Here are the Tiffin city council candidates' priorities for the future of the community
Two incumbents and a challenger are on the three-person ballot in Tiffin on Nov. 7, part of an election for one of the state’s fastest-growing communities.
Voters in Tiffin can determine their Nov. 7 polling place and view sample ballots, which will also include the Mayor’s race and the Clear Creek Amana School District races, on the Johnson County Auditor’s website.
Early voting is available until Nov. 6 at the county Auditor’s Office. The deadline to request an absentee ballot has passed. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Johnson County auditor’s office by the close of polls on Nov. 7.
Polls will be open Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you can find your precinct and polling location on the Secretary of State's website.
The Press-Citizen sent out questionnaires to each of the three Tiffin City Council candidates. Answers are shown below in the order they appear on the ballot. Responses have been edited for clarity and style.
Who is running for the Tiffin City Council?
Chris Olney (Incumbent)
Age: 62
Tiffin residency: Seven years
Occupation: Recently retired from the City of Iowa City, where I worked as an administrative secretary in the City Clerk’s Office
Skylar Limkemann (Incumbent)
Age: 34
Tiffin residency: Four years
Occupation: Attorney
Thomas Gibson
Age: 53
Tiffin residency: Two and a half years
Occupation: Architectural project manager working remotely
More: We asked the N. Liberty City Council candidates about their priorities. Here are their responses.
Why are you running for city council? What qualifications do you believe make you a good fit for this job?
Responses were limited to 100 words.
Olney: I am running for re-election because I want to continue the positive momentum this and previous councils have achieved by working together as a team for the betterment of the entire city. It is an exciting time and I am proud to have had the opportunity to contribute a common-sense approach to smart growth and be involved in developing policies and plans that will enhance the City now and into the future.
Through my work in the Iowa City Clerk's office and serving on Tiffin City Council, I have gained invaluable knowledge of critical strategic goal planning, budgeting, and teamwork.
Limkemann: I'm running for re-election to help make Tiffin better than I found it. I have a public service background and have over a decade of experience serving the public, including in fire and EMS. My background as an attorney, including representing municipalities and writing legislation, helps me serve Tiffin.
Gibson: I am running for city council because I want to volunteer my time and knowledge to help Tiffin grow and thrive. I have 30 years in the Architectural and Construction field. I have worked on a variety of projects and I understand the process of developing our town from the initial planning and zoning, site development, meeting and exceeding codes, and the details that go into finishing projects. I want to be a more active resident.
More: In fast-growing Tiffin, a rare mayoral face-off between long-time incumbent, challenger
What is the most important issue, in your view, in Tiffin right now?
Responses were limited to 100 words.
Olney: Tiffin faces many challenges in managing the city’s rapid growth. Planning for essential infrastructure needs and creating amenities valuable to the city while remaining fiscally responsible will take a team effort.
By moving forward with the comprehensive plans and focusing on economic development and the need to bring in additional revenue sources such as requesting a special census to capture additional road tax revenue available for the city.
Strategic planning for smart growth now will help prevent growing pains in the future.
Limkemann: Improving all City services is the most important issue. Tiffin's growth has resulted in some infrastructure and services falling short of expectations and best practices. We need to maintain and improve existing services while simultaneously offering new services to meet the demands of our population. I will continue to advocate for responsible planning and growth, bring ideas and solutions to issues, and will advocate for infrastructure and service improvements.
Gibson: It is my impression that the current city government has not been transparent with information, and major decisions were made without reaching out to the community or informing us to provide input. I want to change this by being more transparent with the community, live streaming city council meetings and doing a better job to get information out to the residents of Tiffin.
More: We asked and they answered: Meet the candidates in Coralville's city election
What are your top priorities for Tiffin over the next few years, if elected?
Responses were limited to three priorities and 250 words total.
Olney:
Smart Growth. Ensure City departments are adequately staffed. One of the most important assets a city has is it employees. We must keep up with providing public services and have the necessary personnel and equipment required to do so.
Economic Development. Expand on the city's economic development efforts. We have a great start to bringing in new commercial and industrial businesses. The city should further develop marketing strategies to maintain the momentum generated. Opportunities exist to market our proximity to Interstate 80/380 and our unique character of being the fastest-growing city in Iowa while remaining a community with a “small town feeling.”
Communication/Community involvement. Ensure that citizens in Tiffin know that their voices are heard and are important to decisions being made. Open communication and transparency are the keys to a successful City. Keep residents informed using all means of communication. Not everyone communicates via social media. I would like to see more in-person face-to-face community outreach such as town hall meetings, meet and greets, neighborhood events, or even coffee with a councilor.
Limkemann: My priority is improving City services to keep up with growth and meet our community's needs. This includes completing water quality improvements, which are already underway, expanding parks and recreation, including a new north side dog park, trails, and recreation facility, and public safety service improvements, including building a new public safety facility to accommodate an ambulance for EMS, fire and rescue personnel, and law enforcement.
Gibson:
Planning for the future. Tiffin has lots of houses. However, we don’t have much else, so we have to leave Tiffin for other items. I want to get new businesses coming to our city.
Infrastructure. With a fast-growing city, infrastructure needs to get behind. Council needs to focus on making sure everything is available to keep growing, including water and sewer needs.
City improvements. From fire to police recreation, the council needs to make sure all of these are where they need to be to keep up with the growth of the city so our residents are safe and happy living here.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Tiffin city council race: What candidates envision for future of city
