Former editor endorses Blind for Mayor - Letter to the Editor

Fort Madison voters are blessed with five fellow residents willing to take on the mayoral role to lead our city. All five love this community and vow to act in its best interests. However, if this were the sole qualification, at least 85 percent of those residing in the 52627 zip code would also be qualified.
The truth is it takes more than good intentions to pave our roads, lead the city out of what is said to be a projected $750,000 budget shortfall next year, and control spending while also preserving services. The mayor’s post, like all leadership and managerial positions requires experience. There is a reason a vast majority of mayors have served at least one term on the city council before seeking the mayor’s job. There is a reason CEOs of companies first learned the ropes in lower positions in the manufacturing sector; why bank presidents were first loan officers; and why newspaper editors first spend several years as a reporter.
That’s because experience matters. 
It is particularly important regarding the mayor’s post since it, unlike the council terms, is for only two years.  Just weeks after the election, city staff, the city manager, and the mayor will embark on the annual task of drafting the city’s 2026-27 fiscal budget for the city council’s review - and the budget usually is due to the state in March. Newcomers have learning curves and by the time the three without experience learn the difference between the enterprise funds and the general fund, the criteria for closing a public meeting under the state’s Open Meeting Law, Robert Rules of Order, and where the restrooms are located in City Hall, the state budget deadline will have arrived. The three candidates without experience but truly wanting to serve their community should first serve on a city commission and then seek election to a council seat before trying to grab the mayoral gavel.

There are only two of the five mayoral candidate that have experience and I believe Melinda Blind can bring that, as well as knowledge of the logistics of city operations, to the table. Melinda can also bring the fresh eyes and new prospective that many crave while also relying on her experience working in the Fire/Building/Planning department; working with legislators when she was the director of the Retired Volunteer Program; working 10 years with the city’s Parks & Recreation Department; and serving 13 years as the City Clerk. 
Some have told me Melinda’s vast experience with city government may deter her from proposing ideas contrary to that of city council members or from being objective in situations regarding her former coworkers. No, just opposite is more likely. While working for the local newspaper, I sat in the council chambers for Melinda’s 13 years as city clerk and I could tell that as she took the minutes of the meeting she did not always agree with their decisions and sometimes was concerned by their remarks. However, she was the city clerk. She could not participate in the discussions (although there were times I could tell she wanted to.) As for relationships she may have with city staff, anyone having been in a managerial position can tell you that she will know she will be under a microscope by those looking for some sort of bias and will therefore work more diligently to prevent any conflict of interest. Her prior relationships with city staff will be a plus rather than a hinderance because she has spent decades in the trenches with them and can best get them on board with any necessary changes.
The other candidate with experience has had his chance on the city council and later as a Lee County supervisor (and had my vote in both respects), but with Melinda we will get a fresh approach with decades of unique experience. I therefore hope Fort Madison residents will join me in voting for Melinda Blind in the Nov. 4 mayoral election.

Robin Delaney
Fort Madison