Walker receives write-in votes to become Fontanelle’s next mayor

Mike Walker received enough write-in votes to be named mayor of Fontanelle. No one ran on the ballot.

Walker received 16 write-ins and current mayor Mary Sturdy-Martin, who did not seek re-election, received 12.

Results which only included Adair County polling places were due to become official at Tuesday, Nov. 14′s board of supervisors meeting, with those involving multiple counties due to become official a week later.

“I am excited to get this next chapter started. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” stated Walker in an email to the newspaper. “I moved to Fontanelle with the intention of calling it home. I wouldl like to see Fontanelle continue to be a friendly community for years to come. I plan on bringing the citizens of the community together to preserve our community.”

Walker says that since it was founded in 1855, Fontanelle has striven to live up to its motto of “A Place to Call Home.” He said it is a quiet, relaxing community with low crime and citizens with “huge hearts.”

“I want to make sure all citizens of the community have their voices heard. I want to make sure all citizens feel safe while out and about in this great community,” Walker said. “A positive attitude from the leadership of Fontanelle will go a long way in bringing this community together.”

Not a native of Fontanelle, Walker says he’s not biased to anyone in town.

“If we are all doing what is right then there is no reason that we can’t and won’t get along,” Walker said. “I look forward to meeting and working with each and every person of Fontanelle.”

Walker has resided in Fontanelle for three years with his wife, Nikki, of 11 years. He has six children ranging in age from 26 to 19, and has five grandchildren and a sixth on the way.

A volunteer firefighter in Fontanelle, by day Walker is a locomotive engineer for the BNSF railway. He says the position he enjoys the most is serving his Union family as Legislative Board chairman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. It is an elected position where he represents over 900 people in Iowa, and he believes this experience will “benefit him greatly” as Mayor of Fontanelle.

Another write-in position in Fontanelle went to Bryce Edwards, who will join the city council.

Winners from the ballot for Fontanelle city council were Jessi Young (71 votes), Bernie Connors II (68) and Dianna Goetz (65). Terrin Gettler received 60. Dawn Brown stays on the council after receiving 89 votes to fill a vacancy, and Edwards fills the other spot to fill a vacancy.

Steven Frese secured 17 votes to Vicki Bera’s two votes to take a seat on the Bridgewater City Council.

Kristen Walker (21), Tyler Ford (20) and Deb Tindle (20) were all running unopposed, as was Mayor Roberta Carpenter (17).

In Greenfield, Mayor Jimmie Schultz (131) and incumbent city council members Rod McMorran (126), Jonathan Christensen (118) and Rita Eble (122) retained seats in uncontested races.

Matthew Swanson was an incumbent running unopposed for Orient mayor and received 40 votes, as did unopposed incumbents Josh Madison (33) and Gary Metzger (41) for city council.

Michael Kalbach (33) and Craig Russell (33) won a contested race for Stuart City Council against Kristina Renslow (22).

Joanne M. Byars won 126 to 89 over Kim Hodne for the Adair Mayor position. Top choices for three seats on the Adair City Council were Renee Jensen (136), Shannon Mullen Haus (134) and Jade Irlmeier (126).

Adair County voters chose Justin Crawford (204) and Randal Carney (179) over Erica Tunink (65) in a contested race for Adair-Casey School Board. A revenue purpose statement for that district also passed 211-20. These are contingent on those from other counties involved.

Running unopposed to stay on Nodaway Valley’s School Board were Molly Herrick (245) and Susan Stevens (220).

Adair County voters chose Andrew Zellweger (65), Jana Scott (62) and Casey Osborne (48) to retain seats in an unopposed election for Orient-Macksburg’s school board. These results are also contingent on other counties involved.