Election Reflection

The city elections in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty reflected that (some) change is good. With changes in leadership, there is the hope that more regional cooperation will occur from emergency communications and mass transportation decisions are made to planning for more affordable workforce housing.

As Iowa City is in the process of selecting a new city manager, citizens had an opportunity yesterday to meet with recruiter Bob Beezat from PAR Group who is the firm that is screening candidates for the job. At the session I attended, there were a number of thematics addressed but a common thread was that the next city manager should be customer-focused, helpful to prioritize community needs so that resources can be best used, that will work to increase cooperation between the city and the University, and will improve the transparency and accountability of Iowa City governance.

With Matt Hayek and Mike Wright being seated both of whom live and/or work in the central business district, it can be expected that downtown will be a focus of this council. The council will lose a fount of information with both Dee Vanderhoef leaving the council (although I imagine her phone will be ringing) and the amiable Bob Elliott. However, based on the issues that this campaign focused on (and one's that Bob and Dee championed), it is expected that a fourth fire station will be funded and staffed, that the police department will increase its staff, that historic preservation districts will be strengthened. Also, as the business environment of Iowa City is favorable, economic development efforts will be redoubled. It is also expected that affordable housing will continue to be prioritized and that finding funding for low-income rental housing, as well as seed money for 50 to 80% of median income homes will need to be found.

With regard to bars in downtown Iowa City, there will be a greater pressure to police themselves better, as the Que Bar recently learned. The referendum, while not close, did reflect in polling precincts that there is a tale of two cities and that many residents believe that enforcing the legal drinking age is important. Time will tell as to how this will go.

Finally with a permanent Police Citizen Review Board being approved, the next issue will be who serves on it and how do they earn their keep. Some politicking no doubt will occur and, again, time will tell how it goes.

What will be most interesting will be the wrestling match between popular vote topping current mayor Ross Wilburn and mayor pro tem Regenia Bailey, who has made it clear she would like to be the next mayor. A change in leadership in the city council would likely push the agenda in a different direction. As the mayor is selected by the council, it is anybody's guess how this will go.

In Coralville, newcomer Mitch Gross will join a council that is knee-deep in experience and with a mayor who is deeply entrenched. It will be interesting to see if the ideas that Gross proposed during his campaign will gain traction.

Finally, in North Liberty, James Moody, who has been in the center of controversy over governance there leaves the council and three new members join with moderate Mayor Tom Salm continuing in that position. Given the rapid growth in North Liberty and the newly passed hotel/motel tax, some of the infrastructural problems can be addressed.

Focusing on North Liberty: Strange Days Indeed

From Wednesday's Press-Citizen

"With a mayor now in place, North Liberty's government still faces an unpredictable future. A special election June 12, propelled by a petition signed by 327 residents, will decide if the city keeps its current form of government or adopts a council-manager-ward system.

The council currently has five at-large members and one non-voting mayor. If favored by a majority of voters, the city will be divided into four wards with a council made of one voting mayor and six council members. One council member would be elected from each ward, two would be voted at-large and one at-large mayor brings the total number of seats to seven."

But there is more to this story

If passed with a "yes" vote in June, it would mean that the 4 year terms of James Wozniak and Gerry Kuhl, set to end December 2009, would end this November, 2 years earlier than what the voters intended when they elected them in the 2005 election. Given current events, the only question is this punishment or reward?

It would also mean that James Moody and Matt Bahl, whose terms will end this December, may run for re-election and hope to be elected in their own wards rather than face the entire electorate, a prospect they may not relish given their support of the mayoral lawsuit and their no votes on transit and the Clear Creek-Amana school.

In the mean time, Tom Salm will have a couple months to try out being mayor and be in the unenviable role of trying to keep the canvass on this circus.

Who says there is no partisanship to non-partisan politics.

Salm Enchanted Evening

Tom Salm appointed by peers as new mayor of North Liberty

The Press-Citizen reports

The North Liberty City Council has selected one of its own to fill the mayoral seat left by former Mayor Dave Franker.

Councilor Tom Salm unanimously was approved to be the city's new mayor until the term ends in November. Salm, who will be sworn in today, will leave vacant a city council post. Salm abstained from the vote.

"I have the desire to do it, and I know I can do it," Salm said Tuesday at the City Council meeting. "I hope we can get excited and move forward."

Earlier at the meeting councilors voted 4-1, with Matt Bahl opposing, to appoint a mayor rather than handing the decision to voters in a special election.