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Some Iowa small towns had no candidates for open seats on city councils

CLUTIER — Many city and school elections in Iowa go uncontested, with only one name on the ballot. The difficult part comes when there aren’t any names at all.

In Clutier, population 213, no one filed to run for mayor or any of the five seats on the city council. It’s not the only community in the state, or even in Tama County, to be in this situation.

“People don’t realize there’s a lot more to being a council member than just attending meetings,” outgoing council member Keith Erickson said. He’s been on the council off and on throughout the years, and at age 82, he decided he had been there long enough.

Sharon Knoop had a “cheat sheet” of names for write-ins. She said those people had been brought to her attention as showing an interest in being on the council, and one person had intended to file but didn’t.

Due to the lack of names, unofficial results were not immediately available, but 40 write-in votes were cast for mayor and 159 for city council.

Clutier Public Library board president Barbara Morrison (no relation) brought a banana cream pie to the election workers at the fire station. The 30-voter “rush” between 4:30 and 5:30 accounted for 20% of ballots cast in the Carroll/Oneida Precinct on Election Day. The library held its annual Election Day soup day at the American Legion hall, complete with Czech rohlicky (bread rolls).

On Clutier’s ballot were items that, as recently as 2017, would have taken place on two or three separate election dates: City leadership, North Tama school board seats and a North Tama bond referendum.

Unofficial results indicate North Tama’s proposal to issue $14.85 million in bonds, chiefly to build a replacement for the core 1917 building in Traer, won 65% support Tuesday. An identical proposal, the first part of a long-term plan, fell six votes short of a 60% supermajority in March.

Until this year, the next chance would have come in September, but legislation signed into law in May mandates that all votes on general obligation bonds take place in November. (Among the lesser-known casualties of the 2023 legislation are a school playground levy, a city library levy and the once-renowned Iowa Band Law.)

From now on, a school district will only be able to put a bond issue before voters twice in a two-year cycle, instead of five times. In even-numbered years, that will mean having to compete for attention with races for president or governor.

This spacing will affect future school votes statewide not just in delayed construction but increased costs. Creston had to drop its push for a second 2023 referendum due to inflation just between March and August. North Tama’s bond request increased by $600,000 from the March number of $14.25 million. (The Clutier area voted against it both times.)

Ballot, ballot, who’s got the ballot?

For decades, no one has filed to run for mayor or city council in Vining, 7½ miles south of Clutier. However, this case may be an act of gamesmanship or even frugality for the village of 54 people.

KCRG reported in 2017 that not having candidates officially file meant the tiny community didn’t have to pay to program the voting machines, candidates didn’t have to collect signatures and winners were tallied by write-ins. Another repeat offender on the blank-ballot list is Osterdock in Clayton County, where in 2019 a 4-4 tie on write-in votes meant the mayor was chosen by draw. (Both Vining and Osterdock were singled out in a 2013 Cedar Rapids Gazette article.)

This year for Vining mayor, nine write-in votes were cast at the Elberon Community Center, which served as the York Precinct voting station.

In 2019, school elections were moved from September and combined with city elections into one day in November in odd-numbered years. This means that for regular school board elections, a district can’t have one or a handful of locations for votes specific to it. The intent was to increase voter participation, but it created headaches for county auditors. Auditors not only had to figure out which civic entities would pay for the election and how, but also create more ballots.

School district boundaries have nothing to do with county lines, voting precincts or city limits, and every possibility has to be accounted for. Tama County had 43 permutations of ballots for Tuesday’s elections. That included six styles in York Precinct, where 500 ballots were sent and 56 were used on Election Day, and one style for half a dozen houses in 2¼ sections in the northwest corner of the county that are part of the Grundy Center school district.

But that was not the smallest-population voting area for 2023. Louisa County had to create a ballot pertaining to precisely one house near the intersection of County Road G52 and County Line Road south of Cotter. That house is at the southeast corner of the Highland school district, which happened to be voting on a revenue purpose statement that took up the entire back side of the ballot. Pages 21-22 of the sample ballot packet on the county’s website contained the options for five Highland school board seats (all uncontested) and a yes/no on the revenue purpose statement.

Both the Tama County/Grundy Center school and Louisa County/Highland school ballots had zero votes cast Tuesday.

This column is republished from Between Two Rivers through the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.

Editor’s note: Please consider subscribing to the collaborative and its member writers to support their work.

After a long Tuesday in which the spirit of democracy swept through Iowa’s counties like an eagle floating on the fall breeze, the night ended at the county auditors’ offices. Precincts called in, votes were counted, and ‘VOTE HERE’ signs were put in a back room. The unofficial 2023 city/school election results were tallied and are printed below.

*Write-in votes will not be available until next week at the earliest.

