Daniel “Dan” O’Neil is challenging Steve Stange for Mayor in the Tuesday, Nov. 7 City/School Election. O’Neil is a sitting City Councilman whose term expires this year while Stange is the sitting Mayor. It should be noted both men have expressed no animosity toward each other and consider each other friends.
The Solon Economist has reached out to Stange and O’Neil with a set of candidate questions, and O’Neil’s response is published below. We have also reached out to the City Council candidates and will be reaching out to the School Board candidates as well. All responses will be published as we receive them.
Dan O’Neil and his wife have lived in Solon for ten years, moving in just before their oldest son (the couple has three boys aged 9, 7, and 5) was born. The boys, he said, “keep us active in the community.” O’Neil grew up in West Branch and attended college locally obtaining an AA in Business Administration, a BA in Finance, and an MBA. Currently he works for General Mills in Cedar Rapids as the Desserts Department Manager.
“I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Children’s Museum, and I recently wrapped up my term on the Board of Directors for The Bird House Hospice House of Johnson County (in Iowa City). O’Neil served as the treasurer for the duration of his term.
Why are you running for Mayor?
“I’ve really enjoyed my time as a member of council. I was encouraged to run for mayor based on my approach and experience. I feel a combination of approach, experience and being active in the community make me a great fit for mayor.”
Growth is an ongoing issue for the City, how do think residential/commercial growth should be managed? How would you deal with infrastructure challenges? And how best to balance the smalltown nature of Solon with residential/commercial growth?
“A short answer is responsibly. To me, responsible growth is ensuring that growth is paying for itself; not putting a financial burden on our taxpayers. Growth shouldn’t outpace what we can provide. Working closely with city staff and the city engineer is critical to ensure growth won’t occur with a sacrifice to service. As the community ages, so does the infrastructure. Although growth increases the amount of infrastructure, it increases the tax base to enable upkeep of aging infrastructure. Solon has done a great job of maintaining its small-town charm. We need to ensure that we maintain that with our growth. Solon has nearly tripled in population in the last 20 years (1177 to 3018) yet has maintained the small-town feel. A key in keeping our small-town charm is ensuring that our growth lines up with our needs and values.”
Besides growth, what other challenges do you see facing Solon? And how would you address them?
“Providing services and maintaining infrastructure are the big challenges that I see. From a safety standpoint, the partnership between the city, Fire Agency & Fire Fighters Association to build the new station was a key to ensuring we can provide adequate fire service as the community grows. The same goes for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office substation that will be opening in the near future. Continuing to work closely with the Public Works department to ensure they have the equipment and staffing to efficiently serve the town is critical. Our programming numbers continue to grow between the Library and Parks & Rec. As the community grows, so does the importance of having facilities and programs appropriate to support the growth. My approach to addressing these issues will be through open communication to understand our needs. Open communication includes hearing all sides to ensure we have the best information available to make the best decisions.”
What separates you from your opponent? Why should the voters hire you to lead the city for the next four years?
“The mayor has done some things very well that I feel I have learned from. I believe the primary thing that separates Mayor Stange and me would be our styles. I take pride in hearing everyone out. Whether I agree with them or not, every person’s opinion is important. I feel the best solutions can come through disagreement. I believe I am a good listener and try to remove barriers. I feel I am approachable and extremely active in the community. Serving on the city council has been a pleasure. I’m excited to run for mayor as I feel my approach, experience and engagement make me a great choice for Solon Mayor.”