New faces offer different perspectives

This is the second in a two-part series on the candidate forum.

A variety of topics, including the budget, transparency and supporting city employees, were discussed at the Creston City Council candidate forum Thursday, Oct. 16.

Seven candidates, five of them being new faces, are running for four open spots on the council.

The at-large and Ward 5 races don’t have incumbents on the ballot, meaning at least two new members will join the council ranks in 2026. At-large candidates are Brandon Cozad and Toby Henry. The Ward 5 candidates are Jason Cook and Karen Drake.

The Ward 1 race sees newcomer Korey Sanchez going against incumbent Jocelyn Blazek. In Ward 3, incumbent Jennifer Worisek is running unopposed.

Communication

Candidates brought their own take on the how the city can improve communication with the public.

Drake, a Creston native, said she is running to make Creston a better place for her grandchildren. “If elected, I will make myself available and approachable,” she said. “I would listen to concerns and do my best to resolve any issues.

Sanchez, a veteran, firefighter and EMT, said his main goal is to help bridge the gap between what’s being done for the public and the public itself.

“There are numerous ways to help facilitate this, but the first, and easiest one, is to livestream the city council,” he said. “It’s 2025; there’s no reason we shouldn’t be doing that. A lot of people care about city matters but can’t come to council meetings or don’t subscribe to the newspaper.”

Incumbent Worisek said the topics council discusses are complicated, even for members of the council. “We need to talk about them so people understand why we vote the way we do,” she said. “Honestly, I would like people to call me, question me, ask me to talk about topics they don’t understand.”

Fiscal responsibility

Both at-large candidates made the budget their top priority.

“I’d still love to see our tax base come down,” Henry said. “I know it’s not an easy thing. I think we need to look at the budget strongly. We need to find creative ways to find other income and reduce that tax base because we are some of the highest in Southwest Iowa.”

Cozad agreed, saying the council needs to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ funds. “I expect people to be good stewards of the resources, equipment and time given to them. Leaders are expected to be fully knowledgable and aware of their areas of expertise. They are the gatekeepers to public funds,” he said in his opening statement. “Excessive spending and over-purchasing of equipment desired but not truly needed is unacceptable. Use of public funds for projects that benefit just a few or just are aesthetic in nature that take away from the needs of the community should not be approved.”

Though Blazek was unable to attend, she sent ahead an opening statement, read by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Olivia Cheers.

Blazek cited her work experiences with the state on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services and Juvenile Court Services as well as time as a township and city clerk.

“From these experiences I have developed an extensive understanding and healthy respect for fiscal accountability and responsibility that I have brought with me into my role as a city councilperson, a role that for the past six years I have thoroughly enjoyed,” she wrote.

Cook suggested cost savings by looking into the contractors used by the city. “We use a company for consulting for inspections. Maybe the consulting side of that is them giving us the deal that’s best for them because we’re giving them business on the other side,” he said. “Winterset just started their rental inspection program. Their program was designed by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, not a private contractor.”

City employees

Some candidates have previous experience as employees of the city — Henry as a police officer for 10 years and Sanchez as a full-time firefighter.

“We need to keep investing in our city employees that are hard working, that are doing their job correctly,” Henry said. “We can’t keep losing good workers... I would never be in favor of shortchanging our city employees.”

Sanchez cited better support for city departments as one of his top priorities as a potential councilman. “I believe we need better support for our city departments,” he said. “From the fire department to the police department, street departments and everything in between,” he said. “Improving these departments with better training and resources. Improving these departments with better training and resources only helps improve the city.”

Blazek said she’d like to see a more positive relationship between the city and its departments. “We have a number of city departments who already exemplify values key to building strong communities, particularly in a rural area like ours, and I would like to continue to cultivate that type of culture, attitude and behavior across all our city departments,” she said.

City departments include airport, animal control, code compliance, cemetery, finance, fire, library, parks and recreation, police, public works and solid waste.

Improving Creston

From housing to the drug problem, candidates shared their thoughts on how Creston can improve to better serve its residents.

“I think our biggest obstacle is that we are a community in decline,” Cook said. “We have an aging population. Our new website states that we are a growing community. The only metric I can find we are growing in is our cost of living. We began restricting housing, began pushing people out without giving them a reason to come back.”

Looking at options for real, affordable housing is something Cook said the city should do in order to limit the decline.

Drake said there are a lot of people who want to see Creston thrive. “I would like to see our vacant houses cleaned up and believe we can do more to address the drug problem in this town,” she said. “I believe in Creston — in our people, our families and our potential."

Blazek wrote about the objectives she’d like to see the city achieve, including an upgrade of the stormwater and sewer system infrastructure, specifically in older areas of the city where the current infrastructure is not sufficient to meet current capacity, completion of the uptown revitalization project and the establishment of affordable, quality housing, specifically for low-to-moderate income individuals and families.

While talking with residents, Sanchez said he’s heard concerns that Creston is stagnant or declining, suggesting the council support the Gibson Memorial Library and their programs as one way to address it.

“People want more things for their kids to do, more community activities like street fairs and parties in the park and they want businesses to come back,” he said. “Creston could be a hub for Southwest Iowa and we should be striving toward that.”

Individual strengths

Each person brings something different to the table, and in his opening statement, Cozad encouraged voters to find what’s important to them and vote accordingly.

Drake’s top priority is to make Creston a great place for families. She said she’s willing to learn and work with others to help the city realize its potential.

Cook prides himself on doing research. He said he meets people in all fields through his job. He’s able to research by reaching out to other cities and those with topic expertise to bring a knowledgable mindset to the table.

Worisek is willing to ask the tough questions. She said she isn’t afraid to question others and bring to light the concerns of her constituents.

With a lengthy career in law enforcement, including seven combat tours, Cozad brings discipline and an expectation for excellence. He’s said he would take a hammer to the budget, cutting what isn’t justified.

Henry has a history of work in public service and with that comes the ability to connect with others. He thinks fiscal responsibility is important and things lowering the city’s taxes should be a top priority.

Blazek has six years of council experience and hopes to continue to serve Ward 1. She is passionate about seeing Creston continue to grow and thrive, being a safe, secure place for all.

Sanchez brings ideas of how to improve the city, including livestreaming city council and utilizing the fire department to conduct rental inspections. His experience in public service gives him a different perspective to the problems.

Voting

Despite the different priorities of each candidate, they all shared the same closing sentiment — vote.

Early voting can be done at the Union County Auditor’s Office up until Nov. 3. The office is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Nov. 4, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Find your polling place and a sample ballot on the auditor’s website.

Voter registration can be completed at the polls with proof of ID and residency. The easiest way is an Iowa driver’s license with name and current address.

Any questions can be directed to Union County Auditor Sandy Hysell at (641) 782-1701.

The forum was hosted by the Creston Chamber of Commerce, Creston News Advertiser and KSIB Radio. The recorded forum is available online at citylinktv.com/channel/creston-ksib-radio.