Editor’s note: The general election for city and school district offices is Tuesday, Nov.7. In anticipation, ThePerryNews.com asked each candidate for a Perry city or school district office to answer a few questions in order to give voters a sense of who the candidate is and what issues motivate him or her. These candidate profiles will be published over the coming days. Interested voters might also wish to attend a candidate forum for the mayor and city council candidates, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 10 ay 6:30 p.m. at the Perry Public Library.
Barb Wolling is seeking reelection to the Perry City Council from the third ward. Wolling lives at 2115 Second St. in Perry. She can be reached at 515-423-2618 or barb.wolling@gmail.com.
1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, Barb. What do you want voters to know about you, your qualifications, your intentions as an officeholder?
Though I was not born and raised in Perry, I have lived here since 1984 and established deep roots in the community. Prior to my retirement, I enjoyed fulfilling employment as a soybean seed production agronomist for Syngenta. While working I moonlighted purchasing older homes in Perry to renovate and sell or rent and still retain several rental homes in Perry. Several years ago, I played pickleball for the first time and fell in love with the game. After discussions with the staff at the McCreary Community Building, time and space was dedicated to play pickleball. I promoted the sport to the Perry community, and we currently have a dedicated group of over 50 players from Perry and surrounding areas utilizing the gym and adding to the revenues at MCB. Regarding my qualifications to serve on the council in the Third Ward, I understand business and finances, have a strong work ethic, strive to find common ground to build relationships, solve problems and meet the challenges faced by the city.
2. Why are you running for elected office? Is it something that you have done before? Are other forms of public service a part of your background?
I was initially recruited to fill out the term of a councilperson who had to leave the position. Since then I have been reelected twice and have currently served on the Perry City Council for over 10 years. The work has proven to be engrossing, challenging and productive. It is rewarding to see projects benefiting Perry come to fruition after much planning, budgeting and time.
3. Are there particular issues that you believe are urgent or important and are facing the residents of Perry? If so, what issues are these? How to you think the city council can address or resolve these issues?
We have a number of large projects currently in the works, including expansion of the airport, rebuilding of our sewage treatment facility, wetlands preservation, parks enhancements, downtown improvements, promotion of the Hotel Pattee and LaPoste and capitalizing on the imminent connector trail between the RRVT and High Trestle trails. Lack of adequate affordable housing continues to be a challenge, which has been partially addressed by council’s approving tax abatement for new construction and renovations. These broader-range projects often go unnoticed by the public. The issues facing nearly all Perry citizens involve street maintenance, sewer issues, trashy properties, animals at large, drug usage and neglected buildings. These are issues that are constantly being addressed by the council and city staff.
4. What do you envision as the future of Perry? In what direction would you like to lead the town?
I would like to help build on our success as a vibrant, welcoming community with expanded opportunities for recreation, shopping, cultural inclusiveness, education and citizen engagement. The city council can help provide the framework, but it is up to all citizens of Perry to make the vision a reality by shopping, working and engaging locally.
