Urbandale Incumbents Retain Council, Mayor Seats

URBANDALE, IA — Voters selected familiar municipal candidates on Tuesday, returning incumbent City Council members Ron Pogge and David Russell and Mayor Robert Andeweg to their positions. Challenger Michael Sadler was defeated in his first bid for city government.

Sadler campaigned on the need for broader representation in the community and noted he would have been the only Dallas County resident among the board members if elected. He said managing the growth of the community over the next two decades is the pressing issue the council will be involved in and he wanted to ensure that infrastructure keeps up with that growth while maintaining a community that will be attractive to newcomers.

Pogge won his fourth consecutive race. He said he will focus on continuing to provide quality services in a cost-efficient manner, while he also wants to bring more housing options to the city for all ages and income levels, and he wants to see more commercial development, especially in the Urban Loop.

Russell, first elected in 2013 to the council, said his focus will be to keep Urbandale thriving while ensuring a fiscally responsible city government.

Pogge said he was in support of the local-option sales tax increase that Dallas County voters also approved on Tuesday, while Russell called it a regressive tax that "disproportionately burdens low-income families."

Russell was the top vote getter with 1,806 votes. Pogge has 1,764 and Sadler had 1,552.

Andeweg did not have a challenger in the mayor's race. He collected 2,689 votes.

Election 2017: Patch graphic