City of Clutier Mayor (vote for 1)

Write-in 40

City of Clutier City Council (vote for 5)

Write-in 159

City of Dysart Mayor (vote for 1)

Timothy Glenn 114

Write-in 7

City of Dysart City Council (vote for 2)

Stacey Dabney 108

Mary Wankowicz 108

Write-in 6

City of Elberon Mayor (vote for 1)

Scott Pippert 20

City of Elberon City Council (vote for 2)

Donald Curry 13

Nancy K. Braasch 15

Write-in 4

City of Traer Mayor (vote for 1)

Peter Armstrong Holden 381

Kennan Seda 109

Write-in 14

City of Traer City Council (vote for 3)

Derek Gaydos 137

Patrisha Kennedy 305

Brad E. Rund 376

Carri Holst 356

Chad Taylor 203

Write-in 2

North Tama Community School Director District 5 (vote for 1)

Jenny Sniffin 811

Write-in 11

North Tama Community School Director District 6 (vote for 1)

Doug Dvorak 903

Write-in 11

North Tama Community School Director District 7 (vote for 1)

David Boldt 885

Write-in 13

Union Community School Director At Large (vote for 1)

Corey Lorenzen 170

Write-in 2

Union Community School Director District 1 (vote for 1)

Write-in 19

Union Community School Director District 3 (vote for 1)

Carleen McGivern 160

Write-in 2

Union Community School Director District 4 (vote for 1)

Ben R. Schemmel 162

Write-in 1

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TAMA COUNTY – The deadline to file as a candidate for the Tuesday, Nov. 7 city and school elections came and went last week with mostly incumbents vying for local seats alongside several newcomers.

For the second time in as many municipal elections, Union Community Schools’ District 1 seat saw no candidate file. Similarly, in the town of Clutier, not a single candidate filed for either council or mayor.

“If no one runs for an office, it is open to write ins,” Tama County Elections Administrator Karen Rohrs told Tama-Grundy Publishing in an email.

If an individual elected by the most write-in votes declines the seat in a city election, however, several steps ensue.

The write-in candidate may submit a letter of resignation to the city clerk by 5 p.m. on the 10th day following the official canvass. If that does not happen within 10 days — and the winner fails to take the oath of office by the beginning of the new term — the office is considered vacant.

But if a letter of resignation is submitted within the time frame after the final canvass, the individual who received the next-highest number of write-in votes is notified and allowed to accept the seat.

If this second highest vote-getter declines, however, the city council may appoint someone to the office within 60 days of the vacancy, according to Iowa Code.

Union Community School District

The Union school board has four seats up for election this fall including seats in District 1, District 3, District 4, and At-Large.

In an echo of the 2021 election, no candidate filed for the District 1 seat that expires in 2023 and is currently held by board member Brandon Paine. The seat encompasses portions of the Black Hawk County precinct Big Creek/Spring Creek/La Porte City including the city of La Porte as well as the immediate surrounding area bordered by Kober Road to the west and East Eagle Road to the north, while roughly following the Cedar River to King Road in the east. The Black Hawk-Benton county line provides the district’s southern boundary.

During the 2021 election, current District 1 Director Reid Carlson mounted a write-in campaign for his seat and subsequently accepted the office.

It remains to be seen if this is how the empty spot on Union’s ballot will be addressed during the 2023 election.

Incumbents Corey Lorenzen of La Porte City and Ben Schemmel of Dysart filed paperwork for their At-Large and District 4 seats, respectively, while newcomer Carleen McGivern of Dysart filed for the District 3 seat currently held by Jenna Scott who did not file.

North Tama Community School District

The North Tama school board has three seats up for election including District 5, District 6, and District 7. Incumbents Doug Dvorak of Clutier and David Boldt of Traer filed paperwork for the District 6 and District 7 seats, respectively, while newcomer Jenny Sniffin of Traer filed for the District 5 seat currently held by Valerie Bradley who did not file.

Dysart city election

In the city of Dysart, the mayor and two city council seats are on the ballot this year. Incumbents Stacey Dabney and Mary Wankowicz were the only candidates to file for the two, four-year term seats, while Mayor Glenn was the only candidate to file for the mayor’s four-year term seat.

Traer city election

In the city of Traer a contested election is shaping up for the position of mayor with both incumbent mayor Peter Holden and challenger Kennan Seda filing paperwork for the two-year term seat.

On the ballot for city council, a contested election is also heating up with five candidates filing for three, four-year term seats including incumbents Carri Holst and Patrisha Kennedy, as well as newcomers Derek Gaydos, Brad E. Rund, and Chad Taylor. Incumbent city councilor Matt Rausch elected not to run again.

Clutier city election

In the city of Clutier, the entire city council’s five, two-year term seats as well as the two-year term office of mayor are on the ballot this year. No candidates filed paperwork for any of the seats.

Elberon city election

In the city of Elberon, two, four-year term city council seats and the mayor’s two-year term seat are up for election. Incumbents filed paperwork for both the council seats and the mayor’s office including city councilors Nancy Braasch and Donald Curry, and Mayor Scott Pippert.

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CLUTIER – Three live turtles who usually make their homes in the basement of Otter Creek Lake & Park Nature Center safely crossed several roads (by vehicle) earlier this month while on a field trip to Clutier as part of the public library’s summer programming.

The turtle ambassadors along with Naturalist Raina Genaw were greeted by a full house on Aug. 1 in the one-room library with 11 area children from babies up to middle schoolers in attendance alongside their caregivers and library director Patti Kupka.

