Garner’s Schmidt Wins Mayor of the Year

The Iowa League of Cities held their annual event last week. During the convention they handed out the Mayor of the Year Award for the state of Iowa. There are three of these awards given to mayors from specific population ranges. These include population ranges of 0-2,000, 2,001-10,000, and then 10,000 and over.

Garner Mayor Tim Schmidt was given the honor of Mayor of the Year in the 2,000 to 10,000 range because Garner is around 3,000 in population. Schmidt said he was not expecting this honor at all.

Schmidt was very honored with the Iowa League of Cities recognition, but he insists that he didn’t win this by himself.

Schmidt also acknowledges the Pritchard Auto Company in Garner where he works which allows him the opportunity to perform his mayoral duties for the people of Garner.

Schmidt has had several goals to try and make Garner a more livable and vibrant city. He admits that it takes commitment from everyone to get it done even when it seems impossible.

The recreational center now is one of the busiest locations in Garner. With that, Schmidt had tapped into a hidden need for quality recreation sites in Garner and the ball got rolling. A revamping of the baseball and softball fields along with the highly used pickleball courts came to fruition.

With the expansion of business and industry in Garner, Schmidt and the city council addressed the need for housing. Through coordinated hard work, this issue was addressed head on.

Small business is the backbone of the downtown retail area in Garner, and it remains very vibrant according to Schmidt.

These include a tattoo shop, a business with indoor batting cages, unique restaurants, a movie theater, realty and insurance businesses and more.

Schmidt dedicates himself toward the continual improvement of Garner and actively listens to the residents for even more ideas on how to get it done.