MASON CITY – Brett Foster Schoneman, a transplanted realtor from Garner and a friend of mayor Eric Bookmeyer, has announced he is running for city council.
The announcement was made in the Globe Gazette Thursday.
In a brief phone conversation Friday, Brett Schoneman declined to provide much information to NorthIowaToday.com about his candidacy. He said he was “too busy” to send any information to the media except for the Globe about his candidacy. NIT Publisher Matt Marquardt requested an on-camera interview, explaining there would be a list of questions for Schoneman to answer. Schoneman declined the offer.
NIT will provide what information we have on candidate for public office (ward 3 city council) Brett Schoneman.
Schoneman, age 37, has been appointed to boards and commissions by Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, and is a board member at the North Iowa Corridor. Schoneman has been known to spend time with Bookmeyer socially. He declined to admit or deny that in a phone conversation. He has a clean criminal record.
Schoneman is a local realtor who caught on with his family’s business, which is a member of the Mason City Chamber of Commerce. He started in the Garner area and then moved to Mason City 5 years ago. He appears to have a mixed-bag in his dealings as a realtor. Folks NIT has spoken with said he did a “good job” on their real estate transactions. Another person told NIT that they had called Schoneman about looking to buy a house, but Schoneman never called the man back despite a number of attempts by the potential customer to reach him. Our source said he was ready to buy and just needed to look at and pick a house out. But Schoenman failed to respond. Our source said he bought his house in Mason City through another realtor, instead. Realtors get 6-7% commissions.
In his brief time in Mason City, Schoneman has made himself available for appointment to boards and commissions and rose in the social circle through his contacts and dealings in Visit Mason City, where he was placed on the board, then became Vice President, and now, President. Bookmeyer appointed him to the Mason City Airport Commission during that time. This year, Schoneman was appointed by county supervisors to the North Iowa Corridor.
Sources have told NIT that Schoneman has been growing his real estate portfolio and grooming himself for a run for the council for some time, with the help of Bookmeyer, building his resume through these appointments to Visit Mason City, Airport Commission and the Corridor.
When asked about the failure of the North Iowa Corridor to land Winnebago Industries in Mason City (they chose Waverly, instead, earlier this year, and took dozens of good-paying jobs with them), Schoneman refused to discuss how he would right the ship at the Corridor on bringing decent jobs to Mason City.
In the brief phone conversation (Schoneman answered his cell phone) this morning, Brett Schoneman declined to answer questions about his plans for Mason City. He also declined to answer questions about how he is qualified to serve on these boards and commissions and what motivated him to run for city council. Sources tell NorthIowaToday.com that as a friend of the mayor, Schoneman is likely to back Bookmeyer’s on-going agenda.
Brett Schoneman, at first, denied in this phone conversation that he was or has been behind on his taxes.
Then, he said “I don’ know” before attempting to end the conversation.
Knowing of Schoneman’s impending run for city council, NIT months ago looked into Schoneman’s tax-paying habits on his 7 properties that he owns, and found at that time he appeared to be delinquent on paying his taxes on various properties. Schoneman today told NIT that he did not know how many properties he owns in Mason City. Refusing to answer questions about his tax predicament, NIT informed Brett Schoneman that public records would be perused immediately to ascertain the answers.
In a face-to-face meeting Friday morning with county treasurer Pat Wright, NIT paid a fee to be provided with records that show Brett Schoneman has been delinquent in paying his taxes at least 21 times over the last 5 years. Currently, Schoneman has one property – 840 East State Street – that is delinquent and a tax sale lien has been placed there. On that property alone, he paid $60.00 in penalties last year for being late on paying his taxes. He is accruing an additional $67.00 at this time because he was late paying his taxes there, Treasurer Wright explained. Another party paid the tax, which created the lien, which accrues interest until he pays the lien off. That penalty compounds at a rate of 1.5% per month on his tax lien balance until he pays the lien off. Records show that on at least three of his properties, Brett Schoneman was late paying his taxes every year for the past 4 years. On another property, he was late paying his taxes the past 3 years.
As he was questioned about his tax history, Brett Schoneman told NIT he was “in a hurry” and had to go, and then hung up the phone. Minutes later, he called back. NIT was unable to take the call.
NIT welcomes a face-to-face, on-camera interview with Brett Schoenman. He has the number to call to arrange that.
