Marion’s Randy Strnad will not run for re-election

MARION — After nearly a decade on the Marion City Council, incumbent Randy Strnad has announced his intent to step down.

Strnad stated at Thursday’s Marion City Council meeting that he does not intend to run for re-election. The business owner and longtime Marion resident did not provide a reason for his decision, but did express his gratitude for his time with the council.

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“I’m very grateful for the time I’ve served so far,” said Strnad, who could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday. “It was a big decision for me to make, but I needed to get it out in the public.”

Strnad, 56, was first appointed to fill a vacancy on the City Council in 2016. He was then elected to his first four-year term in 2017 and reelected in 2021 by a slim, three-vote margin over challenger Dale Monroe.

He previously served on the Marion Economic Vitality Committee and the Local Option Sales Tax Oversight Committee, sat on the Marion Chamber board and is a past president of the Marion Firefighters Association.

Strnad serves as an at-large representative on the Marion City Council, meaning he represents and is elected by the entire city rather than a specific ward or district. His announcement means there is at least one vacancy heading into the Nov. 4 election.

Other incumbents up for election this year include Ward 4 representative Sara Mentzer and Ward 2 representative Grant Harper. Neither has made a public announcement as to their plans for a potential re-election campaign.

The seven-member council consists of a mayor, four ward seats and two at-large seats. Ward boundaries and additional information on the council members is available on the city of Marion website.

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