Meet the five candidates running for Altoona City Council in the 2023 election
Five candidates are vying for two at-large seats on the Altoona City Council, including Jerry Evans, Jeni Kadel, Chad Ratashak, Julie Stewart and Vernon Willey II (incumbent).
The Des Moines Register asked each candidate to respond to questions on why they're running and the issues their community is facing. Their answers may be lightly edited for clarity or length.
The election is Nov. 7.
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Jerry Evans
AGE: 61
GREW UP: Southeast Polk Community School District/unincorporated Polk County
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Master's in public administration, Drake University. Bachelor's in public relations, University of Northern Iowa. Southeast Polk High School.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Pleasant Hill City Council, 1992-2000. Coached youth sports for 15+ years while my kids were younger.
Jeni Kadel
AGE: 38
GREW UP: Omaha
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Bachelor's in hotel, restaurant, and institution management from Iowa State University
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Ran for Iowa House District 40 in 2022
Chad Ratashak
AGE: 32
GREW UP: Altoona; I was a military kid, so I moved away for a while but came back to Altoona every summer and moved back to Altoona, then Mitchellville when my dad retired while I was in high school.
CURRENT HOME: Altoona since 2020
EDUCATION: Willowbrook Elementary; Southeast Polk High School, class of 2009; Bachelor's in Arabic, master's in international studies, University of Oklahoma; Certified Financial Crimes Specialist
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: I have not previously run for elected office. Iowa House Page in 2009. Private sector leader for the Department of Homeland Security Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program 2022 on Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure. Board member of the Midwest Chapter of the Association of Certified Financial Crimes Specialists.
Julie Stewart
AGE: 56
GREW UP: Altoona
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Southeast Polk High School; Bachelor's in business administration and Associates Arts degree, Stephens College
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: President of East Polk Innovation Collaborative; Visit Altoona board member; Terrace Hills Commission; Robert D. and Billie Ray Center National Advisory Council; G.I.V.E. Foundation board member; Greater Des Moines Partnership, Downtown DSM board; Catch Des Moines board member; Iowa Confluence (ICON) Water Trails, investment committee.
Vernon Willey II (incumbent)
AGE: 73
GREW UP: Altoona
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: High School, AIB, DMACC, various training courses
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Altoona City Council, 2016-2019 and 2020-2023; Altoona city employee 1972-2015
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Why are you running?
Jerry Evans: I’ve always been a continual learner and I am running for City Council to learn more about my city, and be involved in helping guide the future of Altoona. I also believe my experience in government would serve me well if elected.
Jeni Kadel: I am running to bring a voice for each of the citizens to the council. Our freedoms are slowly being eroded at every level of government. I want to fight for the rights of each individual and their property. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be and control their property. Backyard chickens, composting and collecting rainwater should be allowed on your property. Hold harmless provisions and creating funds to help with repairs to the public sidewalks are ideas I would like to bring to our town as well.
Chad Ratashak: As a father of young kids, people ask me why I’m running now. That’s exactly why I’m running now. I know most things in government do not happen fast. For my efforts — like increasing walkability for Altoona residents — to make a difference in time for my own kids to see it, I have to start now. As the city grows, people should still be able to get around safely whether they drive, walk, bike or use a wheelchair. I also have expertise in combating ransomware and cybercrime that I would like to use to protect Altoona and its residents.
Julie Stewart: My decision to run as a first-time candidate is largely driven from my lifelong connection to this community. I will focus on the following key areas: Economic Growth: I am committed to implementing a comprehensive process that fosters a competitive environment to attract desirable businesses to Altoona. This will create new opportunities for our residents and strengthen our local economy. Safety: I will work to ensure that our police and fire departments have the necessary resources to maintain a safe and secure city. Education: It is my goal to work with Southeast Polk to address the needs of our growing community, and to continue the best possible educational opportunities.
Vernon Willey II: With 42 years experience as city staff which includes overseeing water, wastewater, building inspection, Public Works, along with eight years on City council, I feel I still have insight and knowledge to make Altoona the best place to live, work and play. It is important to remain fiscally responsible while growing at a reasonable rate. It is also important to think regionally as we all use services from other cities like transit, airport, wastewater, stormwater, etc. I am on most metro area boards. I want to continue to give back to my community.
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What is the biggest issue facing your community and how would you address it?
Jerry Evans: The biggest issue facing Altoona is continuing the balance of attracting new developments while also ensuring that current residents and businesses get their needs met. I think the way to do that is by listening to feedback from citizens and business leaders and being transparent with the city’s strategic planning.
Jeni Kadel: The biggest complaints I hear about are ones involving personal properties and also the difficulty of starting a new business in town. My previous answer deals with the first complaint. For the business permits, we need to go through the code and streamline that process. We also need to make sure, as a city, we are service-focused with getting these permits handled. As a small business owner, I have been amazed at how helpful some cities are with getting everything completed.
