Mitchellville City Council member Amber Turner, the last remaining holdover in a city where in the past eight months all leadership has been replaced through firings, resignations and two elections, is resigning.
She said she can no longer serve “in good conscience,” and her resignation is effective May 20.
Her departure comes as Mitchellville navigates a town increasingly fractured, with open conflict between the mayor and council, and tensions that have spilled beyond council meetings into the daily lives of residents.
In her resignation letter, Turner pointed to what she described as failures to follow Iowa law and city process, and described a broader pattern of hostility and harassment that she said had gone unaddressed.
Turner was first elected in November 2023 and was one of two remaining council members after a wave of resignations late last year left the city without a quorum. The collapse forced a Feb. 17 special election that seated Morgan Lunn, Steve Zook and Dean Brand and allowed the council to resume meetings. Konnor Trevallion, who was elected in November, resigned last month.
Turner had also been a key dissenting voice during earlier turmoil at City Hall, including when the council voted in August to fire City Administrator Gary Brown.
Brown told the Register he had raised concerns about payroll and timesheet irregularities involving city employees and believed his firing was retaliation for raising those concerns. The Register later found the investigator hired to review harassment claims against Brown and ultimately recommend his termination was paid more than $50,000, despite a council-approved contract capped at $8,500.
Turner had also been a sharp critic of former Mayor Jessica Trobaugh as turmoil escalated inside City Hall.
During that period, then-Police Chief William Daggett was named in a state audit tied to his prior role in Baxter, where he had received more than $50,000 in improper pay. He resigned from Mitchellville and was later arrested on theft charges. A state audit into city finances is ongoing.
In the fallout, the city’s entire police department resigned, forcing the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to take over law enforcement coverage.
Trobaugh went on to lose reelection in November to Tony Jensen, whom Turner has repeatedly supported, often as the lone voice on the council siding with him since he took office. Jensen could not be reached for comment on Turner’s resignation.
In a resignation letter shared with the Register, Turner said a recent council action at the April 20 regular meeting was a breaking point.
She pointed to the appointment of Jason Batten as public works assistant director, raising concerns the position was filled without being properly posted for applicants as required under Iowa law.
“What occurred at last night’s meeting made that clear,” she wrote. “…This is not a gray area. This is not a misunderstanding. This is not something I am willing to be ok with.”
She said the issue reflected a broader breakdown and “a disregard for the processes meant to ensure transparency, accountability, and public awareness.”
Turner also described what she said was a sustained pattern of intimidation tied to her role on the council.
“The bullying and harassment directed at me by certain city employees, elected officials, members of our volunteer fire department, and the former police chief have been ongoing for months and were never meaningfully addressed,” she wrote. “Each time I raised concerns, the response was more accusations and more attempts to discredit me.”
Turner said the climate extended beyond City Hall.
“I cannot take my young child to the city park or even walk through our town without fear,” she wrote.
Power struggle intensifies after fire chief firing, council moves to limit mayor’s powers
Turner’s departure comes as tensions between Jensen and the council have escalated following his March 4 decision to fire Fire Chief Mike Twohey after a months-long dispute.
In a section of the termination letter shared with the Register, Jensen cited concerns about leadership and conduct within the department, writing that “the behavior of your crew … is intolerable.”
Twohey has disputed those claims, calling them “outrageous.” He is now suing the city, arguing he was entitled to a public hearing under Iowa law. The city has argued he served at the pleasure of the mayor under city code and could be removed without cause.
The firing became a flashpoint inside Mitchellville, drawing criticism from residents and accelerating a power struggle between the mayor and the City Council.
Yard signs backing Twohey now dot the city, and dozens of residents have taken to social media, changing their profile images to ones caricaturing Jensen as a clown with the phrase “when you elect a clown, you get a circus,” while dozens of others have posted a fire department banner reading “I stand with Mitchellville Fire Rescue Chief Twohey.”
Council meetings have been moved from City Hall to the Mitchellville Community Center to accommodate crowds, where packed rooms have often devolved into shouting between residents, council members and the mayor. Polk County sheriff’s deputies have repeatedly intervened in confrontations and escorted people out.
In the weeks that followed Twohey’s firing, the council moved to override Jensen on key decisions, including his veto of reappointing City Clerk Jacobe Parks, who had taken on expanded responsibilities amid vacancies in city leadership.
Council members also have begun advancing major changes to city code that would shift appointment authority — including over positions such as fire chief and boards and commissions — from the mayor to the council. A first of three readings required to pass those changes has already been held.
At an April 7 council meeting, disputes over how to fill the vacant council seat left by Trevallion exposed more divisions between Jensen and council members.
Jensen questioned why the council moved to appoint Jerry Kyle, a candidate in the most recent special election, despite other candidates receiving more votes.
“Jerry Kyle received 136 votes. David Bond received 154 votes. John Woods received 166 votes, and Shane Smith received 205 votes,” he said. “So is the reason we’re going with Jerry Kyle is because he’ll be a puppet for you guys, or is it just that you want to do what you want?”
Council members defended their authority under city ordinance to appoint any eligible resident, pointing to Kyle’s attendance at meetings and involvement in city discussions.
Kyle was sworn in during that meeting. Matt Cleverly, acting fire chief, also shared concerns about understaffing at the fire department following Twohey’s firing.
“All told, we are down three members … only 11 people remain,” he said. “This should be concerning.”
The meeting also included an exchange of personal insults and allegations between the mayor and community members in attendance, before Jensen walked out during public comment.
By April 20, the conflict had escalated further.
The council voted to censure Jensen for walking out of the earlier meeting and not returning before adjournment.
“You got up and walked out while somebody was giving a public comment that is also against our public ethics,” councilmember Zook said.
“I didn’t have to stay here and let 30 people insult me,” Jensen replied.
During the same meeting, the council nullified Kyle’s appointment and set a July 7 special election after a petition challenged his appointment. It remains unclear how Turner’s seat will be filled.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mitchellville’s longest-serving remaining leader has resigned
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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