Traer Mayoral Candidate: Nicholas Ferguson

Age: 31

Profession: Hydrite Maintenance Scheduler/Soldier

Education: M.S. Engineering Technology

Family: My family consists of a beautiful girlfriend and two cats. My Mother and Father live in Illinois, and I have a brother and nephew that live in Walker, Iowa.

What motivated you to run for mayor? I have always been drawn to selfless service, I joined the Army right after high school and recently deployed with the Iowa National Guard. That experience gave me opportunities I never thought I would have. That experience of serving others and the international politics I encountered has motivated me to run for Mayor and be a part of a driving change for the community.

What do you see as the primary roles and responsibilities for the position you are running for? I believe the number one goal of the mayor is to work hand in hand with elected officials as well as the community, to better the town. At the same time, the mayor would need to ensure that projects and community improvements are completed in a timely and ethical manner. Along with listening to the concerns of the community and helping provide solutions.

What challenges do you see small, rural communities like yours facing today as compared to larger cities and suburbs? What do you plan to do to help meet those challenges as a city council member/mayor? Challenges that our community faces that are different from a larger community would not face is the differences with some of our city services. Communities like ours contract the police departments; our Firefighters are volunteers and our resources or funding for projects don’t run as deep as a city of 100,000 people. Furthermore, with being a small community everything that changes can make a larger impact on the community.

My goal if I was to be elected as mayor would be to continue to work towards getting a facility to house city equipment. This would ensure that the investments that city makes are protected and consolidated into a place that meets the town’s needs.

I have also heard concerns over public safety in town and the need for a local police department. As of now I am not convinced of that being the right answer, but I am convinced that improvements can be made in that area. I would investigate what it would take to upgrade and add more cameras to high traffic areas in town. I would also like to see strategic locations for possible speed bumps to deter speeding in neighborhoods. I would also continue the effort for more road improvements, continuing the goal to improve the city’s roads.

Another goal of mine would be to incentivize the small businesses and commercial properties in the community to maintain a certain standard. I would propose a certain amount of “one time” grants for beautification projects. These would have to be voted on for the grants to be given. I plan to help meet any other challenges that arise by leaning on other elected officials and the community to find the best solutions for the issues.

Why should people vote for you on November 2, 2021? People should vote for me on November 2 because I believe I have the drive and desire to see this town continue to improve. If elected I promise to listen to people’s needs and describe the reality of the decisions being made. I would ensure the community and elected officials work as a team to complete the goals of the community.