Editing Des Moines, Iowa (section)

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Des Moines, Iowa}}
[[File:Des Moines City Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Des Moines City Hall|Des Moines Municipal Building]]]]
Des Moines operates under a [[council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government. The council consists of a mayor who is elected in citywide vote, two at-large members, and four members representing each of the city's four wards. In 2014, Jonathan Gano was appointed as the new Public Works Director.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meinch |first=Timothy |date=Dec 31, 2014 |title=Des Moines names new public works director |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/des-moines/2014/12/31/jonathan-gano-des-moines-public-works/21099603 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150128131759/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/des-moines/2014/12/31/jonathan-gano-des-moines-public-works/21099603 |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2017 |website=The Des Moines Register}}</ref> In 2015, Dana Wingert was appointed as Police Chief.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magel |first=Todd |date=February 9, 2015 |title=New Des Moines police chief approved 7-0 |url=http://www.kcci.com/news/des-moines-officials-reach-decision-on-new-police-chief/31093674 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150217114613/http://www.kcci.com/news/des-moines-officials-reach-decision-on-new-police-chief/31093674 |archive-date=February 17, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2017 |website=KCCI}}</ref> In 2018, Steven L. Naber was appointed as the new City Engineer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2018 |title=City of Des Moines Selects Steve Naber as City Engineer |url=http://www.dmgov.org/NewsDocuments/20180413CityOfDesMoinesSelectsSteveNaberAsCityEngineer.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526041212/http://www.dmgov.org/NewsDocuments/20180413CityOfDesMoinesSelectsSteveNaberAsCityEngineer.pdf |archive-date=May 26, 2018 |access-date=April 13, 2018 |website=Dmgov.org}}</ref>

The [[Des Moines City Council|council]] members include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Government of the City of Des Moines |url=https://www.dsm.city/government/index.php |access-date=16 August 2021 |website=City of Des Moines}}</ref>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
!Ward<ref>{{Cite web |title=Government of the City of Des Moines |url=https://www.dsm.city/government/index.php |access-date=January 26, 2022 |website=www.dsm.city |language=en}}</ref>
!Locale
!Member
!Elected
!Term Ends
|-
|1
|Northwest
|Chris Coleman
|2023
|2026
|-
|2
|Northeast
|Linda Westergaard
|2015
|2028
|-
|3
|Southwest
|Josh Mandelbaum
|2017
|2026
|-
|4
|Southeast
|Joe Gatto
|2014
|2028
|-
|At-large
|Citywide
|Carl Voss
|2019
|2028
|-
|At-large
|Citywide
|Mike Simonson
|2024
|2026
|-
|Mayor
|Citywide
|[[Connie Boesen]]
|2023
|2028
|}
A plan to merge the governments of Des Moines and Polk County was rejected by voters during the November 2, 2004, election. The [[consolidated city-county]] government would have had a full-time mayor and a 15-member council that would have been divided among the city and its suburbs. Each suburb would still have retained its individual government but with the option to join the consolidated government at any time. Although a full merger was soundly rejected, several city and county departments and programs have been consolidated.