Two vye for Ward 1 council seat

Two candidates will be vying for the open Ward 1 Newton City Council seat. Melanie Humphrey and Mark Hallam have submitted their names to fill the opening left by former councilman Jeremy Biondi.

Biondi announced his decision to step down from the council on Jan. 1 in order to focus on family and his business, Moo’s BBQ. He was in the middle of his four-year term after having been elected in 2015.

The city council selected to fill the seat by appointment and those interested in the position were to submit their names and information to the city clerk by 4:30 p.m. Monday. The council will then make its selection at its regular meeting Monday, Feb. 5.

“The vote to select the new council member will take place at the beginning of the meeting,” city clerk Katrina Davis said.

Davis said the selected candidate will fill the seat until the election in 2019. After the election is certified by the county auditor’s office, the newly elected representative will be sworn into office.

Humphrey announced her intentions to seat the position during the January Newton Park Board meeting where she serves as chair.

“I decided to run for Ward 1 council to help make our city a better place for those that live here and in hopes to help bring more people to Newton,” Humphrey said. “I would like to help identify the challenges that our city currently faces and help provide ideas to the council members.”

Humphrey said she has enjoyed being on the park board and seeing the differences the board has made in our parks. By representing Ward 1 on city council, she wants to continue to help make Newton a better place to live, she said.

Hallam is also already involved in the city with his work on the Newton Historic Preservation Commission. Through his work on the commission, he is also on the Newton Main Street Board as a historic preservation representative.

The council is not unfamiliar with the process of replacing a member by appointment. In July, at-large councilwoman Lin Chapé announced she was stepping down from her position after serving on the council since 2014.

A bank of 12 candidates submitted their names for consideration for the seat with former councilman Jeff Price tapped to fill the vacancy. Following the election in November, councilwoman Evelyn George was elected to the at-large seat and immediately took over the position. With the move, her former Ward 2 seat was filled by Dean Stonner, who was also elected in November. He was sworn into the position in December.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com.