Editing Swisher, Iowa (section)

==Government==

Swisher operates under the [[Mayor–council government|mayor-council]] form of government. The city council consists of five members, elected at large for overlapping four-year terms, and is presided over by a popularly elected mayor, who also serves a four-year term.

===Resignation of mayor and city clerk===

At a regularly scheduled city council meeting on November 11, 2013, City Clerk Connie Meier and Mayor Tim Mason resigned suddenly, effectively leaving Swisher without any administrative staff.

A video of the meeting released to news outlets showed Mason and Meier engaged in an argument with council member Angie Hinrichs over a letter sent to the council from an appointed city official. In the video, Hinrichs repeatedly accused Meier of improperly sharing the letter with a local developer. In response, Meier explained that except for personnel records, all documents in the city's custody are a matter of public record and copies must be given to anyone who asks for them. When Mason tried to come to Meier's defense, Hinrichs threatened to contact the city attorney independently, stating "I just want it on the record that I did not give this because if there's any consequences that come back to the city council, I did not give this to them." It was at this point that Meier left the room. Mason called for a recess and went to speak with Meier. When he returned, he told the council that she had quit and that he too was resigning.<ref name ="KGAN CBS 2">{{cite web|title=Swisher City Council Meeting|url=https://cbs2iowa.com/news/raw-news/gallery/swisher-city-council-meeting?jwsource=cl|publisher=KGAN CBS 2|access-date=2019-09-23}}</ref><ref name ="YouTube">{{cite web|title=Exclusive - Swisher City Council Meeting Turns Volatile|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe_16BwZyfE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Pe_16BwZyfE| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|publisher=YouTube.com|access-date=2019-09-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The resignations occurred six days after Hinrichs and another council member, Larry Svec, were re-elected to additional four-year terms.

With the mayor's seat open, Mayor Pro-Tem Mary Gudenkauf assumed the mayoral duties of the city, as well as those of the city clerk. Gudenkauf would continue to serve as acting mayor until a special election was held in February 2014.

Meier would later release a statement which read, in part, "Unfortunately, a couple of council members had made working conditions detrimental to me, making me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Staying in my position would have enabled these two individuals to continue to treat me in an unacceptable manner."<ref name ="Solon Economist">{{cite web|title=Swisher special election set for February 4, 2014|url=http://www.soloneconomist.com/content/swisher-special-election-set-february-4-2014|publisher=Solon Economist|access-date=2014-05-17}}</ref>

===2014 special election===

A special election was held on February 4, 2014, to fill the mayor's seat for the remainder of Tim Mason's term. Christopher J. Taylor, who had run for city council against Angie Hinrichs and Larry Svec in the fall, won the election against long-time Planning and Zoning Commission chairman Randy Hurlbert by a vote of 151 to 136.<ref name="February 4th, 2014 Turnout">{{cite web|title=February 4th, 2014 Turnout|url=http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/returns/1402turnout.htm|publisher=Johnson County Auditor's Office|access-date=2014-03-14}}</ref>

Voter turnout was the highest ever recorded for an election in Swisher, with 48.2% of registered voters casting ballots.<ref name="February 4th, 2014 Turnout"/> Taylor received the second highest number of votes ever cast for a Swisher mayor, after Scott Grabe received 158 in 2007. Grabe ran unopposed in that election.<ref>{{cite web|title=November 6, 2007 City Election Results|url=http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/returns/0711city.htm|publisher=Johnson County Auditor's Office|access-date=2014-03-12}}</ref>

Taylor took office nine days after the election, on February 13, to serve out the term expiring December 31, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Taylor wins close mayoral election in Swisher|url=http://www.soloneconomist.com/content/taylor-wins-close-mayoral-election-swisher|publisher=Solon Economist|access-date=2014-05-11}}</ref> Taylor ran for and won re-election to a full, 4-year term in November 2015. He was unopposed in that election.