Unlike the at-large side of the Nov. 4 City Council election, there is only one District B seat, and sitting Councilor Shawn Harmsen is running against newcomer Amy Hospodarsky for a voice on the council.
Shawn Harmsen is an Iowa City resident and a professor at Coe College. He has his Ph.D in journalism and mass communications and has worked in broadcast, TV, and radio news. Harmsen has also worked on several city council campaigns, including Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih and current Councilor Megan Alter, before running himself in 2021.
Hospodarsky is a nonprofit leader and small business owner in Iowa City. She has served on both the CommUnity Crisis Services and the Affordable Housing Coalition boards and is the current director of Crowded Closet, a nonprofit thrift store in town. This is her first time running for public office.
Shawn Harmsen’s goals for reelection
Harmsen has sat on the Iowa City City Council for almost three years and was sworn in to his first term in January 2022. Starting on the council in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and making decisions for the city during that period of uncertainty is something Harmsen is very proud of.
“When I got on the council, not only did I have the task any new councilor does of learning how to help make decisions for a town of roughly 75,000 people and a major university, but we also had to make some pretty big decisions on what Iowa City was going to look like post-pandemic,” Harmsen said. “What I’m really proud of is the way I was part of that decision-making process.”
During his time on the council, Harmsen helped make decisions to help relocate and provide about $1 million in funds for people whose housing development plans were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was played a role in the decision to partner with Johnson County and provide funding for workers excluded by federal programs and work on the free bus service, which Harmsen calls the “crown jewel.” The council was able to come together and work on a strategic plan, which included goals for the city’s public transport.
“It’s a really good example of when government works really well, the way it’s supposed to work,” Harmsen said.
Harmsen also highlighted work he has been a part of in District B specifically, such as helping to make the decision to pitch in $1 million to help renovate a free medical clinic that reopened on Oct. 8.
Harmsen said he is very engaged with affordable housing and wants to continue working on this issue if reelected. He also cited his experience and relationships with community leaders a a priority.
“I take the job very seriously, and I’ve worked very hard to learn how the city works, doing not just meetings [and] not just meeting packets,” Harmsen said, “Since I got on council, I have taken time to go and spend time with department heads, to do extra tours of different operations, and city facilities and road construction projects.”
Harmsen said providing what he calls “good government” is incredibly important, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the state and federal government, specifically with funding cuts to federal programs. Protecting the most vulnerable in the population is also something Harmsen plans to focus on if reelected.
“I believe the job is about serving others, not about me working really hard, because I think it is really important. I mean, this is my town,” Harmsen said, “We also have to do the job which is knowing how the city works and making sure that we keep it running, because if we don’t, that hurts people.”
Amy Hospodarsky focuses on an efficient council
Hospodarsky has lived in Iowa City since 2009 and has held several community leadership positions since, which she said has given her experience. She also said being a single mother has given her a unique lens the council does not currently have.
“I got really involved here and got to learn a lot of different things about the community through that work,” she said. “A lived experience of being a solo income household here in Iowa City, and what that entails, and just also a different perspective on life, of being the juggler of being a mom and a professional and serving my
community in this way”.
Hospodarsky said her decision to run is a culmination of a long process of thinking, and she has followed local politics for a number of years. She also said her community work on several local business and nonprofit boards gave her a wealth of contacts that would be beneficial to the council.
If elected, Hospodarsky said something she is passionate about working on is the issue of affordable housing in Iowa City.
After serving on the Affordable Housing Coalition board, something Hospodarsky called an “impactful experience,” the issue has been on the forefront of her mind. Hospodarsky also said ensuring residents are at the center of every decision the council makes is incredibly important to her.
Hospodarsky also said she will prioritize maintaining and developing relationships with community organizations by using he extensive connections outside of the council.
“Because of the work I’ve done professionally here in Iowa City, I have a wealth of contacts at what I would call the nonprofit level, or the organizational level,” she said, “So the people often doing the work to fulfill our plans outside of the government.”
Hospodarsky plans to focus on Providing funding for groups serving the community and making sure they can do their jobs adequately. If elected, she also hopes to see the council function as a whole to achieve its goals, even if it means putting what she thinks is best for the city above her own opinions.
“Local government is probably more important now than ever before, and it’s a time when we really need to unite around getting our chosen future developed in the way that we’ve laid out,” she said, “And part of that takes putting your own thoughts and opinions to the side a little bit and being able to understand what’s good for the whole, and I want to bring a voice encouraging that.”