Meet the three candidates running for Clive City Council in the 2023 election
Three candidates — all incumbents — are vying for three seats on the Clive City Council, including Susan Judkins, Srikant Mikkilineni and Ted Weaver.
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.
More: How to vote in Iowa's 2023 city and school elections, including early voting and absentee ballots
Susan Judkins
AGE: 65
GREW UP: Vinton, Iowa
CURRENT HOME: Clive
EDUCATION: Bachelor's from Simpson College; Master of Business Administration, University of Iowa
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Indianola School Board 1997-2001; ran for Iowa House of Representatives in 2012, losing by 22 votes; appointed to Clive City Council 2013 and elected in 2015 and 2019.
Srikant Mikkilineni
AGE: 40
GREW UP: Burlington
CURRENT HOME: Clive
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Iowa; Juris Doctor, Drake University Law School
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Clive City Council, April 2022 to present; City of Clive DART commissioner, 2023 to present; City of Clive DART Commission alternate, April 2022 to December 2022; Clive Historical Society liaison, April 2022 to present; City of Clive Animal Review Board, April 2022 to present
Ted Weaver
AGE: 55
GREW UP: Indianapolis, Indiana
CURRENT HOME: Clive
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts, Indiana University; Master of Arts, Clemson University; Master of information systems, Keller Graduate School of Management
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Clive City Council, 2010 to present; Des Moines Area Association of Realtors president, 2021; executive board member of Metropolitan Planning Organization; board member of ICON Water Trails; board member Walnut Creek Baseball, 2016–2021; board member of VAREP, 2017–2020; Booster Pak volunteer
More: Election Day in Iowa is approaching. Your guide on Des Moines metro candidates, issues
Why are you running?
Susan Judkins: My background in economic development, flood policy and construction projects has been of value in contributing to decision making on the council. I serve with an outstanding group of council members and want to continue our efforts to implement multiple initiatives currently underway such as stormwater and stream bank improvements, flood buyouts, park development, road repairs, public safety collaboration and supportive personnel policies. I am especially interested in supporting the work of Clive's new Economic Vitality Committee as its chair.
Srikant Mikkilineni: Iowa politics have become divisive and partisan; too much of a shouting match when we should be listening to one another with respect. Listening doesn’t mean agreement, but does mean we’ll better understand the other person’s perspective. We must strive to have productive conversations that lead to stronger solutions that serve all of us. No matter what the issue is, the more viewpoints we can include, the stronger the solutions will be. My three primary goals are: Increasing resident engagement/communication; increasing adoption of sustainable/renewable solutions; and increasing infrastructure improvements including investing in digital and cybersecurity infrastructure/capabilities.
Ted Weaver: Higher tax assessments have resulted in Clive homeowners paying more in property taxes the last few years. The city has worked hard to maintain its levy rate; but this is no longer enough. Lowering taxes for Clive residents and businesses to provide additional tax relief is essential. Other priorities include the need to expedite fixing our roads particularly within neighborhoods; continued support of public safety personnel; additional investment into our Greenbelt Trail and park system, including a new regional park called Greenbelt Landing; and continuing regional collaboration with neighboring cities to share services and save taxpayer money wherever possible.
What is the biggest issue facing your community and how would you address it?
Susan Judkins: Clive has reached the point in its growth where redevelopment has become a more important focus than new development. The city will soon be built out to its borders, but aging infrastructure (roads, buildings, sewers, etc.) and increasing stormwater impacts have caused concerns. We are planning for escalating infrastructure investments and want to seek more grant opportunities to augment city resources.
Srikant Mikkilineni: The biggest issue is at a minimum maintaining (and ideally improving) the level of services offered to residents of Clive while becoming a fully developed community (meaning no undeveloped land remaining within Clive). This is compounded by pressure from the state Legislature taking away Clive’s autonomy. I believe investing in the three goal items I identified in the last question above would help along with continuing to prioritize city staff resources on re-development opportunities within the city. The city should also continue to work with neighboring communities to strategically regionalize services where appropriate, which will increase efficiency and decrease cost.
Ted Weaver: The biggest upcoming issue for Clive is that we will be a landlocked community soon and can no longer rely on new construction for increased revenues. Thus, we must be creative in identifying additional revenue streams, improving existing housing stock, revitalizing older commercial areas, and looking at best practices that other similarly situated communities across the country have utilized with success. This process began a couple years ago but we still have much work to do to implement strategies that will not only diversify our revenue but also keep the tax burden low for existing Clive residents and businesses.
Phillip Sitter covers suburban growth and development for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on Twitter @pslifeisabeauty.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Three candidates are running for Clive City Council in 2023 election
