Cedar Rapids at-large city council field wide open

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's guaranteed: The nine-member City Council will have at least two new faces. Incumbents holding the two at-large council seats on the Nov. 3 city ballot are running for other council positions - Brian Fagan for mayor, Pat Shey for the District 3 seat.

Competing for the two at-large seats are a 23-year-old teacher; a 28-year-old Realtor; two retirees in their 60s; and Robert Bates, 43, who runs a small business in the carnival industry and doesn't hesitate to refer to his past time in prison.

In alphabetical order:

-Bates, 419 Seventh Ave. SW, was flooded from his former house in June 2008. He ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2005.

He says the city is “on life support,” “isn't a great city” and “is not a safe city.” He says the new police substation at 1501 First Ave. SE needs to be open more than “bankers' hours.”

Bates says the current City Council lacks creativity and leadership and doesn't listen to people. He says its “grandiose ideas” need to be scaled back.

-Nick Duffy, 122 12th St. NW, 23, teaches language arts at Regis Middle School. The Cedar Rapids native and 2008 Mount Mercy College graduate says he teaches his students to “be of service,” and that's why he says he's running for the City Council. Age is less important in a council member than common sense and leadership, he says.

Duffy says the council needs to build trust with residents. He says the city needs more jobs and better public safety. Cities that take care of basics like maintaining streets take pride in themselves. He says “the world is run by those who show up.”

“I will show up and work with you,” he says.

-Don Karr, 64, who has sold his Affordable Plumbing and Remodeling business to his daughters, was a founding member of the Small Business Recovery Group after the June 2008 flood. He says 78 percent of the flood-impacted small businesses are back in business without outside consultants. It's time, he says, to get better results for residential flood victims. And he says relying too much on outside consultants has been an obnoxious affront to the city's local talent.

Karr, a native Cedar Rapidian, says the current City Council hasn't made enough decisions and hasn't worked well as a group. He says running a plumbing and remodeling business means he knows something about city infrastructure and fiscal responsibility. He says the city doesn't have enough money to build a new City Hall and shouldn't take downtown property off the tax rolls to build one.

-Aaron Saylor, 28, grew up in Davis, Calif., graduated with a theater degree from Knox College in Illinois and moved to Cedar Rapids, his wife Jennie's hometown. He is a Realtor with Iowa Realty Commercial.

Saylor points out that he's been involved in Cedar Rapids since arriving five years ago. He participated on two citizen committees - one on trails, one on the Third Street arts and entertainment district - that were part of the city's Fifteen in 5 planning initiative. He was a board member of the young professionals group Access Iowa, which is now Impact CR. He sits on a City Hall task force on smart growth and infill development.

Saylor calls Cedar Rapids a great city in a great location that now must rebuild. He says the current council has talked too long and needs to act. It needs “less bickering and more communication” and to be smart with its money.

-Chuck Swore, 66, served on the council's west-side District 4 seat in 2006 and 2007. He was defeated by current council member Chuck Wieneke in 2007.

Swore says he wants to bring a can-do attitude back to the council. He says he likes talking about vision, but that a council also needs timelines to reach goals.

Swore, retired from Acme Electric, where he was vice president/general manager, and was chairman of the Five Seasons Facilities Commission for 23 years. The city during that period built its downtown arena, which is now undergoing a $15 million upgrade. Swore also spent five years on the City Planning Commission.

Swore sees the council as a place to discuss ideas about the city. But too often, he says, the council is satisfied to work with what the city manager brings it. He says the city needs to get back to promoting economic development.

“If you look at successful cities, they are developing,” he says.