BROOKINGS (10-15-26) — Brookings Radio and the Brookings Beacon continue election 2026 coverage. Today we profile Brookings City Council candidate Shawn Hostler.
Hostler is a small business owner, former sheriff’s deputy, and currently the chair of the Brookings County Commission.
He said increased transparency in city government would be his top priority on the Brookings City Council… “You know, it’s really transparency — making sure that our city residents know what’s going on in our city government, have a voice, and ultimately they’re not going to agree with every decision but it is really bringing our decisions to make sure they know what’s going on.”
Hostler said when it comes to economic development decisions — like the city’s purchase of a downtown grain elevator this summer — he’d like to see more public notice and cooperation with other developers and economic development organizations… “One of the reasons that I’m running is that I want to make sure that our public knows what’s going on before it happens and we get that information out there sooner. But I think the city does have their (downtown) master plan — of course it’s a living growing document — but we really need to partner with our economic development and our developing developers in our community to find what’s best for Brookings moving forward.”
Earlier this year, the Brookings City Council rejected the Brookings County Commission’s nomination to the City Human Rights Commission. Hostler said he’d like to see better cooperation between the city and the county… “If I have questions, I make a phone call, or I shoot an email or I sit down with somebody and have a cup of coffee. That has not happened. And that is my goal — is to, if I have questions, I’m going to reach out to somebody and visit with them, because I want to understand what they’re position is. Why they made that decision; not just after-the-fact.”
Two, three-year city council seats are up for grabs.
The complete interview with Shawn Hostler is posted at https://www.brookingsradio.com/news/interview-brookings-city-council-candidate-shawn-hostler/.
Coverage on Hostler and the other Brookings City Council candidates is also featured in this week’s issue of the Brookings Beacon.
The election is November 3.
— Brookings Radio News
