To the editor:
To those who began and signed the petition to demand a special election to fill the mayoral vacancy in Woodward, specifically Steve Godwin, Larry Spenla, Larry Nelson, Rich Rogers and Rod Auxier:
Why would you do this? Because you’re mad at the city about something? Because it’s your right?
Well, it’s my right to call you out.
To claim that you did this for the community is BS. This special election is going to cost this community thousands of dollars. For what result? And to those of you who signed, did you really understand what you were signing?
I’m willing to bet that it was presented as a petition to request an election, which it is. But were you told at what cost? Were you told that the person who was elected would likely serve less than one year? Were you told that the position would be up for election next November anyway?
For those of you not aware, Woodward’s duly elected mayor, Brian Devick, resigned due to health issues. Whether you agree or not, he did what he felt best for his family, himself and in the interest of what’s best for our community.
I have worked closely with Brian and while we haven’t agreed on everything, I have the utmost respect for him. I believe that if he knew what was going to happen as a result, he would have stayed despite that if could have literally killed him. He believed in this community, and I feel he was a great advocate. Brian’s term was up in 14 months from his resignation.
As a result of his resignation, the Woodward City Council was required by law to fill his vacancy within 60 days by appointment or to hold a special election. The council opted to appoint versus having a special election and incurring a $3,000-plus expense.
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Luke filled in until the council appointed someone. That someone was Todd Folkerts. Todd was a councilman himself. So that left Todd’s council seat vacant, to which the Council was planning on appointing someone after they asked the community for volunteers.
By law, the appointment could be contested with a petition. The petition to require a special election required at least 10 percent of the voters who voted in the last election to sign the petition. That’s not many.
So, to break this down: 14 months of Devick’s term left. One-month delay with the city council appointment,. At least a two-month delay to set up special election. Another month likely gone after special election.
So the city is spending $3,000 to fill a 10-month vacancy. Realistically, the next election would have been in November, so it’s really only nine months.
This community is facing the largest expense in its history. The Iowa DNR is requiring the city to update its lagoon system at a cost of $5.9 million. The city has no choice. It has to do this.
This was not a planned expense. The city council had no idea this was coming. So the money to the city is going to be reduced significantly due to this. The council knew this, and that was why they opted to appoint rather than have a special election, at a cost of $3,000.
For those of you who were screaming about the council being fiscally responsible, they were! But now we have a group of people that just required the city to spend that money.
That money could have been used in so many other ways, ways that could have improved our community — money for parks, money for snow removal, money for Friends and Neighbors Day, money to make repairs on equipment, for the library or the Community Center.
All of this derision has taken its toll on those trying to be involved and improve our community. Not only are we going to have a mayoral vacancy, but we are also going to have a council vacancy as well.
Involvement in our local government and community betterment groups is at an all-time low. Those who were willing to serve are no longer willing, and those who have considered being involved are now unwilling due to the unending litany of negativity and criticism from a vocal few.
So for those of you who signed this petition, step up! We have vacancies on the council.
Craig DeHoet
Woodward
