Altoona Election: Voters to select 3 city council members
Altoona voters will go to the polls Tuesday to select three members to serve on the five-person city council.
The candidates are incumbents Kyle Mertz, 31, and Michelle Sloan, 49; and challengers Jeremy Boka, 37, Shane Isley, 29, Keith White, 63, and Tim Sauer, 37.
All members of the council are elected at large and serve four-year terms.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Altoona residents also will be asked to vote on three public measures.
The city will ask voters for authority to issue $6.5 million in bonds to improve amenities at the Greater Altoona Community Service Campus and the Sam Wise Youth Complex.
Plans call for remodeling and expanding locker room, recreation, pool and parking facilities at the Altoona campus and constructing restrooms and parking lot additions at the Sam Wise complex.
The Altoona campus, 1500 Eighth St. S.W., is a 10,000-square-foot fitness center owned by the city and operated by a nonprofit board of directors.
The facility is available to residents who pay a monthly membership fee ranging from $23.20 for a single college student to $46.20 for a family living in the Southeast Polk school district.
The Sam Wise Youth Complex, 501 Eighth Ave. S.E., is an outdoor area that includes seven baseball and six softball diamonds, two football fields, seven soccer fields, three park shelters, a playground and a skating rink.
The city expects those projects would increase the tax rate between 50 and 60 cents per $1,000 of taxable valuation.
City finance officer Randy Pierce said a 60-cent increase would equate to $2.64 a month or $31.69 per year for a home valued at $100,000. That would increase the city portion of the home’s annual tax bill from $482.94 to $514.63.
Voters will also be asked whether the city’s library board should be expanded from five to seven members.
A Polk County measure asks voters for authority to issue $81 million in bonds to pay for improvements to court facilities.
The county wants to renovate the historic courthouse and use the building for civil courts, jury assembly and court administration. Juvenile, traffic and small claims courts would move to the former J.C. Penney building along with the clerk of court’s office and the Polk County attorney’s offices. The former Polk County Jail would be converted into a criminal courts annex.
The money for those projects would be borrowed in phases, which would raise Polk County’s property tax levy by 22 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. For the owner of a $150,000 home, the bond would cost about $18 a year in increased property taxes.
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Jeremy Boka — city council candidate
AGE: 37
PLACE OF BIRTH: Clinton
GREW UP: Muscatine
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Louisa-Muscatine High School (1995), class president; Kirkwood Community College (1998), A.A.S. in landscape management; Iowa State University (2000), bachelor’s degree in horticulture.
WORK HISTORY: I have worked in the landscape industry for over 20 years. I moved back to Iowa in 2003 where I began my career at Perficut Companies Inc. In my 11 seasons with Perficut, I have had many positions including residential landscape designer, commercial estimator, landscape manager, and my current position as business development manager.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: I am a past graduate of the Altoona Leadership Program (now known as the Eastern Polk County Leadership Program), where part of our class project included getting volunteers, businesses and business people together to form Altoona Palooza. I have served as the co-chairman for that event every year. I also work with the Community Healing Garden at Mercy Cancer Center in Clive. I am a past graduate of the AGC of Iowa Leadership Academy, a member of the Altoona Chamber of Commerce, East and South Des Moines Chambers of Commerce, Building Owners and Managers Association and Associated General Contractors of Iowa.
FAMILY: I am the father of two young girls in the SEP school system, with a baby boy on the way.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic
FACEBOOK PAGE: Jeremy Boka for Altoona City Council
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Shane Isley — city council candidate
AGE: 29
PLACE OF BIRTH: Des Moines
GREW UP: Indianola
CURRENT HOME: 3203 Third Ave. S.W., Altoona
EDUCATION: Indianola High School (2002); Grand View University (2006), bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration; Iowa State University (2009), master’s in business administration.
WORK HISTORY: Bernau Capital Partners, director of real estate, present; Bernau Capital Partners, controller, 2011-2013; Centurion Stone of Iowa/MJ Distribution, controller, 2010-2011; Bevinco of Central Iowa, owner/senior auditor, 2007-2010; Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, financial consultant, 2006-2007.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Bergman Academy, accounting and budgeting, 2010-present; SCORE Des Moines, workshop chairman, present.
FAMILY: Wife, Cara; one daughter, 2.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Christian
FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/isleyforcouncil
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Kyle Mertz — city council candidate
AGE: 31
PLACE OF BIRTH: Kansas City, Kan.
GREW UP: Johnston
CURRENT HOME: 1708 Pinewood Court S.W., Altoona
EDUCATION: Johnston High School (2000); Drake University (2004), bachelor’s degree in international business.
WORK HISTORY: Employee benefit adviser at Frank Berlin & Associates (2011-present); employee benefits representative at Sun Life Financial (2009-2011); account executive at Holmes Murphy & Associates (2005-2009).
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Serving first term on the Altoona City Council
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Current: Altoona’s representative on Metro Advisory Council and member of executive committee; Altoona’s representative on the Metropolitan Planning Organization and member of Transportation Priority Funding Subcommittee; Bravo Greater Des Moines board of directors; First Tee of Greater Des Moines board of directors. Past: Board member at Wildwood Hills Ranch and Venbury Villas Homeowners Association. Volunteered with the Junior Olympics, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa. Altoona Leadership Academy (2009), Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute (2009), Des Moines Business Record “40 Under Forty” class of 2010.
FAMILY: Wife, Amanda, and sons Palmer, 3, and Flynn, 5 months
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Lutheran
WEBSITE: www.fbanda.com
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Tim Sauer — city council candidate
AGE: 37
PLACE OF BIRTH: Des Moines
GREW UP: Des Moines, Urbandale
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Grandview Park Baptist School (1996); Upper Iowa University (2004), bachelor’s degree.
WORK HISTORY: Financial industry for 15 years
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: I have voted in past elections, stayed abreast of current events and proceedings, and attended numerous City Council meetings.
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: I have been involved with Habitat for Humanity, Amanda the Panda grief counseling service, youth soccer coach and various community events and activities with my family.
FAMILY: Married to wife, Lisa, for 14 years; son Noah, 7, and daughter Allison, 5.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Christian
FACEBOOK: Tim-Sauer-for-Altoona-City-Council
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Michelle Sloan — city council candidate
AGE: 49
PLACE OF BIRTH: Cedar Rapids
GREW UP: Marion
CURRENT HOME: 1408 Fifth Ave. S.W., Altoona
EDUCATION: Graduated from UNI
WORK HISTORY: Currently employed with Southeast Polk schools at Willowbrook Elementary, administrative assistant
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: City Council member for past seven years
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Altoona Library Board. I have also been the treasurer for Central Iowa Rural Water Association.
FAMILY: Married to Scott Sloan since 1991. Two sons: Ben, 20, and Ike, 17.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Methodist
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Keith White — city council candidate
AGE: 63
PLACE OF BIRTH: Dexter
GREW UP: Des Moines area
CURRENT HOME: Altoona
EDUCATION: Tech High
WORK HISTORY: 14 years in public works, six years of management and many years of driving and maintenance.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Six years serving on the Altoona City Council
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Six years with the Altoona Fire Department, 12 years with Altoona Balloonafest
FAMILY: Wife, Dana; son, Joe; daughter, Melinda; daughter-in-law, Amanda; son-in-law, Brad; three grandchildren, Collin, Hailey and Mason.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant
FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/keithwhiteforcouncil