Wade Wagner announces run for Cedar Rapids City Council

CEDAR RAPIDS - City Council member Pat Shey says he won't run for re-election this fall, but Wade Wagner announced Saturday he'll try for the District 3 seat.

Shey has served on the council for the 12 years - four as an at-large member and the last eight in the District 3 seat, representing an area that includes Czech Village, NewBo, downtown and eastern Cedar Rapids.

'It's just time to give somebody an opportunity,” said Shey, a lawyer.

Wagner, 59, who served as parks commissioner under a previous form of city government from 2002 to 2006, said he wants to get back into public service in the Nov. 7 election.

'I think we're going in a really good direction and I want to be a part of the decision-making process moving forward (not) just on behalf of my family and my son, but for the whole community and myself,” Wagner said.

Wagner said one of his priorities would be to help the city continue development of neighborhoods along the Cedar River to encourage population growth and job opportunities.

Since his time as parks commissioner, Wagner has not returned to office. His unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the newly formed council in 2005, then again in 2015.

Wagner, a Cedar Rapids native, is vice president for Royal DI Group, an import and export company. He also substitute teaches for Cedar Rapids high schools and serves as a volunteer with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. He previously was a news and farm reporter for KGAN-TV2 from 1981 to 2001.

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