Storm Lake’s future leadership took center stage Thursday night.
From budget priorities to immigrant safety, transparency to curb appeal, candidates for city council and school board laid out their visions at a public forum hosted by SALUD-Multicultural Health Coalition and moderated by Buena Vista University Digital Media Professor Andrea Frantz.
Four city council candidates participated: incumbent Maggie Martinez and challengers Don Piercy, Jr., Richard Riner, and Dalton Walker. Piercy is running for the two-year term vacated by Councilperson Kevin McKinney. Councilperson Matt Ricklefs is not seeking re-election.
Piercy emphasized fiscal accountability and civic engagement. Walker, 26, focused on youth retention and economic opportunity. Riner, a former law enforcement officer and current professor of criminology and criminal justice at BVU, stressed the need to diversify revenue streams and invest in infrastructure. Martinez highlighted transparency and outreach.
Candidates also addressed cub appeal and community care. Riner spoke from his law enforcement background about immigrant safety.
Walker suggested providing more information about the citizenship process.
Technology and translation were discussed as tools to improve access. Candidates proposed using AI to translate city council meetings and minutes into multiple languages.
The forum also featured Storm Lake Community School District Board of Education candidates Steven Mills and Erika Dierking, both incumbents running unopposed. Mills, completing his first term, emphasized helping families from diverse backgrounds navigate the school system.
Dierking, a former teacher and current board vice president who is seeking her fourth term, discussed funding and equity.
Both praised mentoring and leadership programs and stressed the importance of outreach to non-English-speaking families.
Mills said it’s important to meet students where they’re at, empowering them to make a difference.
The forum closed with reflections on the upcoming mayoral transition. No candidates filed official papers, but write-in campaigns have emerged from current councilperson Meg McKeon and Storm Lake resident Charles Hernandez.
Candidates praised outgoing Mayor Mike Porsch’s leadership. Walker stressed the importance of Storm Lake’s next mayor being proactive from day one.
Storm Lake voters will decide city council and school board leadership on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Early voting by mail or in-person at the Buena Vista County Auditor’s Office begins Wednesday. Absentee request forms must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, and ballots must arrive at the auditor’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
For a full guide to voting in Iowa, visit voterready.iowa.gov.
