Coralville residents will choose the city’s next mayor in the upcoming Nov. 4 election.
Two-term incumbent Meghann Foster announced she would not seek a third two-year term as mayor in a social media post earlier this year, pointing to a run for the Iowa Legislature. Foster is the first female ever elected mayor of Coralville.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting began Oct. 15 and lasts through Nov. 3.
Current council member Laurie Goodrich and software trainer Ryan Swenka are running to be the next mayor. The Press-Citizen sent each candidate questionnaires to gauge their priorities and learn more about them.
The candidates appear below alphabetically based on their last name. Answers have been edited for length, clarity and style.
Laurie Goodrich
Age: 70
Grew up in: North Dakota and the past 40 years in Coralville
Occupation: Recently retired from Athletes in Action at the University of Iowa
Education: 15 years in North Dakota and Minnesota
Prior political experience: Three terms as a Coralville city councilor. Also part of the Coralville Hospitality Committee and ArenaCo Board. Previously part of the 2023 Coralville Sesquicentennial, Coralville Parks & Recreation Commission, Coralville Center for Performing Arts, Community Planning & Design Committees, Friends of the Library member, Johnson County EMA Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization, IC Chamber Leadership Class of 2019-2020, East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Access Steering Committee – GuideLink Center, and a Citizens Police Academy graduate.
In your view, what is the top issue facing Coralville over the next four years? If elected, how will you work to address it?
Changes in property taxes determined by the Iowa State Legislature. Cities in Iowa will probably have less to work with in their budgets and the challenge will be keeping the standard of services we have come to expect in Coralville. As a member of the Iowa League of Cities Legislative Policy committee, I will join others in working with legislators and also doing our part as a city to continue to use innovative ways to build and sustain our community.
What are two or three other issues, outside of your top priorities, that you hope to address if elected?
A new Coralville Recreation Center: As one of the main hubs of our city, the Coralville Recreation Center has served our community with recreation facilities and classes for decades. The building has reached the end of its viability, and a new recreation center will meet the needs of all ages in our growing community. The Iowa City School District will finance competition pools.
Completing the Forevergreen Road extension east as directed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization and in cooperation with Johnson County and North Liberty.
Continue with the Stream Mitigation Bank projects. Fulfill the Clean Water Act requirements using locally managed mitigation banks, allocate mitigation revenue to conservation and park maintenance, and increase urban green spaces that connect people with nature. We just finished portions of Clear Creek and Becky’s Creek, and it can be seen off Interstates 80 and 380.
Coralville has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. How do you balance funding the current and near-future needs of the city without substantially adding to the city’s debt?
I’m proud of the “can-do spirit” shown by past mayors and city councils who had the vision to transform the former I-80 truck stop and industrial site — once contaminated, flood-prone, and overlooked — into the vibrant Iowa River Landing. Through smart use of economic development tools and responsible debt management, the city turned a liability into a valuable asset. These investments continue to deliver lasting benefits: job creation, business growth, and higher tax valuation. A future Local Option Sales Tax would further support key community projects and help ease the property tax burden while funding Coralville’s continued, responsible growth.
What personal qualities or past experience do you think make you a good fit for the mayor’s office?
I am deeply dedicated to Coralville and committed to serving the people who live and work here. Throughout my three terms on the Coralville City Council, I have consistently shown up, listened carefully, and made fair-minded decisions.
My leadership extends beyond the council. I currently serve on the Iowa League of Cities Executive Board, the Coralville Hospitality Committee, and ArenaCo Board. Through regional planning efforts, I’ve built strong partnerships and gained a broad perspective on growth and development that directly benefits Coralville.
I’m ready to bring this extensive experience, deep passion for our community, and steady leadership to the role as mayor.
What would it mean to you to become Coralville’s next mayor?
To me, it means being a servant leader in a city filled with wonderful people who care deeply about their friends, families and their futures. I take great pride and ownership in the organization and policies that make Coralville a welcoming, safe place — a place where people choose to put down lifelong roots.
What else should people know about you?
I arrived in Coralville with our young family in 1984 to work with athletes and coaches at the University of Iowa. I recently retired as emeritus, while my husband, Jim, continues to lead enrichment programs for the Iowa Hawkeyes. We raised our three children here, all of whom attended Coralville schools K–12: RaeAnn, a teacher, and her husband Adam (who live in Arkansas), have five children. Aaron, a medical doctor and Air Force Colonel, and his wife Jessica (who live in Arizona), have two children. Paul, a finance specialist with a non-governmental organization, and his wife Andrea (who live in the Middle East), have six children. We cherish our time with them, and our children and grandchildren love returning home to enjoy the many wonderful amenities Coralville offers.
Ryan Swenka
Age: 35
Grew up in: Outside of North Liberty, Iowa
Occupation: Software trainer for Leepfrog Technologies
Education: I graduated from Clear Creek Amana High School in Tiffin, Iowa, and attended Kirkwood Community College.
Prior political experience: I have not previously served in public office.
In your view, what is the top issue facing Coralville over the next four years? If elected, how will you work to address it?
One of the top issues facing Coralville is from other areas of government. Our state and federal government have implemented or are pursuing policies that make life harder for us in Coralville, whether that be implementing tariffs on goods that we and our businesses need, attacking members of the LGBTQ and immigrant communities, or by taking away local control with items like Iowa Code 27A, Senate File 342, and failing to deliver on projects such as light rail that could be a huge boon to our corridor. I will fight to maintain or find creative alternative sources of funding while protecting the rights of our friends and neighbors in and around Coralville.
What are two or three other issues, outside of your top priorities, that you hope to address if elected?
Food and housing insecurity for our community are both very important issues to address. We’re all in this together, and we never know when we might need to call upon our community for help: A more resilient Coralville will help protect us all in the long term.
Coralville has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. How do you balance funding the current and near-future needs of the city without substantially adding to the city’s debt?
I believe Coralville can continue our investments in the community without straining our debt by tackling smaller, more incremental projects. While larger projects like the Iowa River Landing and the recently demolished area at the corner of Second Street and First Avenue are “flashier” and draw more attention, smaller upkeep projects can improve our city at much lower cost, and help reduce waste by maintaining buildings without building anew.
What personal qualities or past experience do you think make you a good fit for the mayor’s office?
I know what I don’t know, and will not hesitate to seek out guidance from the community. I also am not afraid to stand for what I believe is right and just, and I hope to elevate public involvement and service.
What would it mean to you to become Coralville’s next mayor?
It would be an amazing honor to be chosen to represent and fight for the almost-25,000 members of our community. To be a voice and to be able to advocate for a more equitable and responsive city would be an amazing privilege, and I can only hope that the community would entrust such a role to me.
What else should people know about you?
In my free time, I enjoy walks or playing ball with my three dachshunds (Pretzel, Nacho, and Lemonade Shake-up), playing all manner of video and tabletop games, and helping make independent films with my wife, Alannah, or spending time with Franklin, our Little with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: We asked Coralville mayoral candidates about their priorities. Here’s what they said:
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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