West Union Council posts Feb. 16 minutes detailing resignations, budget discussion

West Union City Council convened a short regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. that moved quickly through routine business before reconvening at 7:00 p.m. for a Work Session on the FY26-27 budget. The posted minutes record unanimous votes on agenda and minutes approvals and list the next regular meeting as March 2, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.

“The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance,” and the attendance roll for the 6:00 p.m. session reads: “Attendance Present: Becthold, Gumm, McElree, Tope. Absent: DeBack.” Councilmember Gumm moved to approve the agenda, Becthold seconded, and the minutes record “All Aye. Carried.” The minutes also show a motion approving January 2026 financials — the line appears in the posted copy as “Approval of Motion to approve January 2026 Financials as presented and January 2026 [...]” and is followed by the same “All Aye. Carried.” language. With no further business the council adjourned at 6:14 p.m.; the adjournment motion was made by Gumm and seconded by Becthold.

At 7:00 p.m. the council returned for a budget work session. The posted work session header states: “West Union City Council met February 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers with Mayor Kent Halverson presiding for a Work Session on the FY26-27 Budget.” Attendance for the work session includes Becthold, Gumm, McElree, Tope, City Administrator Dexter Wallis, Deputy City Clerk Brandi Burrow, and Mayor Halverson.

The minutes record the scope of the budget review: “Council discussed proposed department budgets for FY26-27, including the Fire, Police, Water, Streets, Cemetery, and Airport Departments.” The posted capture contains discussion points only; it does not include dollar figures, line-item changes, or any motion to adopt the FY26-27 budget.

Council received a project update on the West Union Gateway to Recreation Trail Kiosk. “Mallory Hanson shared an update of the West Union Gateway to Recreation Trail Kiosk project that the West Union Main Street Chamber Design Committee is leading,” the minutes read. The update states: “RC&D is working on ordering the panel now and once it is received, it will be delivered to Echo Valley Metal Works to fabricate the metal posts and bracket. This has been designed and will be fabricated to look similar to the existing downtown kiosks scattered throughout the downtown district.”

Other specific operational items were recorded in the work session minutes: “Council members asked that cones be placed at the dip in the Armour and Vine Streets intersection.” The minutes further note: “Water bills will be sent out earlier in March than the last two months.” On process planning, the minutes state: “The ordinance work session will be scheduled after budget work sessions have been completed.”

The city’s archived council pages include member entries that add contact and term details for two council members. The archive lists Randy Tope — rltope@hawkeyetel.com — with a term ending 12/31/2027 and states “Randy Tope has served as a Council Person since 2024.” The archive also lists Hunter McElree — mcelreehunter@gmail.com — with a term ending 12/31/2028, but the same page contains the line “Matt McElree has served as a Council Person since 2026,” creating an internal inconsistency; the minutes themselves list only the surname “McElree” for attendance and do not resolve the first-name discrepancy. The posted minutes are also truncated in the financials line as noted above, leaving some wording and mover/seconder details unclear.

Council business moving forward centers on completing FY26-27 budget work sessions, scheduling the ordinance work session, and tracking the kiosk fabrication and installation timeline; the council’s next regular meeting is set for March 2, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.