UI student Payne to join, Hayek returns to I.C. Council

IOWA CITY - Iowa City college students will have one of their own on the City Council, but probably not the student many of them had in mind.

On Tuesday, Michelle Payne, a 45-year-old MidAmerican Energy supervisor who expects to get her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa next year, won a seat on council.

She received the second-most votes for the two open at-large seats on the council. Coming in third was Raj Patel, a 20-year-old Kirkwood Community College student who dropped out of the 30,000-student UI this fall but has said he'll resume his studies there next year.

Payne thought her age and life experiences may have helped push her to victory. “You need to draw from some of your experiences when making decisions,” she said.

Mayor Matt Hayek joined Payne in taking the at-large seats up for election on the seven-member council. Hayek collected 4,550 votes (60 percent) and Payne 2,890 votes (38 percent), according to the Johnson County Auditor's Office.

They beat out Patel, with 2,658 votes (35 percent), and Jarrett Mitchell, with 1,669 (22 percent).

Rick Dobyns defeated Steve Soboroff in the District A race, 3,602 (65 percent) to 1,838 (33 percent).

Jim Throgmorton ran unopposed in District C and won with 95 percent, or 4,324 votes.

Voters citywide could cast ballots in the at-large and district races.

Turnout was 14.77 percent.

The results are unofficial until the canvass of votes by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

It's thought to have been the late 1970s since a college student was on the Iowa City Council. Patel was the first traditional student in a long time who appeared to have a legitimate shot at taking a spot on the council.

Patel did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Hayek, an attorney, was the only incumbent in the race and easily won re-election to a second four-year term on the City Council. In fact, he was the top voter-getter across all the races.

He said getting the city through a tough economic climate was the most important task facing the city, along with supporting City Manager Tom Markus, who is one year into the job, and Markus' efforts to keep the city moving forward.

District A featured a contest between UI physician Rick Dobyns and radio station owner and on-air personality Steve Soboroff. The two differed on many topics, but voters overwhelmingly sided with Dobyns, a supporter of the 21-only bar law who emphasized redevelopment downtown.

It was the second try at council for Dobyns, following a failed bid in 2005. He also led an unsuccessful attempt to pass the 21-only law in 2007 before a separate effort he was not involved in won approval last year.

“I've just decided I've done the trifecta,” Dobyns said.

Throgmorton is a retired UI urban planning professor who briefly served on the City Council in the mid-1990s. He said he's excited to be part of the new council, which will have three new members.

“I have no doubt we'll be able to work effectively together,” he said.

The new City Council members will start their four-year terms Jan. 2.

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