Corbett ‘inclined’ to run for re-election in Cedar Rapids, but not higher office

Mayor Ron Corbett likes his job “85 percent of the time” and is leaning toward running for re-election next year.

Corbett, who spent 13 years in the Iowa Legislature before getting involved in local government, said he's not inclined to return to partisan politics.

“I came from a partisan environment spending my 13 years in the Legislature, so I feel like I've got that out of my system,” Corbett said, referring to his 13 years representing Cedar Rapids in the Iowa House. Corbett, who spent five years as the Republican House speaker, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for either governor or the U.S. House.

“The great thing about being mayor of Cedar Rapids is that it is a non-partisan position, so you're not bound by one party's ideological views of a community,” Corbett said today during taping of Iowa Public Television's “Iowa Press.” “The way partisan has gotten over the last 10 years it's not something I'm inclined to jump back into.”

However, he said, “Today I am more inclined to run” for re-election.

Later, speaking to reporters, Corbett seemed to be laying the groundwork for that campaign.

Despite voters' defeat – for a second time -- of a local option sales tax to fund flood recovery, Corbett said he believe he's earned the respect of the community members, including opponents of the tax issue.

“When I ran for mayor it seemed like the community was kind of ‘deer-in-the-headlights,' maybe in shock from the flood, and a lot of decisions weren't being made,” he said. “I said I was going to end the ‘culture of delay' and replace it with a ‘culture of action.' We've been making decisions and moving projects and the community forward.

“Whenever you make decisions, you are open to criticism from people who don't like the decisions that were made,” he said.

That comes with the territory, he said.

“When you're on the front lines like you are in local government, people recognize you and they are free about their statements on how they think you are doing as a mayor,” Corbett said. “It's not uncommon to get stopped in the local grocery store or wherever you are out in the community and people want to chew your ear. There's no getting away from it. Sometimes that can be a little weary.”

Corbett is willing to accept that he may not have the support of all the voters, but believes he has “the respect from the voters and they appreciate the effort that we're trying to do to move the community forward.”

He pointed out that in the most recent city election, anti-city hall candidates were unsuccessful.

Corbett can be seen on Iowa Press at 6:30 p.m. tonight on IPTV and again at noon March 11. The show will be broadcast on IPTV World at 8:30 a.m. March 10 and is available online at

www.iptv.org.