City Council candidates endorsed by the Ames Citizens for Better Local Government, a group that opposes the new mall, said they received no direct campaign contributions from the organization.

“We didn’t want to take cash donations,” said Dan Rice, newly elected 1st Ward representative. “They did volunteer and help with phone calls and sent out mailings in our names.”

Jim Popken, elected at-large representative, also said he didn’t take any direct funds from the group.

“The Citizens for Better Local Government volunteered to help on my campaign and went door-knocking,” he said.

Erv Klaas, board president of Citizens for Better Local Government, said the organization sent out direct mailings that explained which candidates the group endorsed and their stances on the new mall.

Although the new mall was an important topic going into the city election, the newly elected candidates won’t have a chance to vote on the rezoning.

The three readings required to pass the rezoning will already be done before January when the new councilmembers take office.

The new council members will, however, be able to vote and make decisions regarding the mall’s major site plans and anchor stores. Members said they would have no difficulty putting aside personal beliefs to make choices concerning the mall.

Popken said he would also be able to make decisions dealing with the new mall when he takes office, despite his stance against the proposal.

“I can deal with it in the parameters required, in the sense of what the city has to do,” he said. “Once the site plans come before us and if everything is within code, then we’ll have to move it forward.”

Rice said dealing with the mall is just dealing with what you have and taking things as they come.

“It’s always a case of taking things where they are at,” he said. “The idea of the mall is still not the best idea for Ames, but we’ll see how it goes.”