Part 3/4:
One of the major challenges Bentz anticipates as she steps into her new role is the preservation of Ankeny’s unique identity. Since her arrival in the city, the population has surged from approximately 12,000 to an impressive 75,000 residents. This rapid growth raises questions about how to maintain the city’s “hometown feel” while accommodating new residents and development.
Bentz has consistently advocated for balancing development with the community’s character, noting, “How do we keep that separate, Ankeny kind of hometown identity, hometown feel? That’s really the goal that I’ve always had as a council member and will continue to have as the mayor.”