CR Brings Ambitious Agenda to Des Moines

The stakes are high for Cedar Rapids when the Iowa Legislature opens its 2011 session Today.

How can we tell? The city will have five, count 'em, five hired guns among the legions of lobbyists who work the rotunda between the House and Senate. Mayor Ron Corbett and the City Council added three lobbyists to its existing two-man team last month.

And our team, the Ron Squad, Des Moines chapter, perhaps, will have plenty of work.

The centerpiece is the city's bid to keep at least a portion of future state sales tax growth generated locally to help pay for a comprehensive flood control system. City leaders also are hoping to convince lawmakers to give local voters the authority to consider a higher hotel/motel tax, which would help pay for the new convention complex.

The city wants a tax exemption for flood victims, homeowners and renters who received grants of up to $10,000 and $7,000 for the loss of personal possessions. Those payments are subject to state taxes.

The city is keenly interested in the uncertain future of the Community Attraction and Tourism program, or CAT, and its river enhancement offshoot. Cedar Rapids has CAT/RECAT applications totaling $10 million in the hopper, including bucks for the convention complex, New Bo City Market, public library and riverfront amphitheater. For now, it looks like the program will survive.

Cedar Rapids also will lobby to save grants for the amphitheater and central fire station awarded through a $30 million, second round of I-JOBS funds approved last year. Republicans want to eliminate those dollars.

The sales tax proposal is the heaviest lift. The good news is that new House Speaker Kraig Paulsen is from Hiawatha, and the bill's first stop will be in a Local Government Committee chaired by Rep. Nick Wagner, R-Marion. They stopped by our shop last week and sounded supportive of the city's proposal, although not wildly enthusiastic. The biggest obstacle is keeping the bill focused, because lots of communities would love to keep state sales tax revenues. Soon, a reasonable, limited bill becomes a massive budget-sucking monster.

But if we want flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River, this effort is critical. Chances that Congress will come through with full funding are slim. If a levee system happens, it's looking more and more like it will be a state-local project.

Slim also describes the chances of the hotel/motel proposal passing the GOP state House. Republicans who talk much about local control and the will of the people won't let local people use their will in this case. Maybe five lobbyists can change some minds.

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