We are less than five days away from local elections, and there are three candidates on the ballot for Des Moines City Council Ward Four.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Voters on Tuesday will have the chance to choose new representation for Des Moines City Council or keep the sitting members.
Local 5 sat down with the candidates hoping to win the Ward 4 seat.
Incumbent councilman Joe Gatto is seeking reelection after working on city council for nearly nine years.
“I know the process. I know the policies, I know how to get things done, I have those relationships. So, I think that’s why I’m best suited to get reelected to this seat,” Gatto told Local 5.
As a small business owner, Gatto wants to continue to focus on infrastructure improvement and overall economic development if reelected.
“We’ve got a lot of work still to be done. Specifically, on SW 9th [Street]. I really want to target that area to do some revitalization,” Gatto added.
Gatto faces two others on the ballot this year: Jason Benell and Justin Torres. Benell choose to run because he believes he can bring something the city is lacking.
“I don’t think that we have good representation for Ward 4 on the city council right now. I really believe the city council and our local government should look like and live like the people that they actually represent,” Benell said.
Benell’s mission is to bridge the gap between local government and the citizens. Though he believes Gatto’s heart is in the right place, he thinks it’s time for fresh leadership.
“I don’t think he’s done a really good job prioritizing Ward 4. For one, I live in the ward and it doesn’t seem that he does. I think that this is a position that is to serve the populace, not really serve myself,” Benell said.
Gatto responded to his opponent’s claims, saying he’s lived in Ward 4 his entire life.
“I’ve lived here for 56 years. This is my side of town, this is my ward, and I’m happy to represent them,” Gatto said.
Justin Torres is the third name on the ballot. He’s currently a communications specialist and realtor in Des Moines. If he takes Ward 4’s seat, he plans to focus on bringing more people to the south side.
“I’d really like to see the south side start using some of their vacant land to attract businesses attract jobs, and improve the overall quality of life for Ward 4 residents,” Torres said.
Torres said even if he doesn’t win the seat, he hopes to see vast improvement from the next Ward 4 representative.
“Regardless if I win or not, I’d like to see more sidewalks, walkability is a big issue. I’d like to see safer streets and a little less traffic on the south side so we can improve our infrastructure.”
