Last night (Wednesday), the Carroll City Council voted unanimously to approve a job offer to Aaron Kooiker to become the community’s next city manager. Kooiker has spent the past five years as the city administrator in Fairfield, a community of approximately 9,400 residents. Prior to Fairfield, he worked as the city administrator for the City of Hull, an instructor at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, and as a police officer in West Des Moines. Kooiker says he and his wife, Michelle, did not have to think long about him applying when they heard about the opening in Carroll.
He adds that Carroll also allows them to be closer to their families in northwestern and central Iowa. Kooiker earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Iowa in 1995, where he also played football for the Hawkeyes, and started his public service career in law enforcement soon after graduating. He returned to school in 2006 at Bellevue University to pursue his master’s degree in Public Administration. His prior city employment accomplishments include a nearly $50 million rebuild of Fairfield’s sewer plant and numerous housing developments in Fairfield and Hull. Kooiker says he views his role as city manager as an extension of the city council.
Kooiker officially joins city staff on March 20, but he will spend the next couple of months working with Interim City Manager Jeff Cayler and other department heads to be familiar with the community when he begins.
He says the first few months to a year in the new city is all about getting a feel for the community and its needs, so he is not planning on implementing significant changes when he arrives. However, Kooiker says he is already looking at ways to address the city council’s priorities for upcoming budget years.
