BETTENDORF, Iowa — The Bettendorf City Council has selected Nick Palczynski as the new 5th Ward Alderman.
Following oral arguments from all three candidates during the Jan. 24 meeting, which was streamed to YouTube, all but one of the council members agreed to appoint Palczynski to the role instead of holding a special election.
The panel noted that the decision was difficult, but support for Palczynski was strong enough to move forward with the nomination and selection at the same time, leading to the cancellation of a follow-up meeting in the next week that would have consisted of the final appointment.
“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next Council Member of the 5th Ward,” Palczynski said. “I have a lot to learn and I am eager to represent my constituents. The City of Bettendorf is a great place to raise a family and I look forward to making a meaningful contribution to the growth of our community.”
“We really appreciate Beth, Austin, and Nick’s interest in this position,” Mayor Bob Gallagher said. “All three – as two business owners and somebody with experience in business, raising their families here and doing the work that they’ve done here – make them incredible contributors to the City.”
Bettendorf voters in the 5th Ward can still call for a special election — petitioners have a 14-day window to file and 61 ward resident signatures to gather.
Palczynski will be sworn in on Monday, Feb. 6 during the city council's Committee of the Whole meeting.
Original Story
The Bettendorf City Council is appointing a new city council member during the city's Tuesday, Jan. 24 special city council meeting.
Beth Aronson, Austin Blunk and Nick Palczynski are the candidates for alderman for Bettendorf's 5th Ward. Each candidate is scheduled to give a presentation during the meeting. After the presentations, the council will decide whether to appoint a candidate to the position Tuesday night or wait until next week.
The vacancy was created when previous Alderman Scott Webster resigned from the position in December to become Iowa state senator for District 47.
Whoever is appointed will serve the remainder of Webster's term, which expires at the end of 2023.
The meeting will be open to the public. Those interested can also watch the meeting digitally on the city's YouTube channel.
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