By Nick Pedley
News Editor 

Candidate Q&A: Royal City Council

 

October 28, 2021

From left to right: Josh Toft, Mitch Fahnlander and Sara Ricke.

Josh Toft, mayor

1. I was born and raised in Royal, am married to my wife Iesha Toft, have four children – Livon, Liam, Dorothy and Vera – and am owner/operator of our family-owned business, Toft Electric, alongside my brother and parents.

2. Prior to becoming mayor I was a Royal City Council member, served on the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Council as a stewardship chair and president, am the president of the Royal Visioning Board and am a REAP Congress representative.

3. I am running because I enjoy this small town and want to see it grow and thrive for years and generations to come.

4. Our concerns for the town of Royal are no different than nearly any other small town. We simply want to keep it nice, clean and growing.

5. As we develop a new and easier to understand city-code we hope that it will help in keeping our community nice and therefore a sought-after place to live.

6. I encourage the public to get involved, even if that just means attending our council meetings. This way they have a better understanding about how and why council makes decisions, can see the process at work in coming to those decisions, and have a sense of investment and involvement in their community.

Sara Ricke, city council

1. I am the owner of The Great Hall of Royal (an event space in Royal), wife to Matt Ricke and mom to Jackie, Lexi and Becky – our three amazing daughters.

2. I have volunteered in many organizations over the years and have a passion for customer service on all levels as well as making sure that there is accountability and a clear line of communication. I have been lucky to have the opportunity to work with a variety of people in my years in corporate jobs and now as a business owner in Royal. Currently I am on the Royal Community Action Committee and the Royal Fun Day's Committee and have loved getting to know more people and being able to be a part of the great things happening!

3. I am running for the Royal City Council because I believe that a lot of the good things that happen in Royal are directly impacted by the council. It will be an honor to help ensure the momentum continues to keep Royal a place that people love to live in – and want to raise their families in – and also want to make a living in!

4. There are so many good aspects about Royal. It is often a matter of sharing what is happening and encouraging other people to take that next step – much like Matt and I did with opening a new business in town.

5. The council has a huge impact on entrepreneurs considering Royal. One thing that I am most excited about is the communication angle of the council. I would love to see the Royal City Council embrace communication so that information can be easily accessible to people. When we were looking at Royal as a possibility for opening a venue, the council was fantastic at helping us through the requirements – but I would like to see this information more easily shared!

6. I think Royal has a bright future and I hope to help that happen!

Mitch Fahnlander, city council

1. I grew up outside the Royal community on a farm, graduating from Clay Central/Everly in 2011. After graduating from Coe College in 2015 I moved back to Royal to farm with my father and uncle. Along with farming, I also coached high school football at Sioux Central and substitute taught.

2. I have not had any past experience in local government but am currently president of the Royal Lions Club. I am actively involved in community projects in Royal and know many residents of Royal.

3. I am running for city council to fill a spot that has been vacated. I'd like to help keep Royal vibrant in attracting new residents to town and retain good residents we already have. Keeping current businesses in town is another key factor for Royal to thrive into the future.

4. The main concern I have for Royal is the condition of some houses and yards in town. Trying to improve these places will be a main concern. Updating the codebook for Royal will help in doing that.

5. My main goal for Royal is to keep it a clean community. We have some projects being done already in Royal such as the new walk path going through Memorial Park. Working on more projects and coming up with how to pay for them will be another goal.

6. N/A

 
 

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