Incumbents dominate ballots in Johnson County

IOWA CITY - Thursday marked the deadline for candidates to file for all Johnson County city council races on Nov. 3, except for Iowa City, which had an Aug. 27 deadline.

In Oxford, no one filed to be mayor. In University Heights. voters will be asked to change the length of council terms. Across the county, the majority of candidates are incumbents.

Coralville

Coralville's ballot - which has incumbents John Lundell running for mayor and Jill Dodds and Mitch Gross running for council - looks considerably slim compared with the city's 2013 election, which had four mayoral candidates and eight council candidates.

That election drew national attention due largely to the financial investment made by Americans for Prosperity, a non-profit organization founded with the financial support of billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Unless a write-in candidate emerges, Coralville residents will have only incumbents to choose from this time.

North Liberty

After two terms on the North Liberty City Council, Coleen Chipman will not be seeking another.

The ballot includes two incumbents - Terry Donahue and Chris Hoff, who have served since 2007 - and newcomers Jay Johnson and Jim Sayre.

Three will be elected.

Hills

Incumbent Mayor Tim Kemp is running for another term while all three incumbents - Merle Hill, Cathy Knebel and Steve Harris - are running for three open seats on the City Council.

Lone Tree

Current council member Sandra Flake is running for mayor, to fill the seat left by incumbent Rick Ogren.

For council, incumbent Mitchell Swinton is seeking another term while Ruby Dickey is running for the seat to be left vacant by Flake.

Oxford

There are no candidates running to fill the mayoral seat to be left vacant at the end of Gary Wilkinson's term. The winner of the race will be determined by write-in.

Three seats are available on the council with incumbents Sara Morlan and Lorena Weppler running for another term with newcomer Brodie Campbell also running.

An additional ballot item will ask voters to authorize a 27 cents per $1,000 valuation tax levy - from 2016 through 2021 - to increase the annual operating budget for the Oxford Public Library. Fifty percent approval is needed to pass the levy.

Shueyville

In Shueyville's election, incumbents Mayor Mickey Coonfare and council members Brent Foss, Jack Frisk and Chris Lacy are all seeking another term. Brad Anderson is running to fill two years left on a vacant seat.

Solon

Solon's election will include all incumbents, with Steve Stange running for mayor and Mark Prentice and Dale Snipes running for council.

Swisher

Swisher Mayor Christopher Taylor is seeking another term while four candidates are vying for three council seats - incumbents Mary Gudenkauf and Michael Stagg and newcomers Tiffany Dague and Rebekah Neuendorf.

Tiffin

Another all-incumbent race: Steve Berner is running for another mayoral term while Michael Ryan, Peggy Upton and Al Havens are seeking another term on the council.

University Heights

Mayor Louise From will run uncontested for another mayoral term while six candidates - incumbents Carla Aldrich, Mike Haverkamp, Jim Lane and Silvia Quezada, as well as newcomers Stephany Gahn and Dorothy Maher - will battle for five open seats on the council.

An additional ballot item will ask voters if mayoral and council terms should be changed from two years to four years in length, while council terms become staggered.