(Atlantic) Kathy Somers has announced she will run for mayor of Atlantic with the slogan, “Kathy for Atlantic,” in the November election.
Somers is the daughter of Dean and Verna Esbeck and is a 1988 graduate of Atlantic High School. She is married to Guy Somers and they have four grown children: Mikayla, Justin, Nadia, and Lex.
Somer’s has served on the city council since 2010, and as mayor pro-tem since 2014. She says it’s time for someone else to represent the 4th Ward, and feels the Mayor needs to have experience on the City Council.
She has been chairperson of the personnel and finance committee since 2012. The personnel and finance committee works through issues related to the city’s budget and personnel policies, then makes recommendations to the full city council.
In addition to her City Council duties, Kathy has served on the landfill board since 2010 and became chairperson in 2016 when the board was informed that the 10-year financial outlook of the landfill was catastrophic due to unforeseen requirements by the DNR. Important decisions had to be made, and Kathy is pleased with the landfill board’s effort to work together for the last six years on solutions to resolve those financial concerns. As of 2021, the landfill’s financial outlook is now under control.
In addition to local boards, Somers serves as chairperson of the Associated General Contractors of America’s Workforce Development Committee and is also appointed to the Governor’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Advisory Board for Southwest Iowa. She is Vice-President of the Atlantic Trades Education Foundation, supporting the Atlantic Community School District’s new trades program.
Kathy has worked at A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc., a bridge construction company with 150 employees in three states, as the HR & EEO Officer/Safety Coordinator for 12 years. Kathy believes her hands-on knowledge of Human Resource regulations has allowed her to make important contributions to the city as an employer.
According to the press release, residents have commented that Kathy is a leader who is thoughtful and uses common sense when making decisions for the city
Somers says there are projects already underway that she would like to see completed. Some of those projects include a housing development plan to fill empty lots and develop new neighborhoods, the beautification effort, and workforce development. Regarding taxes, and a public to vote in a referendum on adding the purpose of property tax relief to allowed uses for the Local Option Sales Tax.
To learn more, visit kathyforatlantic.com.
