“I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here.”
Jeremy Minnier, Mayor-elect of Aredale, Iowa
Last week was the time for local elections across the country, and now that the dust has settled, some interesting small town stories have popped up. Here are a few.
Write On
Last week I wrote about Elkhart, Iowa (population 476)—the town that had no candidates on the ballot for mayor (see Feast or Famine). As it turns out, that isn’t unusual for small towns. When it happens, townspeople simply write in the name of the person they want for the job. That’s how the current mayor of Elkhart got his job: 55 people wrote in his name while he was out of town. He agreed to serve two years, and now six years later he’s ready to step down. He said that if elected, he wouldn’t serve again. No fear: Elkhart has a new mayor. Brandon Snyder won with 24 write-in votes. Although Elkhart is a small town, being mayor isn’t a small job. The mayor is responsible for managing a budget of nearly $600,000, participating in city council and community betterment committees, and ushering in changes like a new website and improved fire protection. Best wishes to Mr. Snyder!
(Nearly) Minor Mayor
The number 24 must be magical in Iowa. Like Mr. Snyder, Jeremy Minnier received 24 write-in votes to become mayor of Aredale, Iowa (population 76). For folks outside of Aredale, what makes this election amazing is that Mr. Minnier is only 18 years old and still in high school. For folks in Aredale, the election is special, but not surprising. Mr. Minnier is president of the local FFA chapter, writes for the school newspaper, plays in the band, and works part-time. On top of that, politics is in his blood: his dad was mayor and served on the city council. Mr. Minnier plans to attend community college close to home so he can fulfill his duties as mayor for the next four years, at least.
Family Feud
The seat for city council of Bethany Park, Indiana (population 81) was hotly contested, and it’s not over yet. The election ended in a tie—7 votes for each of the two candidates vying for the position—but what’s really fanning the flames is the fact that the two candidates are brothers. Charles and Walt Worley went head to head in the election after Mr. Charles Worley moved into Mr. Walt Worley’s ward. Mr. Walt Worley is steaming mad and calling foul play. The brothers are waiting for the election results to be certified. If the tie holds, the city council has until December 31 to vote in one of the brothers. There are four members on the city council—if their vote ends up in a tie, it will be up to the town clerk treasurer to cast the deciding vote. She is the girlfriend of yet another Worley brother. Talk about being in the hot seat.
Read the article → Brothers tied for town council in tiny Morgan County town
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