Chad Ratashak: Kids today are more anxious, depressed, and socially isolated, and less active than previous generations. Kids should be able to exercise judgement and independence in developmentally appropriate ways, but in an environment that protects them from the worst outcomes. Parents “helicopter” their kids, because many of our neighborhood streets are too wide for the posted speed and many of our roads lack safe crossings. As we grow, I will prioritize maintaining a coherent network of trails and sidewalks that allow everyone, young or old, to get around safely, foster in-person community, and invite people to explore local amenities and businesses.
Julie Stewart: Altoona has an abundance of growth opportunities. While this is exciting for our community, it’s critical that we are strategic and thoughtful about our future — and continue fostering development that is beneficial to all. I will work to bring people together in order for us to attract new businesses, support our existing businesses, create jobs, and invest in infrastructure that fosters a prosperous and vibrant Altoona.
Vernon Willey II: Balancing growth along with infrastructure to support it. Taxes are a constant issue and the Legislature continues to limit or reduce the resources available to a city that is trying to grow in an efficient manner.
Des Moines' eastern suburbs continue to grow rapidly, which often includes annexing hundreds of acres of new land. How should the city balance the need for future development while also remaining sensitive to rural property owners who may not want to become a part of the city?
Jerry Evans: I do not foresee this being an issue for Altoona. The city has a lot of area within the city limits that is undeveloped. Moreover, generally speaking, there is a financial gain for landowners who want to rezone their properties through voluntary annexation. Thus, there should not be a need for involuntary annexation.
Jeni Kadel: This is a tough balance, as the property belongs to someone who should control its use. I do not believe in the use of eminent domain to force our will. We need to make it worth joining our city. I just talked to someone that told me they refused to annex because they knew the city would make them pay for a lift station for their sewage. We need to sign contracts to take on those expenses, if we want their property as a part of our town.
Chad Ratashak: When my wife first visited Iowa, there was a cornfield next to the Altoona Target. She said, “Wow, you really grow corn everywhere here!” That cornfield has now been developed, along with cornfields east of town. People keep moving to Altoona and businesses keep opening. I do not want a housing crisis or stagnating business development. Either we use the land we already have more efficiently, or we annex more land. My platform includes more efficient use of currently developed land: gradual infill development of unused parking spaces, “missing middle” housing, and residential-over-commercial mixed use zoning.
Julie Stewart: Currently, Altoona has more than 1,600 acres of development-ready land, and our city staff has done an excellent job identifying key areas of opportunity for development. I believe those areas of opportunity, within Altoona’s boundaries, should be the top priority for development. Annexation of land is a sensitive topic that needs to be considered carefully to ensure that we are providing a high quality-of-life for residents, while strengthening our economy.
Vernon Willey II: Altoona has relied on property owners to either annex 100% voluntary or 80/20 rule with the developer wanting to annex showing a clear benefit to the citizens. Our goal has not been to annex based on speculation and I would like to keep it that way.
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How much should your community pay into the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) and what level of service would you like to see?
Jerry Evans: I believe in the importance of public transportation, and I think the current services and tax levy that is assessed are appropriate.
Jeni Kadel: One thing that would make me a bad politician is my honesty. So honestly, I am not overly familiar with specifics about DART services in our area. As the owner of a paratransit company, I understand the increasing demand for transportation throughout the region. I would not want to increase any funding for services without a thorough cost-benefit analysis. I would like to explore ways to fix the underlying causes for increased services. The biggest concern with all this is being fragile with taxpayer money, we should not be paying for services that are not needed or utilized.
Chad Ratashak: Many Altoona residents use DART once a year for the Iowa State Fair, because there are frequent buses and walkable infrastructure at the destination. I would be open to considering capital investments like more buses or improved stops, if there is a strategic plan to increase average ridership to improve operating income. I’d like DART to consider dynamic in-town routes to reduce traffic during events, like Southeast Polk football games or summer weekends at Adventureland. I also support allowing developers to pay impact fees to fund DART in lieu of excessive parking requirements, which would also save more Iowa farmland.
Julie Stewart: As a member of the Altoona City Council, I am committed to assessing the need for the Des Moines Regional Transit Authority. My foremost concern is the needs of our citizens, and ensuring that we don’t impose additional tax burdens on Altoona residents. To meet the needs of our visitors and workforce, my approach would be to engage with major employers such as Prairie Meadows and Adventureland to explore financial support for these services.
Vernon Willey II: The present formula is based on use and amount of service provided to our community. It is also based on varying service based on time of day or weekend. I believe we should pay our share and I would like our service to remain as is. Route 17 is one of the higher usage routes. It covers local employers like Prairie Meadows, Outlets of Des Moines and Adventureland. It also extends to Amazon for Bondurant, which they of course contribute for. I would like the Legislature to assist with some alternative funding sources.
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Five candidates are vying for Altoona City Council in 2023 election
