Janice Weiner and Laura Bergus were elected to the two open seats on the Iowa City Council in the combined city and school election on Tuesday.
Weiner, who served as a foreign service officer for 26 years before retiring from the State Department, won 73 percent of the vote. Bergus, an attorney and managing partner of the Hayek, Moreland, Smith & Bergus law firm, got 71 percent.
The third candidate in the race, ACT Test Development Manager Megan Alter, received 55 percent of the vote.
During the campaign, Weiner cited “affordable housing, transit that works for all, lack of quality, affordable daycare and infrastructure issues,” as the city’s biggest challenges, and said she would focus heavily on daycare, “which is an economic as well as a social justice issue.” Weiner said she would be mindful of funding issues.
“Solid finances must be part of the whole,” she said. “But having everyone at the table is key.
Bergus listed creating more affordable housing, better local and regional transportation, and the “need to shepherd responsible growth in diverse sectors of our economy” as some of the biggest challenges. She also said “improving the process” would be a top priority.
“Good process is transparent, reliable and accountable,” she explained. “City council must focus on policy, not micromanaging … I will speak up if the city council gets stuck in the weeds. I will push staff to make city information easier to find.”
Incumbent councilmembers Pauline Taylor, who represents District A, and District C’s John Thomas won new terms on Tuesday. Both ran unopposed.
Voters also chose four board member of the Iowa City Community School District in the election. Incumbents Paul Roesler and Shawn Eyestone were reelected with 70 percent and 60 percent of the vote, respectively.
Newcomer Lisa Williams, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, received more votes than other school board candidate, winning 74 percent of the vote. Charlie Eastham, a longtime community activist, won a board seat with 62 percent.
