Harper seeks another term in Marion

To the Marion community, I am honored to announce my candidacy to represent Marion’s Ward 2 in the upcoming November election.

As a current member of the Marion City Council, originally appointed in May 2020 and reelected in November 2021, I have gained an in-depth understanding of community priorities, municipal financing, and regional cooperation. These are critical ingredients that have helped to propel Marion’s advances over the past three years.

Marion’s momentum must continue to be nurtured in the light of known and forthcoming financial headwinds which will impact all Iowa communities. Changes to property taxation and funding allocation to our community, as passed by the Iowa Legislature, will require balanced and well-measured governance at the local level in response to those constraints. Such an approach must be done in parallel with our efforts to meet the needs of our growing community. The needs of our community are many, and therefore the focus of our governance must be broad-based.

With the introduction of new leadership for Team Marion — our new City Manager, Ryan Waller, our new Deputy City Manager, Kim Downs, and our new Fire Chief, Tom Fagen, I must acknowledge and applaud their work to impart continuous improvement of our city’s customer service for our residents.

But importantly, the foregoing creates a critical need in my mind: Continuity of governance. And it’s from that foundation I will seek to continue my service to the residents of Marion as a candidate for Marion’s Ward 2 this coming November.

Grant Harper

Marion