Genaw began the program by introducing Van Gogh, a male painted turtle, to the gathered group.

“The reason that he’s called a painted turtle is because he has these really pretty lines all over him that people say look like brush strokes,” Genaw explained to the clearly captivated young audience. “So it kind of looks like someone took some yellow paint and just painted right on that turtle.”

Using both Van Gogh and two unnamed resident ornate box turtles, Genaw spent roughly 30 minutes sharing interesting facts and tidbits about turtles including how to tell the difference between land and aquatic turtle species (aquatic turtles have much smoother shells), and also why male box turtles appear to be so much ‘prettier’ (being fancy essentially helps the males ‘get a girlfriend,’ Genaw said with a chuckle).

At one point Genaw passed around a turtle scute for the kids to examine. A scute, she explained, is what makes up the outer layer of a turtle’s shell. Turtles shed their scutes as they grow with an adult turtle shedding the papery, thin scales about twice a year.

Iowa boasts 13 turtle species including the snapping turtle. While Genaw only brought two of the species to Clutier, the nature center also cares for a baby snapping turtle named Petunia.

“Every so often, I’ll pick [the snapping turtle] up, and it will not like that,” Genaw told the group.

While holding a biting snapping turtle — thankfully — wasn’t part of the program that day, participants were given the opportunity to hold Van Gogh and the box turtles as long as they remembered to keep their faces and hands away from the turtles’ mouths, to never turn the turtles upside down (they don’t like it), and to only touch the turtles’ shells.

“To the turtle, it kind of feels like you’re touching their nails,” Genaw explained. “So they can feel it – but just a little bit.”

As the kids gently passed the turtles around their half circle – or backed themselves away slowly from the whole ordeal entirely – Genaw shared one last fact, before taking questions, about how the ornate box turtle got its name.

“The reason that these guys are called box turtles, is because when they get really, really scared … they’ll tuck their head and their legs and tail and everything inside their shell. And then this little flap will come up and close their shell like it’s a box.”

Since no box turtles elected to wrap themselves up for USPS delivery during the Clutier visit, it’s safe to assume the trip to Clutier was a ‘turtle’ success.

For more information on arranging a Tama County Conservation educational program, email Genaw at [email protected] or call 641-484-2231.

A non-comprehensive list of the county’s Conservation program offerings can be found here: https://www.tamacounty.iowa.gov/files/conservation/educational_program_guide_63517.pdf

Bexley Stechcon, center, takes a peek inside a shell that once belonged to a painted turtle during a program held at the Clutier Public Library on Aug. 1. Her younger brother Berkeley, left, is pictured beside her. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Inquisitive Clutier residents including (l-r) Kaylee and Sophia Quigley, Bexley and Berkley Stechcon, Briley Wildman, and Elora Burton get to know a pair of Tama Co. Conservation box turtle ambassadors on Aug. 1 at the public library. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

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January message from Union Superintendent John Howard

Below are the unofficial Election Night results with all Tama County precincts reporting for the 2021 city and school elections. The totals reflect absentee votes and votes for candidates that were on the ballot.

Write-in votes have not been tallied and will be available later in the week at the earliest.

The canvas of the city and school election will occur next week Monday at 10 a.m. at the Tama County Administration Building in Toledo.

South Tama School Board, District 1 (vote for 1)

Elizabeth Dolezal – 521

Nikki Kemper Pansegrau – 365

Tessa Matherly – 115

South Tama School Board, District 4 (vote for 1)

Beth Wiese – 784

Tama City Council (vote for 2)

Brian Hanus – 212

Emily Babinat – 131

Matthew Beatty – 126

Kristi Eisentrager – 73

Randy Fairchild – 38

Toledo Mayor

Brian Sokol – 275

Toledo City Council (vote for 3)

Duane Pansegrau – 221

Cathy Cook – 194

*Write-in votes yet to be tallied for the third Toledo City Council seat

Montour Mayor

Vicky Garske – 50

Montour City Council (vote for 3)

Kelsey Staker – 53

Dave Heckman – 49

Alan Kelley – 47

Susan Eberhart – 36

Doris Walsh – 36

Chelsea Mayor

Leif Morris – 37

Craig Forcht – 16

Chelsea City Council (vote for 2)

Melissa Osipchack – 30

Amy Walters – 29

Elberon Mayor

Scott Pippert – 36

Elberon City Council (vote for 3)

Adam Glunz – 31

Judy Upah – 36

Rynonda Franzen – 29

Elberon City Council (to fill a vacancy, vote for 1)

Linn R. Snell – 2

Clutier Mayor

Gordon Fassett – 34

Clutier City Council (vote for 5)

Phillip C. Breja – 35

Sue Kupka – 32

Gary Pearson – 34

Keith Erickson – 35

DeAnn Weber – 31

Iowa Valley Community College District 6 Director (vote for 1)

Joanna Hofer – 793

Tama County Totals

Registered Voters – 9,829

Votes Cast (including absentee, in-person and write-in votes) – 2,185

Turnout Percentage – 22% turnout