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Siemann Says She Wants To Continue As Steward For Carroll

Carolyn Siemann has been representing the fourth ward on the Carroll City Council for nearly 10 years, taking over mid-term when Dr. Robert Christensen was elected as mayor in 2006. But that is not where her experience started. As a recently retired Des Moines Area Community College faculty member, Siemann covered civic issues for over 25 years. She also served on the city’s planning and zoning committee, worked on the comprehensive and strategic plans for Carroll, served six years on the St. Anthony Regional Hospital Foundation board, on the Kuemper school board and on the committee that conducted fundraising for the Swan Lake Conservation Center. She says this is the foundation for her service, and there are other factors that act as motivators.

During her tenure there have been many issues that have come and gone, but there has been one in-particular she does not feel is settled yet. She would like to bring it back to the forefront if elected for another term.

She said, in her opinion, economic development is one of the most important topics in this race. She identifies three sub-categories that are necessary to sustain and build the city. The first is that the population needs to grow, not only to maintain lower tax rates, but also to meet the current and future demands of employers. The second she identified is maintaining low tax rates, saying no individual or business will move to a high-tax community. Lastly, she said safety is a critical factor and Carroll needs to remain in the top 10, even improving on that position. Siemann added that successful cities provide a fertile place for employers and individuals to grow by giving them high-quality basic services first, and then looking at amenities that will attract and keep people here. She is proud of the way the current council has demonstrated fiscal responsibility, reducing the tax levy by over $1.50 in the past 10 years while providing over $11 million in improvements through local option sales tax dollars.

She says if re-elected she will continue to represent the resident’s views and watch their tax dollars. All candidates will be participating in a public forum hosted by the Carroll Chamber of Commerce next Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Carroll High School auditorium. Questions from the general public can be submitted to the Carroll Chamber by following this link: chamber@carrolliowa.com.

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