Mr. Starks was appointed to the city council to represent First Ward in Marshalltown, Iowa last December 31, 2020. He is looking to retain the seat at a special election that will be held this coming Tuesday.
“I will be on the ballot, and I hope to earn your support to serve the remainder of this term. A vote for Raymond Starks is a vote for improved Quality of Life for First Ward residents.” he mentioned in a letter sent to his supporters.
His vision is the “revitalizing our downtown, full derecho and tornado recovery, building more quality, affordable housing and improving and expanding our community’s green spaces” he said in his letter.
Alfonso Medina, a Marshalltown business leader and community advocate is one of the people coming out to endorse Starks.
“Please join me in supporting Raymond Starks for City Council. He has shown that it doesn’t take someone who has lived long enough in a community to care for the community and get involved from day one, for the well-being of its citizens and his fellow neighbors.
He has had experiences in other growing communities, and would be a great addition to this city council. Raymond will work alongside other city councilmen and women to continue to rebuild Marshalltown from the two catastrophic natural disasters and the pandemic we have had to endure. We need energized individuals who will continue to help get this community back on its feet.” Medina said about Starks’ qualifications.
“Vote for Raymond Starks for First Ward on Tuesday, February 16th” Medina added.
Starks spoke with Hola Iowa this week and answered some of our questions:
The first ward is a very diverse ward. How do you plan for all the voices of the ward to be heard and taken into consideration?
As a representative for such a diverse ward, it’s important to be responsive to all of my constituents. In my short time on the council, I’ve made accessibility a top priority. I want to always encourage first ward residents to reach out to me directly – my email is [email protected]. However, being accessible is not enough. As part of this campaign, I have been talking to many residents – knocking on doors and making phone calls – and through that process I have learned a lot about the issues that are most important to First Ward residents. If elected for the remainder of the term, I intend to continue reaching out proactively to make sure I bring the voices of the community with me to the council.
In your opinion what makes you the best candidate?
I think having diverse perspectives in government matters. I’m not originally from this community, but I chose to make Marshalltown my home. As a newer resident, I feel compelled to give back. Having a different perspective helps me to see where we can improve our community—facilitating quality affordable housing, improving our citizens’ quality of life, and improving our parks and greenspaces. I believe I have the best vision to move Marshalltown forward and improve quality of life for new and existing residents.
What efforts are you implementing to reach the Latino voters of the first ward?
I think the best way to reach people is to do so directly, and that includes the Latino voters in this ward. During this campaign, I’ve tried to knock on as many doors, make as many phone calls, send as many letters as possible, and I have reached out for interviews such as this to reach as many voters as I can. I do this because I think that it’s important to be proactive and to introduce myself to members of the First Ward.
The special election that will be held this coming Tuesday February 16.
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