Dear Residents of Mount Vernon,

I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the trust and support you have given me over the past eight years as your city council member. Serving this small, vibrant, unique and welcoming town has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I have volunteered extensively over the past 15 years because I wanted to give back to the community in which I grew up, and my role as a councilperson has been the height of that.

Together we have accomplished so much. The construction of the new Lester Buresh Center stands as a testament to our shared vision for a stronger, healthier community. We established the new contract with Republic Services and purchased and built the Bryant Road facility for our city public works including recycling and composting, which advances our commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship. Our continued support for the Community Development Group (CDG) — on whose Board I proudly served for seven years before joining the Council — has helped nurture the spirit, culture and growth of Mount Vernon. I’m proud of the work we did to make the Executive Director role of the CDG a city position with benefits, and to earn national accolades such as “Coolest Small Town” and a finalist for the Great American Main Street (GAMSA) award.

Our Main Street businesses continue to thrive despite having weathered challenges, especially during COVID and following the derecho. By working together, we provided grant funding and created innovative outdoor seating to help our local economy stay resilient. We later supported the growth of social media marketing to economically advertise our events and retail businesses. We also opened the door for thoughtful and planned development near the Highway 30 bypass, ensuring that Mount Vernon continues to thrive while preserving its unique character.

We have supported the arts through our commitments to the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council, which has brought several Little Libraries, live music events and the sculpture trail to town.

We combined the Lisbon and Mount Vernon police forces into one, established a beloved K9 unit (with a new one to come), and supported excellent local fire and ambulance services, of which we should all be proud. We also recently initiated a cemetery committee to treat our deceased with the respect they deserve.

We supported the Southeast Linn Community Center, near and dear to me as a former board member – and a former patron. In my opinion it is our duty to help others when they need it, and when we serve ALL of us, the entire community benefits.

We instituted a city hall flag policy that showed our commitment to honoring and appreciating the diversity and the history that has made us who we are.

There are still exciting projects ahead, including the trail that will connect Mount Vernon to Cedar Rapids, further linking our community to economic opportunity and promoting active lifestyles. I am confident that Mount Vernon’s future is bright and full of promise. I look forward to helping city management set up and test the music that will play outside during events this year as one of my last duties. As a music lover, it has always been my vision to include music uptown via outdoor speakers, and the lighting project with Alliant Energy has finally provided the right opportunity to do that.

In this divisive political climate, no matter where you stand, I think we can agree that we have at least one thing in common: the love for this town. I really do believe that deep down we are more alike than we are different.

Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to serve. I will always cherish the memories and the progress we made together. Mount Vernon will always be my home, and I look forward to seeing our community continue to flourish.

With gratitude,

Stephanie West