Special election Tuesday to fill open Solon City Council seat

SOLON - Voters in Solon head to the polls Tuesday to choose between a current city council member and a first-time candidate during a special election to fill an open City Council seat.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Solon City Hall, 101 N. Iowa St. The official canvass of votes is scheduled for June 6.

Dale Snipes and Lauren Whitehead are seeking the open seat, with a term expiring at the end of the year. The vacancy was created with the resignation of council member Mark Krall earlier this year.

The City Council responded to the resignation by appointing former member Snipes to the seat. Residents then filed a petition to force a special election.

The special election is expected to cost the city around $1,500, according to City Council documents. The same seat will be up for re-election on the November ballot.

City council members earn a salary of $375 with an additional $25 for each meeting attended.

Here is a bit about each of the candidates:

Dale Snipes

Age: 59

Professional: United Natural Foods overnight transportation supervisor.

Political experience: Previous and current City Council member.

Community service: Treasurer of Solon Lions Club, homeless outreach for church.

Family: Wife Heather, seven children.

Years lived in Solon: 11

Key issues: Prioritize fire, police and infrastructure support, create public private partnerships.

Reason for running: 'When (residents) pushed for a special election it kind of upset me because this seat would've came available in November. And I thought, ‘Why would you cost the city this additional funds? You couldn't wait six months?' And so, I decided that if we're going to have an election, we better have competitors, more than one.”

Lauren Whitehead

Age: 36

Professional: Assessment specialist, writes standardized tests for reading.

Political experience: Worked on political campaigns, lobbied for Friends of Iowa Midwives.

Community service: Volunteer for Solon Elementary School.

Family: Husband Brian, two daughters.

Years lived in Solon: 6

Key issues: Improving city infrastructure and parks and recreation programs, increasing council's community engagement and outreach.

Reason for running: 'Because of my political activism, I've come to believe that local politics is where you can have a lot of impact on improving the quality of life for the people in your community.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3172; maddy.arnold@thegazette.com