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Several seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 4 election for Monroe City Council, Prairie City City Council and the PCM School Board. The filing period recently opened for interested parties to turn in nomination papers by the Sept. 18 deadline.
City of Monroe
In Monroe, the mayoral seat and three city council positions will be on the ballot. While many citizens may only know about the votes taken at the monthly meetings, the city describes it as a much more interested undertaking.
“The reality of policy leadership is more complex, challenging and interesting. In fact, the roles of mayor or council are multi-faceted, fluid and at times can be situational,” the City of Monroe said. “The many roles that policy leaders assume all require various skills and may rely on a variety of strategies and methods. Also, there are general components of leadership such as communication or representation that are part of nearly all situations or roles.”
Elected officials work also includes acting as the official policy making body of the City, adopting all ordinances, resolutions and approving contracts required by the City. The council analyzes proposals to meet community needs, initiates action for new programs and determines the ability of the city to provide financing for City operations. The council also reviews, modifies and approves the annual budget and performs other miscellaneous duties, including appointments to various boards and commissions and responds to community groups and individual constituents. Each Council member is assigned to a city department.
Monroe does not have districts or wards. Each council member receives $50 per meeting and the mayor has a salary of $2,500 per year. Regularly monthly meetings occur the second Monday of the month.
Nomination papers require at least 10 signatures of Monroe residents. The three council seats open are for four-year terms while the mayor is a two-year term. For questions and nomination papers you can stop by the Monroe City Hall.
City of Prairie City
Prairie City voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for mayor of the city along with three city council seats. Nomination documents must be filed in person at Prairie City City Hall by 5 p.m. Sept. 18. Documents can be found at city hall or through the Jasper County Auditor website https://jaspercountyelections.iowa.gov.
City council meetings are held monthly the second Wednesday of the month and special council meetings are scheduled, as needed, at city hall.
PCM Community School District
Three seats are also open on the PCM School Board. Candidates are wanted for District 1, District 2 and District 6 for the upcoming election.
Interested citizens can stop in to the district office at Monroe Elementary to pick up a candidate packet. Candidates must live within the PCM School District and the boundaries of the district seat they are seeking. Signatures for nomination can be acquired from any PCM resident.
Any questions about the openings or how to start the nomination process, contact school board secretary Becki Vasseau at bvasseau@pcmschools.org.