Wilz wants 'seat at the table'

Oct. 4—To say running for elected office has been a calling for Hans Wilz is probably a little hyperbolic.

But it is something he's thought about for years.

"I've been involved in the community all of my life, sold my companies in 2019, but we kept Edd the Florist," said Wilz, who owns the flower shop on North Court Street. "You hear people not always happy with what's going, sometimes it's more negative than positive.

"So I asked myself, 'At what level can you have the greatest effect for the most amount of people?' I looked at the state level. It made sense to pursue it."

Wilz, a Republican, is seeking the Iowa House District 25 seat against Democrat Diana Swartz. The seat is almost identical to the one held by Cherielynn Westrich, and occupies most of Wapello County.

Wilz has touted, past and present, that he's "not a politician," and he turned away Gov. Kim Reynolds' preferred choice of Corwin Williams in the primary. But Wilz does envision working with politicians of all stripes.

"I look at some of these votes, and it's like 93-7. Yet, there's so many things that we all agree on, and those clear the hurdle quickly," he said. "I don't want to just cross the aisle. I want to cross the gravel road to see my neighbor, cross over the corn field.

"I'm not controversial, but I do believe in that."

Wilz believes infrastructure is a key component to a thriving county, but a lot of the conversation turns to inflation when he's visited with potential constituents.

"I don't think there is one issue that jumps out at me, but I think it really is a quality-of-life thing. People want a better place for their children and a better environment for them to live in," he said. "I look at government as a business, to be run more like a business."

In that vein, Wilz thinks voters "should have a bigger voice in how our money is spent across the board." Like other issues, he wants a seat at the table when it comes to perhaps the biggest hot-button issue awaiting the next legislature: education, and the direction it will take.

"The bill hasn't been written yet, so there are going to be things we have to ask about it," he said. "To me, we can take some burden off the class size and put kids in a place at Seton or Ottumwa Christian School, and (the voucher) money would follow them. Quite honestly, the school district would likely get that child back into their school system.

"I do want to make sure that the system doesn't affect some of the great programs we have in effect right now," he said. "I know children that have graduated with a degree from Indian Hills within weeks of getting their high school degree. We actually need more of that."

Also regarding education, the Republican believes it is "finally getting put on the forefront. Not just with the dollars, but with conversation."

"Education should always be at the forefront of our conversations. It's our future leaders, our future workers," he said. "And parents should have a choice in it because they want the best for their kids."

Coming from a business background, Wilz said economic development in the region must improve, but it goes back to spending money wisely.

"To me, the simple solution is that the more business and industry you have, the more the tax base grows," he said. "Demographics play a large role, but it's about being inviting and knowing what your resources are. You don't walk into a meeting saying, 'We're the best and you need to be here.' You say, 'We're the best and we'd like to have you join us.'

"Every single district and town is different. You see growth in other towns and ask yourself, 'Why doesn't Ottumwa get that?' Honestly, sometimes I think it's because we don't ask. You've got to knock on the door."

Wilz believes his appeal is that he doesn't just side with one side. The county was once a Democratic stronghold but has trended Republican the last few election cycles. However, he doesn't see that as a barrier.

"We need to step away from the party conversation. The only time a D and an R should be used is when you're a doctor," he said. "In my opinion, Wapello County is 30-30-10, 30% independent, 30% Democrats and 30% Republican. The other 10% don't care, and we need to change that. They just don't feel like the process works.

"I'm the best person for this job. I have to believe that or I wouldn't be doing this," he said. "I want to make District 25 a better place, and that means having an open-door policy to talk. That's what we need more of, and less social media. I'll sit at the table and I might be a disruptor in what they call 'politics.' But that's probably a good thing."

— Chad Drury can be reached at cdrury@ottumwacourier.com, and on Twitter @ChadDrury