A day after two people won their first terms on two important Sioux City governmental entities, they shared key impressions with Siouxland Public Media News.
A substantial change is dawning in the composition of the Sioux City Council, as none of the three councilmen with expiring terms ran again.
On Tuesday, Craig Berenstein, Ike Rayford and Rick Bertrand were elected as council members.
Berenstein got the most votes with nearly 22 percent in the six-candidate field.
Rayford referred back to lessons learned when he was defeated in a prior council campaign, so he campaigned harder.
“Our elected officials have lost their way, in many ways, because now it is about me and not about the people. But I wanted people to know that it is about them. I want to be responsive to them and their needs,” Rayford said.
Placing second was Bertrand with 16.9 percent and Rayford had 16.86 percent, just six votes behind the 3,868 total of Bertrand.
Those who didn't finish in the top three were Marty Pottebaum, Paul Koskovich and John Den Beste, who ranged from 16.1 to 12.1 percent.
Several council candidates said they want to promote a better environment for businesses, reduce taxation and steer the city in a more positive direction.
The other first-time winner was Cyndi Hanson, who got the most votes in a seven-candidate field for the Sioux City School Board.
“What I am hearing is that people are ready for a fresh change. They want that respectful disagreement. They want someone who is positive focused, and is willing to look at what we can do to be better, how do we keep growing and how do we do things new and differently," Hanson said.
"What I heard from teachers and para(educators) and others is also taking the time to ask what can we stop doing that is not value-add?”
Those two incumbents who won additional four-year terms were Jan George and Bobby Michaelson.
Hanson is a longtime college administrator in Siouxland. She got more than 21 percent, while Michaelson received 15.3 percent, and George took 14.8 percent of the votes.
Incumbent Dan Greenwell unsuccessfully sought re-election, placing fourth with 14.6 percent, or less than 50 votes behind George.
George is a former teacher who has been school board president this year, and Michaelson has had a long school career.
The other candidates were AJ Cecil Starlin, Jebadiah Hibbs, and Christian Supiot-Perez.
The holdover members of the Sioux City School Board are Treyla Lee, Earl Miller, Lance Ehmcke and John Meyers, whose terms expire at the end of 2027.
