. How long have you served on the city council? What do you enjoy about serving on the city council? What, if anything, is challenging about serving on the city council?

Brad Helmerson

A. I have been on the city council for eight years. What I enjoy the most is helping my hometown grow. The challenges come when tough decisions are required that maybe everyone doesn’t agree with or understand why they were made.

Scott Campbell

A. I have served the City of New London for eight years and would be honored to serve a third term if elected. One of the many things I enjoy about the city council is getting to be a part of improving our community. I also enjoy being able to help our community grow. There are always some challenges with making decisions. Trying to do what's best for the city and the taxpayer is the biggest thing.

Dan Berner

A. I have served on the City Council for 16 years. I love being on the council because I really enjoy seeing our town change and grow. I find the most challenging thing is trying to ensure that the community members understand what we are doing and why we are

doing it. There are a lot of things that can be misunderstood in government. I have learned that you can’t come into this with an agenda, you have to work together for a common purpose or goal.

Q3. What do you think your main responsibilities are as a city council member?

Brad Helmerson

A. I think my main responsibilities as a city council member are making long term decisions that are best for the community.

Scott Campbell

A. To collaborate with other city council men and women, and make informed decisions on what's appropriate for the city and taxpayer. Those elected represent the whole community, and ultimately must make decisions accordingly.

Dan Berner

A. The main responsibility of the City Council is to be fiscally responsible, and yet move forward to keep our town growing without making it more difficult for all of us.

Q4. What is your opinion on the current state of the community of New London? Based on your answer to the first part of this question, what goals do you have for New London?

Brad Helmerson

A. I think we have done some great things. I would include the new housing addition and street improvements. I would like to see even more growth and a continuation of street improvements.

Scott Campbell

A. We are a growing community, which is exciting. There are projects in progress that I would enjoy getting to see through, such as the South Pine subdivision and the replacement of the city park playground equipment. I'm excited for the next few years to help keep those projects moving forward.

Dan Berner

A. Our community is currently in the midst of growing. We have two areas that are having homes built which brings in more families. With growth also comes challenges. It is important to make sure that we have the needed services such as public works, including a dependable police and fire department, while continuing to be good stewards of the community.

The goals I have are to keep people moving to New London, and try to find ways to get more community members involved. The fire department is volunteer, and that is tough. Everyone is busy with life in general, so it makes it difficult to have the needed resources to be there for our community.

Q5. What projects/changes/improvements have occurred during your tenure on the council of which you’re particularly proud?

Brad Helmerson

A. One of our best accomplishments was the paving of Cleveland Street. Others would include bringing a few new buildings into town for business growth. Also, the new housing addition is up and running.

Scott Campbell

A. I have been part of several projects, like repaving Cleveland Street, and multiple phases at the South Pine Street subdivision. There have also been many improvements with the Community Center and the City Office as well.

Dan Berner

A. There are several things that have happened during my time as a councilman. We improved our sewer plant; we have installed a camera system that can video our sanitary and storm sewers. With our aging systems, this tool is very essential. We have updated fire trucks in our fleet to ensure our firefighters have the best equipment possible.

Q6. Are you of the opinion that the city’s financial health is good? If not, how will you address this issue?

Brad Helmerson

A. I do believe our financial health is good. We just have to keep a watchful eye on spending and stay within our comfort level.

Scott Campbell

A. I believe so. We try not to borrow money unless we have to. The majority of everything we do is within our budget; extenuating circumstances rarely happen.

Dan Berner

A. The city is currently in a good position. As a council we are keeping things moving forward without being in fear of having to make changes which can effect us all.

John Doyle

Official response for Print:

To the Citizens of New London.

My name is John Doyle. I am running for City Council. As a council member I would be voting on motions, resolutions and ordinances, as well as budget contracts, expenditures, city policy, zoning changes and more. I would consider it an honor to serve our great City of New London. As our city continues to grow with new development being built, our community will continue to thrive. As a council member the importance of the growth of our city is very important to me. Serving as a council member includes passing fair and balanced budgets that are mindful of the residents of New London. I want to thank the many friends and Neighbors of New London that have encouraged me to run for City Council. I truly love our city and look forward to serving for many years to come. Hopefully you will give me consideration on Election Day. I look forward to serving the people of the City of New London.

Sincerely,

John Doyle

This winds up your introduction and reintroduction to the men vying for a seat on the city council. Voting is on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Make your voice heard … go vote!