On Nov. 7, Harrison County voters will choose from the various candidates running for mayor, city council and school board.
The Missouri Valley Times-News reached out to candidates ahead of the election with a brief question and answer.
Following are the candidates' responses, published verbatim. All candidates were contacted; if you do not see their answers here, they either did not respond or elected not to participate.
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Name: David Weigelt
City/town: Magnolia
Candidate for: Mayor
Explain who you are: I am currently the mayor of Magnolia and finishing my 8th year in this position in December. I grew up on a farm 2 miles south of Magnolia. I have been married to my wife, Janette, for 21 years. We built our home in Magnolia 14 years ago and have 7 children, 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. We enjoy life in a small town and the fact that people are friendly and know each other and what is happening in the community. I retired from the Union Pacific/Chicago Northwestern Railroad 7 years ago after completing 36 years with the company.
Why did you run for this position? I would like to continue to work with the City Council members, City Clerk and Water Superintendent as they are the Backbone of the City. The mayor runs the city council meetings and is also delegated to fill other spots that affect the city, such as Landfill Representative. I like to work with the citizens to deal with various issues they might have and answer their questions on city ordinances. There are times when the City Code of Ordinances gives the answer but not always to the degree that they want to know. I strive to listen to all the constituents and learn from all of the issues that get presented. The real people running the city are the dedicated City Council members. I like to give people a choice to select from. It is great to see people become interested in the various jobs that are available to run for and I hope that my past service can continue for another term.
What from your background qualifies you for this position? I started out learning civic/government duties as a cub scout in the Magnolia area. I then became involved in our local 4H Club with various duties in the club. My biggest achievement during 4H was being selected to represent the United States with an Ambassador Program that culminated in a 6 week trip to Europe for the “People to People” group formed by President Eisenhower. I worked at the railroad on crews maintaining bridges and buildings and was the Safety Officer and TSC (Total Safety Culture) Representative for the region. The team worked both locally and division wide on safety issues that occurred and provided solutions to improve the work environment. Working for the employees was satisfying and I was given the opportunity to listen to my fellow workers in that role just as I am in the community of Magnolia today. I attended start up classes for elected officials provided by the The Iowa League of Cities and have always worked to learn about the issues presented to us to come to a result that was acceptable to all parties involved. The results don’t always happen overnight and require some time to come to a good understanding of what it going on.
It is good to be a Magnolianite.
What are your goals if elected? No information entered.
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Name: Lisa Pitt
City/town: Magnolia
Candidate for: Vacancy for the 2 year term
Explain who you are: I have lived in Magnolia since 2015, I have 3 grown up kids who live in Harrison County, they also graduated from Logan Magnolia, I also have 3 grandkids. I am employed at Missouri Valley Schools, I am an Elementary Secretary and Director of our Kid Care Program.
Why did you run for this position? I feel like we are needing some Council members with some different views and I work well with other people and I feel like I would be a great addition to the Council.
What from your background qualifies you for this position? I am part of the Magnolia Beautifician group, we have done several things in Magnolia by raising money for a new shelter at the park, Playground equipment at the park, we did some refurbishments to the pump station on the main street, I want to continue to keep making Magnolia beautiful and a great place to live.
What are your goals if elected? I would like to have a City cleanup day, with volunteers to help anyone that needs it, I want to help keep making changes that are needed to make it so people want to move here and live, I want to keep all residents involved in everything the Council does or wants to do..
