Anita Rollins, 68, is running as an at-large candidate for the Ames City Council.

Rollins holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas as well as a master’s degree in education from Iowa State University.

Rollins has held the position of Ward 3 Rep. since January 2022, and she will be looking to secure an at-large position. Rollins has held positions such as director of the Ames Community School District, treasurer for All Aboard for Kids, secretary for the Ames branch of the NAACP, a member of the City of Ames Community Advisory Group, finance chair for Friendship Baptist Church and a former member and communications lead of the Black Faculty and Staff Association according to the city of Ames website.

The city and school elections in Ames will take place Nov. 7. Voter information can be found on the city of Ames website.

Why are you running?

Rollins: Community service has been important to me my entire adult life, and serving on city council is one of the ways I believe I can continue to be of benefit to the community. I have lived in a number of cities, raised a family, both owned and rented in Ames and worked at Iowa State for more than 20 years. My background, these experiences and my connections provide a perspective that can be useful to meeting the goals and accomplishing the work of the council. I hope to have the opportunity to continue to serve.

What are the biggest issues facing the Ames community and how do you plan to address them?

Rollins: One of the biggest issues in Ames continues to be how to ensure that we have more affordable housing, both for those who are unhoused as well as for citizens in the workforce. The council is considering policies (those that may make housing more expensive) and strategies (types of structures, lot sizes and incentives). I look forward to continuing these discussions.

Another big issue for Ames is the council’s aspirational goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. We will be considering everything from waste collection to building policies, innovative research opportunities and community educational strategies. Balancing this goal with financial constraints will be challenging. However, it will be an exciting, collaborative process.

How does the city plan to balance the affordability of living in Ames while also living sustainably?

Rollins: Balancing affordability with sustainability will depend on developing an aggressive plan, pursuing opportunities as they present themselves and taking advantage of all available funding options;[…] in terms of affordability, we have to keep in mind during our decision making that there is also a cost to business-as-usual. One of my hopes is that, since the research suggests that young people are looking for communities that care about sustainability, this focus could not only help today’s citizens but also make us the place that young workers want to live in the future.