Westmoreland stresses need for transparency and accountability in city government
We revisit the Davenport mayoral race on this week’s 4 The Record.
Here’s a quick recap of the candidates in alphabetical order:
Yvonne Collins, Ken Croken, incumbent Mayor Mike Matson and Brandon Westmoreland.
We’ll get to know Westmoreland this week.
He was born in North Carolina, but lived in Davenport since he was a year old, graduated from Davenport Central High School and coached youth football, but made his career in sales.
He’s now the sales manager at a local car dealership.
Those four candidates bring varying real-world experience to this race going into the primary – two who hold elected office and are older. The other two have goals of bringing a fresh face to the city.
Westmoreland explained why he’s running for mayor, campaigning on being a fresh face with a goal to bring fresh ideas to Davenport and how that’s a strength.
Westmoreland hasn’t held elected office before. The current mayor served on the city council first.
Westmoreland shared what he says to people who think he doesn’t have enough experience for the job.
Arguably one of the biggest issues surrounding this campaign is the collapse of “The Davenport” apartment building downtown earlier this year.
The recent report from engineers indicated there were warning signs long before it happened.
Westmoreland reacted to the findings, weighed in on if he thought it was a sign of deeper problems throughout the city and if the current mayor is responsible.
Westmoreland also talked about some of the other issues facing Davenport.
The city got through a year that brought the Mississippi River to major flood stage.
It wasn’t the disaster that the flood of 2019 turned out to be.
The city has made a commitment to a long-term flood prevention plan that will still require the use of the HESCO barriers for the foreseeable future.
Westmoreland discussed his familiarity with the flood prevention plan, his thoughts about the plan and investment in the riverfront – including the Main Street Landing.
Watch the video above for the complete conversation.
Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you. It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.
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