Budget Cuts: “You do have to balance the budget,” Heavens said.

He said he believes that borrowing money on the state level, which Governor Culver has done recently, is dangerous because it will simply lead to more necessary budget cuts in the future.

Health Care: Heavens said health care is a very expensive, difficult issue that is an especially important issue for young people, who will have to support the new system.

“I really don’t know if we’re going to increase the quality,” Heavens said, adding that implementing a system with a lot of bureaucracy would be a “nightmare.”

Jobs and Economic Development: Heavens said that a full-time position was needed to focus on economic development.

Dyersville property values have increased each year for the past 10 years, which Heavens attributed to a low and stable real estate tax rate.

He said this was important because things like good housing, education and growth in a community draw in businesses.

He said one of his main goals, if elected, is to help people be more informed. He would create an online resource where the average taxpayer could easily see around 25 indicators of economic strength.

Civil Rights: Heavens believes the public should be given the vote on the issue of gay marriage — that “the issue never goes away” when the public doesn’t have input on controversial subjects. He said this tends to lower people’s trust in the moral authority of the government on other issues.

Immigration: “I don’t think you do people a favor by letting them into the country illegally,” Heavens said. “We need to be pretty hard-nosed on that.”

He cited the recent Postville raid of 2008, adding that the company still ended up declaring bankruptcy, despite the cheap labor.

Education: Heavens said he believes public schools excel when there is strong competition from the private sector.

“The best thing we can do for students is to keep the tax rate stable and the economy strong,” Heavens said, adding that keeping tuition low was another factor.

Background: Heavens has been the mayor of Dyersville since 2003. Previously, he worked as board member and president of the Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce. He received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in agriculture from the University of Illinois, then worked for companies such as Supersweet Feeds and Hubbard Milling.

“I think our elected officials have kind of failed us, at the federal and state level,” Heavens said. He said this is reflected in the high quantity of non-incumbent candidates running for office this year.