The Annandale City Council will include at least one new member starting next year.
Filing for city offices closed on Tuesday, Aug. 16, meaning that the races for city, school and township positions have now taken shape ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 8, general election.
No one filed to oppose Mayor Dwight "Dewey" Gunnarson. Barring a write-in campaign, Gunnarson now has a clear path to a second two-year term.
Three individuals have filed to run for two available four-year council seats. They are incumbent Jullie Hastings and current planning commission members Matthew Wuollet and Eric Schwarzkopf.
Current councilor David Burd is not seeking re-election, as he plans to move outside city limits.
Each candidate was contacted last week and provided some information on why they are interested in holding office.
No race for mayor
It was a busy first term for Gunnarson, 42, who along with the rest of the council managed issues like securing an alternative broadband provider, the recreation park and the Aurora Solar Project.
Gunnarson said he was motivated to seek re-election because a second term would allow him to continue seeing through current projects and also provide an opportunity to tackle new issues.
"In my opinion, Annandale is in a very wonderful position with a lot of potential," he said. "I feel that there are just a few more things that need to be done in order to preserve Annandale’s viability for the coming decades."
The biggest issue, he said, was improving broadband, and Gunnarson said he plans to continue working with Midco for the next several years to continue strengthening the new network and ensuring its reliability.
A top priority for his second term, he said, is to develop a sustainable vision and plan for the downtown.
"I want to continue to pursue solutions to keep downtown as viable as possible for the future," he said.
"With it deteriorating right now, that’s a very high priority thing. The city needs to help the business community, the downtown community and the entire population make sure that downtown is as great as it can be. Tackling downtown is to ensure that we’re creating an environment for opportunity in that downtown."
Another objective for his second term, Gunnarson said, is to use City Administrator Kelly Hinnenkamp’s skills in economic development to attract businesses and industry to Annandale.
Asked if he drew any conclusions from the fact that no opponent has come forward to challenge his position, Gunnarson said it was a sign of progress.
"If there is an opponent there is a referendum on the direction the city is going. Not having an opponent simply states that the community – the business community and the residents – like where Annandale is going," he said.
Three run for two seats
Hastings, 32, is completing her first term on the council.
"We have done such great things the last four years that I’ve been on, and I would just like to continue to see the success with Annandale grow for another term of council," she said.
Evidence of that success can be seen in the Midco entry and the start of construction on the recreation park, Hastings said, and she aims to see those ongoing projects through.
"I’m looking forward to continuing with the council to see those things get done for the community," she said.
Schwarzkopf, 37, and Wuollet, 27, are a pair of new names for the council, but they are not without experience in city government.
Schwarzkopf has been a member of the planning commission since 2010. He serves as the chair at present, and was also the chair for a number of his earlier years.
"I really didn’t consider running for council prior to serving on (the planning and zoning board)," he said. "I figured I would enjoy serving the city in some sort of capacity back then, and the (planning and zoning) opening seemed like a good fit with a manageable time commitment.
"Now that I have had more exposure to city operations and had the chance to be a part of some great changes to our community, I have the desire to take the next step to city council. We have a wonderful community and I want to do what I can to help see it prosper and continue to be a great place to live, work and raise a family."
While Schwarzkopf’s council aspirations grew from his planning commission experience, Wuollet, who has served on the planning commission for two years, said he has had the council in mind for a number of years.
"It’s always been in the back of my mind. I’d say even back in high school I thought about it," he said.
A 2007 Annandale High School graduate, Wuollet said he took the advice of former Annandale Mayor Marlene Young to explore city operations beginning at the planning commission level.
"It really has been a neat way to see how it all works and what it takes to get something done in town," Wuollet said.
While he feels he could bring a younger person’s perspective to the council, Wuollet said he had no issues with the current councilors.
"I don’t think you can do better than we have now, but I think it would be a great team to join," he said.
Burd to depart
While the outcome of the election remains to be seen, one member of that current team will definitely not be back for another term. Burd was appointed to the council to fill a vacancy when Young became mayor in 2010, then won re-election in 2012. Gunnarson said that losing Burd’s voice is significant.
"David is absolutely a wonderful person and a wonderful council member," Gunnarson said. "He brought a different viewpoint on some of the important issues, asking some tough questions that probably would never have been asked otherwise. We’re going to miss that. His input was extremely valuable."
At the same time, however, Gunnarson voiced confidence in the abilities of the candidates who have stepped forward.
"Any combination of those three candidates will be great on the council, so I will be very pleased with however the election pans out," he said. "We’re going to be in a great position and we’re going to have a great council to work with. It’s very exciting."
■ Additional background information on the candidates, along with their answers to a variety of questions, will be included in an October issue of the Advocate to help inform voters ahead of the November general election.
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