This fall, there are no congressional candidates debating in Christ Chapel or Romney rallies in the gym. It is an off-year for national elections, but politics continue with the upcoming election for Orange City mayor.
Current mayor Les Douma is stepping down, and two candidates, Deb De Haan and Mick Snieder, are vying for the open office.
Mick Snieder
Snieder graduated from Northwestern in 2006 and currently works at Northwestern Bank. His political career began his sophomore year of college when he was elected to city council. In 2009, he ran for mayor against Douma. Now he’s back for a second shot at the office, this time with 10 years of city council experience under his belt.
A major focus of Snieder’s campaign is the need for more housing. According to Snieder, this issue directly affects a number of students.
“Probably the biggest problem we have right now is very slow residential growth,” Snieder said. “We graduate 250 to 300 students here at NW every year, and the large majority of them leave town. I don’t expect that we would keep all of them, but I think part of the reason is it’s pretty hard to find housing.”
As a college student on city council, Snieder was able to increase the number of months during which students were permitted to park on the street. However, last year, the city made overnight street parking around NW illegal — a decision that was highly unpopular among students.
“That’s one area where the city and the college can partner,” Snieder said. “We have to find a happy medium. What we had a problem with before is people parked on both sides of the street, so essentially there was only one lane of traffic through. We have to find a way where people can still park on the street, but we have to be fair to our neighbors and residents in the area.”
Snieder has spent time campaigning to students. He was on campus during the voter registration drive last month and held a forum at the Learning Commons on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Community members were also invited to attend the event to learn about Snieder and voice their opinions.
“One of my curiosities is what voice, if any, the Latino population has in city government,” said Orange City resident Kristin Hall who attended the forum. “I understand that Dutch heritage is deeply valued, and it should be, but there is a richer fabric here, and I’m wondering if those voices are also welcome in city government.”
Hall went on to say that the fact that the Latino population was not even mentioned at the forum gives an indirect answer to her question. Issues that were discussed include the possibility of a new recreational trail to encircle Orange City and whether a bowling alley could move into the soon-to-be-empty Bomgaars building downtown.
For more information about Snieder, visit his campaign Facebook group, “Mick for Mayor.”
Deb De Haan
De Haan attended NW during the ’74-’75 academic year and is currently a nurse in the Orange City Area Health System.
Many people throughout the community remember De Haan’s father, Robert Dunlop, who was mayor for 37 years. De Haan was the first woman on the MOC-Floyd Valley school board, on which she served for 20 years and was president for 16 of those years. If she wins the election, De Haan will be the first woman to serve as Orange City mayor.
There have been some question as to why De Haan decided to join the race at the last minute.
“People had encouraged me six to eight weeks before,” De Haan said. “Then I ended up having shoulder surgery, so it just really kind of went out of my mind. The week before, I had more and more people contacting me saying, ‘We know you’d be a good leader.’”
Five days before the filing date, a member of the development board together with Mayor Dauma spoke with De Haan. That discussion played a major role in her decision to enter the race.
Like Snieder, De Haan cited lack of housing as the biggest problem facing Orange City. As for the issue of street parking for students, De Haan expressed concern.
“Parking is an issue here,” De Haan said. “I would love to see representatives from the student government and city council sit down and discuss some of this. I often wonder about parking around here. We either have to somehow supply some more parking or try to find some alternative.”
De Haan said it is important for students to vote in the mayoral election.
“When Orange City is growing and doing well, the college is doing well,” De Haan said. “Right now you guys are students here, but someday you could live here or work here. It matters who’s in the leadership positions.”
Senior Isaiah Twitty, who has been assisting De Haan with her campaign’s public relations, helped her put together a rally on campus. The rally took place on Thursday, Oct. 31, in the Bultman Center lobby.
For more information about De Haan, visit her campaign Facebook page, “Deb 4 Mayor.”
Debate controversy
In early October, De Haan declined an invitation from Snieder to have a debate. The Oct. 24 issue of the Sioux County Capital Democrat then published a letter to the editor from Snieder in which he subtly criticized his opponent for bringing the political “games” seen at the national level into local politics.
Professor Jeff VanDerWerff of the political science department offered his take on Snieder’s letter.
“I have to surmise that what (Snieder’s) thinking is that, at the national level, Steve King has, through much of his career, been unwilling to debate any of his opponents,” VanDerWerff said. “I would imagine there’s just been a calculus done on Deb’s part that a debate might hurt her more than it would help her, and she can get her message out in other ways.”
De Haan has substantially more financial backing. As of noon on Thursday, Oct. 31, her campaign had raised $3,785 in contributions compared to Snieder’s $450. Many of De Haan’s supporters are prominent members of the community. Even Mayor Dauma is supporting her.
De Haan had her own explanation as to why she turned down the debate.
“I think if a third party had contacted me, I would have done it, but I never got a call from the college or anyone who was going to sponsor it,” De Haan said. “I felt I wanted to have more input from the beginning. It’s a small town; people know me. I just decided to go a different avenue for my campaign.”
Voting information
All students who are U.S. citizens, even those from different cities and states, are eligible to vote in the mayoral election as long as they are registered in Orange City. Students who are not registered in Orange City can do so at the poll with a valid driver’s license or student ID and a proof of residency letter signed by an NW administrator.
The election for Orange City mayor will run from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Students living on campus may vote at City Hall.
