City Administrator Position Is Dream Job For Mitch Kolf


Mitch Kolf began his new position as Glenwood City Administrator Jan. 6.

Mitch Kolf was administered his oath of office by Mayor Angie Winquist at the Jan. 14 city council meeting. (Courtesy Photo - Joe George).

Mitch Kolf brings nearly a decade of public finance and budget experience to his new position as Glenwood’s city administrator.

The Cedar Rapids native was administered his oath of office last week by Glenwood Mayor Angie Winquist, but has actually been on the job since Jan. 6. He replaced Amber Farnan, who resigned from the position after being elected Mills County Auditor in November.

“I’ve always kind of had the dream of being a city administrator” Kolf said during an interview last week. “I always wanted to work for a small city as a city administrator. It’s sort of what I’ve been working toward since grad school when I learned what a city administrator was.”

A Linn-Mar High School graduate, Kolf holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s degree in public administration from Wichita State University. He has certificates in public finance and city / county management.

After graduating from UNI, Kolf  took a job  in finance with Sedgwick, County, Kan., and later the city of Kechi, Kan. before landing a position with Maricopa County, Ariz., his employer for the past 7 ½ years.

“I got hired as a budget analyst to work in the budget office there and I got to work with a lot of great people,” he said. “I learned some of the best practices in local government, budgeting and finance. While I was there, I worked my way up to one of the budget managers.”

Kolf said he enjoyed his work for Maricopa County but he and his wife Amanda, a Lake City native, want to raise their five children in Iowa, where the children will be closer to their grandparents. When he learned of the city administrator opening in Glenwood, a city he wasn’t familiar with,  he researched the community online before submitting his application. He was interviewed and eventually hired by the city council from a field of four finalists.

Kolf said he’s impressed with Glenwood and the surrounding area by what he’s seen so far.

“It’s really beautiful with all the hills,” he said. “And the motto, ‘The Best Of Both Worlds,’ everyone goes to Omaha but you have the quiet small town feel. The square is beautiful with all the storefronts surrounding the county courthouse.

“It really looks like you’re in a Hallmark movie – that’s what one of the city council members told me when I was interviewing and I think I agree with that.”

Kolf has spent his first two weeks on the job trying to get up to speed on issues of importance for the city and learning about Iowa rules and protocol for property taxes, finances and budgeting. Malvern City Clerk Joe George, who had been serving as Glenwood’s interim city administrator after Farnan’s departure, has been very helpful in the transition, Kolf said.

As city administrator, Kolf said his role is to manage the day-to-day operations at City Hall, working with department heads and keeping the mayor and city council informed of pertinent matters.

“It’s an important role because you manage the departments, but also realizing you don’t do everything the way you want it done. You have to match the priorities of the city council and mayor,” he said. “They are leading the city and trying to do what the citizens expect of them.

“The (city administrator) is the pulse of the city operations who can provide the city council with the best analysis, research and information to help them make the important decisions for the city.”

One of the first major tasks Kolf will tackle in the coming weeks is working with department heads and council members in setting the city’s budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“That’s where I feel most comfortable (setting budgets) right now, with that being my background,” he said.

Kolf hasn’t had an opportunity to make a deep dive in the city’s financial situation, yet, but he’s expecting a tight budget next year with little wiggle room for an increase in expenditures.

“I feel like they’re in a good spot, but there might be some difficult decisions that have to be made in the future, depending on how the revenues are able to grow,” he said.

Kolf’s aware of some of the challenges on the horizon for the city, most notably the community’s ongoing discussions and development of a plan for the former campus of the Glenwood Resource Center. He looks forward to being part of that process.

“That whole group is working on a plan for it and the city is going to have to be a big part of it,” he said.

Kolf added that he’s appreciative of the trust and working relationship he’s had with the mayor and city council members up to this point and is looking forward to getting to know them individually and understanding their priorities as elected leaders for the city.

The Opinion-Tribune

116 S Walnut St Glenwood, IA 51534-1665
P.O. Box 377, Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-527-3191
Phone: 712-623-2566
Fax: 712-527-3193

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