Sioux City residents on Tuesday, October 10, can vote to pare down the number of candidates who are vying for the sole Sioux City Council member position.
Since there are more than two people running for a council position, an extra primary election is held one month earlier than the traditional November election to narrow the field to two people. The primary election involves only one contest on the ballot.
The three running for the Sioux City Council seat are incumbent Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr, plus candidates Tricia Frederick and Tom Murphy.
They spoke with Siouxland Public Media about why they are running and their key issues.
Frederick is a vice president of lending at a mortgage bank in Sioux City. Frederick said city spending must be watched with an eye towards fiscal responsibility, but added that city infrastructure needs more spending.
Murphy retired in 2022 from several roles as a longtime city of Sioux City employee. Murphy said those years as a city employee make him very knowledgeable about the top needs in the city. He wants to focus on economic development, public safety, infrastructure and tax relief.
Schoenherr, a restaurant owner, is attempting to win a second four-year term on the council. She said she has devoted a great amount of effort towards improving the city while serving, and Schoenherr has a plan to improve 40 blocks of streets over 20 weeks in 2024.
Early voting is underway and the primary election day voting is on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
