Newcomers Leibold and Park elected to North Liberty council alongside incumbent Smith

Two new faces will grace the North Liberty City Council in 2024 as newcomers Brian Leibold and Paul Park won election to the city's governing body on Tuesday alongside incumbent councilor Brent Smith.

The lone returning councilor, Smith, received 31% of the vote to lead the way. Leibold earned 28% of votes, a small percentage point difference between himself and Park, who garnered 25% of the total vote. Mike Mbanza received just 14% of the vote total.

Results are unofficial and will be finalized by a county canvass over the next few weeks.

Smith, 44, has lived in North Liberty for two decades and touted his reputation as a champion for the voices of the people and local business owners.

He intends to continue his push for fiscally responsible growth and strong leadership. He also wants to diversify the tax base and keep public safety as a key priority in the city.

Leibold, 46, has lived in North Liberty for more than a decade, and he is looking to address falling revenues and fiscal constraints, large burdens that have been placed on cities across the state in recent years. To do so, he will aim to continue the city's fiscal management plans and attempt to move the needle financially for the city without impacting the people of North Liberty.

His leadership is guided by his experience as a father, he told the Press-Citizen in October, and he wants to continue to further demonstrate the impact of positive, strong local governmental leadership in his city over the next four years.

Park, 44, said he decided to run for office because he loves his community and appreciates the work that city staff do, and he wants to ensure that North Liberty continues to head in the right direction.

Park said the top issue facing residents of North Liberty is affordable housing. He also wants to focus on promoting community events and ensuring that the city can keep up with its rapid growth.

Mbanza, 36, failed in his first bid for local office in North Liberty. The local attorney and nonprofit executive ran on a platform that he would maintain low property tax rates, help continue to champion affordable housing efforts, increase public transportation and keep city debt low.

Current councilors RaQuishia Harrington and Ashley Bermel chose not to seek reelection, opening up two spots in Tuesday's election.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: See who prevailed in the North Liberty City Council election