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1. How do I run for an elected City office? What resources are available?

Interested in running for an elected position with the City of Marshalltown?  The Council and the Mayor are elected positions.  The seven Council positions are four-year staggered terms and the Mayor is a four-year term.  Visit this page to find out what you need to know to run for office. 

Resources for elected officials:

• Iowa Public Information Board on Open Meetings and Public Records
• Iowa Attorney General on Sunshine Advisories on Open Meetings
• Chapter 400 - Civil Service
• Iowa League of Cities
• Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board
• Iowa Secretary of State

2. Does the Council have a rules or policy manual?

Yes. The Council Manual was last reviewed and adopted by the City Council on December 27, 2022.

3. Who is my council representative or what ward do I live in?

Four council members represent the wards and three council members serve at-large.  Click here to view the contact information for the Mayor and Councilors.  Click here to view the ward map.

4. Where do I obtain a copy of the City Council agenda or meeting minutes?

City Council agendas are available on the Friday prior to a City Council meeting. The council meets twice each month, on the 2nd and 4th Monday. Agendas are posted at City Hall and on the City of Marshalltown's website in the Agenda Center. To receive an email or text notification when the agenda is published you can register on our website "Notify Me".  Meeting minutes will be posted to the Agenda Center once approved at the proceeding council meeting.

5. Where can I find videos of the council meetings?

The City of Marshalltown will be utilizing our website to provide the live broadcast of our meetings through YouTube.  Viewers can access the meeting by clicking on the City Council Meetings page or by finding "City Council Meetings" in the Government drop-down menu on the homepage.  There is also a link to the archive of City Council meetings from this page.

6. Who maintains the meeting schedule?

The City Clerk prepares the monthly calendar of meetings. If you have any questions about the meetings contact the City Clerk's Office.

7. What is an Open Meeting?

Iowa Code Chapter 21 - Official Meetings Open to Public (Open Meetings). 21.1 Intent — declaration of policy. This chapter seeks to assure, through a requirement of open meetings of governmental bodies, that the basis and rationale of governmental decisions, as well as those decisions themselves, are easily accessible to the people. Ambiguity in the construction or application of this chapter should be resolved in favor of openness.

The Iowa Public Information Board is an independent agency governed by nine members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. They offer training to governmental bodies and are a good source of information regarding both Open Meetings and Open Records.

The Attorney General has issued Sunshine Advisories relating to both Open Meetings and Open Records.

What is a closed session? A closed session is a session where the governmental body is able to discuss issues without members of the public present.  Iowa Code Chapter 21.5 lists valid reasons for holding a closed session, rules of conduct during a closed session, and how governmental bodies may take action based on discussion during the closed session.