Here is Brianna Hargrave’s regional winning essay in the “If I Were Mayor” essay contest, sponsored by the Iowa League of Cities. Brianna is a 7th grader at Marshalltown Christian School!
If I Were Mayor
By Brianna Hargrave
If I were mayor, I would want to accomplish as many good things as my great grandpa achieved. My great grandpa, Mayor Howard Stegmann, was elected and served eight years as mayor of Marshalltown, so I sat down and interviewed him about what it was like to be mayor. He told me he was a concerned citizen and had a plan for our city to build new roads, bridges, and make travel flow smoothly through town.
I want to serve and make our city better, too. If I were mayor, I would work to bring new business to our city. New businesses would bring more jobs to more people and more money for our city. I would first begin with the huge, empty building on Center Street that used to be the big store, K-Mart. I would speak to the representatives who make the decisions for TJ Max, and I would represent Marshalltown to them. I would tell them Marshalltown is a family friendly place to live and shop, and we try to keep the taxes low for businesses.
My great grandpa said that the mayor serves as the C.E.O. of the city, and has many things to do. I would be a concerned citizen and a strong mayor just like my great grandpa. I would bring new businesses to Marshalltown, and work with the elected city councilors and city department leaders to keep my city safe, clean, and growing.
