Randy Strnad appointed to Marion council

MARION - Randy Strnad, a Marion business owner and insurance agent, will be joining the Marion City Council as the Ward 4 representative on Jan. 1.

The council appointed Strnad Thursday night to fill the seat being vacated by Nick AbouAssaly, who was elected mayor in the November municipal elections. Ward 4 covers north and northwest Marion.

Four residents applied for the Ward 4 vacancy and made presentations to the council and answered questions before the vote. The appointment required a minimum of four votes from the seven-member council.

Candidates Gerald 'Skip” Johnstone, a Cedar Rapids firefighter, received one vote; Bob Schlegel, a Rockwell Collins retiree, received two votes; and Brian Miller, CEO of Expedited World Solutions, an airfreight company based in Marion, received no votes.

Strnad will serve the remaining two years of AbouAssaly's term until Dec. 31, 2017, or until the city's next election, said City Attorney Don Hoskins. That could be as early as this spring when the city likely will hold a special election to ask about issuing bonds for a multimillion dollar mixed-use library building. Strnad told council members he would run for election.

State law also permits the public to petition for a special election to fill a council vacancy up to 14 days following the appointment. Hoskins said that petition would need 522 signatures.

Strnad owns and has been an insurance agent at Randy Strnad Insurance since 1996. He serves as a paid, on-call firefighter for the Marion Fire Department and is a Marion Chamber of Commerce board member.

He told council members his experience as a business owner would help come budget time.

'I do bring a lot of value,” Strnad said. 'I do know what it takes to balance the books. I do know what it takes to grind numbers and make sure things are balanced.”

He also aligned himself with AbouAssaly, saying he fully supports the new mayor's visions for the city, which include expanding infrastructure, building a mixed-use library building and offering financial incentives to businesses.

'The passions that you have ... I couldn't see more of a mirror image,” Strnad said to AbouAssaly. 'I'm very passionate about my community.”

The Marion City Council has seven members, including the mayor, who serve staggered, four-year terms. Council members are paid $4,800 a year.