Storm Lake has a new city council member.
Don Piercy Jr. was sworn in Thursday afternoon during a special city council meeting to fill the two-year seat vacated by Kevin McKinney. Piercy was elected Nov. 4, receiving the highest vote total among all council candidates.
Piercy grew up in Newell and moved to Storm Lake 27 years ago. He graduated from Buena Vista University and worked more than four decades in plumbing, heating, and electrical trades. He also served a four-year term on the Newell City Council in the 1990s.
He says infrastructure is his top priority, pointing to water and streets as urgent needs.
Piercy also wants answers on the city’s tax-increment financing dispute with Buena Vista County, headed to trial in Emmet County next May. He supports Auditor Rob Sand launching an investigation into the TIFF distributions.
Oversight of King’s Pointe Resort is another focus.
And he says residents should notice progress on property cleanup.
Piercy acknowledges there will be a learning curve as he transitions to his new role, and he says he won’t be able to tackle everything at once. But, he’s ready to bring what he calls “a different view” to city hall, with a focus on common sense and accountability.
