The three candidates who are vying for the position of Carroll City Manager were given the opportunity to meet with city staff and tour the facilities and the community last Friday afternoon. They were also given the chance to meet with the public in an open forum on Friday evening. Michel Pogge-Weaver, who is the current County Administrator in Benson, Minn., said his first impression of Carroll is that it is a well-maintained, progressive community that is consistently holding dialogues with community members to add to their forward thinking. He says his economic development experience will be a tremendous asset for Carroll, and is proud of his ability to work with people and create fiscally sound solutions.
Pogge-Weaver grew up in Fort Dodge. He and his spouse have a three-year-old daughter and they are wanting to bring their family closer to home. Joseph Gaa of Chariton, on the other hand is a bachelor and concentrating on his career at this time in his life. He is a native of Maryville, Mo., but has been the City Manager in Chariton for approximately two and half years. Previous to that, he was City Administrator in Woodbine, and says he is proud to have worked with both communities on downtown development and streetscape projects. He has also worked on housing shortages in communities, saying if you have strong employment, you have housing shortages in Iowa. Gaa adds Carroll has been on his radar for quite a while, and after touring the community, he is impressed with the pride that can be seen in the homes and businesses, but he has been most impressed with the people. In his experience, progress like what has been made in Carroll is not easy and it is the city manager’s role to communicate with those people.
David Haugland of Excelsior Springs, Mo. is the third candidate and he says he wants the people of Carroll to know he is excited about this opportunity and that Carroll is a fantastic community with a lot of potential. He has ties to the Carroll area, and has been familiar with the community for many years. Haugland is the City Manager in Excelsior Springs and has years of experience in city administration, having worked in the same position in the communities of Nevada and Wilton in Iowa and Bethany, Mo. He says his ability to bring groups together and his project management experience are the strongest attributes he would bring to the position. He cites an example in his current role.
Haugland and his wife of 30 years have a 24-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. All three candidates were interviewed by the Carroll City Council on Saturday morning. The council then called a meeting to order and moved into closed session to discuss the interviews. An offer has been made to one of these candidates, and as of today (Monday) at noon, the parties were still in negotiations. We will bring you more details as they become available. Full answers to interview questions can be found below.
Michel Pogge-Weaver 
What is your first impression of Carroll?
Strongest asset bringing to position?
What are you most proud of in your previous public service work?
Are you originally from this area of the state and tell us about your family?
Tell us about your experience and how that makes you a fit for Carroll Iowa.
What does it mean to have been involved in the economic development of a community such as Ankeny?
Joseph Gaa 
Tell us about your background and the assets you will bring to the Carroll City Manager position.
What has been your impression of Carroll from the tour?
Was there any one thing that stood out to you?
What would you identify as goals in the Carroll City Manager position?
How does a person in this position bring opposing views together to make progress in projects and initiatives within the city?
Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
What do you want to say to the people of Carroll?
David Haugland
What do you want people of Carroll to know about you?
Tell us about your family.
Has this been your first trip to Carroll?
What stood out to you on the tour?
What attributes will you bring to the table that will be the biggest asset for Carroll?
After all these years in public service, have you developed a philosophy?
