How Ron Corbett became the face of Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Ron Corbett leaves office this week remembered as the hard-charging mayor of the state's second largest city who guided it through one of its most vulnerable times and, after eight years, redefined the job as not just another vote but as the face of the city.

Cedar Rapids was at a crossroads in the late 2000s. It was reeling from the flood of 2008, which enveloped 10 square miles of the city. And it was still feeling out a new form of government - that of a professional manager and an elected City Council - after in 2005 ditching nearly a century of commission-led government.

Corbett, a former speaker of the Iowa House who had been out of elected office for a decade, saw a void. He thought the right blend of skills - leader, politician, consensus builder, vision and drive - could help unite the city around a common goal and pull it through one of its toughest challenges.

'I approached it as ‘I am going to do what it takes to get done what needs to get done,'” said Corbett, 57, who opted not to seek a third term as he runs for governor as a Republican. 'I felt one of my responsibilities was to show leadership in the public, and the best thing I could do as mayor was to make sure the council and the community are aligned. When the general public and council are not in alignment, bad things happen.”

Two terms later, Corbett said he didn't accomplish all of his goals - the first pieces of a flood control system are in place but it is decades from being finished - but last September after the city withstood a second major flood, he knew it was time to announce he was moving on.

'The city is in good shape,” Corbett said in an interview this month. 'Our tax base is growing, our job base is growing, neighborhoods have rebounded and downtown is thriving.”

Corbett took office after defeating former mayor pro tem Brian Fagan in 2009 and Gregory Hughes in 2013, winning each race easily with more than 60 percent of the vote.

Eight candidates campaigned to replace Corbett in 2017. Several said they would not have run had he sought a third term. Some felt the large field was a testament to the success of Corbett, who turned the part-time job with a salary of $35,378 a year into something desirable and was leaving the city with momentum and without any major scandals.

To be sure, there were workhorses in the city staff and on the City Council who worked doggedly to pull Cedar Rapids through its historic setback. Yet it was Corbett, Mayor-elect Brad Hart pointed out, who often was the city's face in the community.

'Who wouldn't think that job could be fun?” Hart said in an email. 'Ron laid the groundwork for me and those to follow - from establishing council committees to hiring Jeff (Pomeranz) to making sure we are ‘open for business.' His will be difficult shoes to fill, but if I can squeeze into them Ron left a much clearer path for me to walk than was there when he took office eight years ago.”

Corbett called his time in office the 'flood recovery era,” defined by four broad accomplishments he viewed as critical to putting the flood in the past with the city positioned for the future:

l Hiring Pomeranz, who had transformed West Des Moines through economic development, to be the new city manager after pressuring former manager Jim Prosser to resign. Corbett blamed Prosser for a City Hall mired in a 'culture of delay.”

l Investing in public infrastructure, including a new public library, the DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center, the downtown fire station and the Paramount Theatre, to inspire private investment. 'If you aren't willing to invest in yourselves, others aren't going to invest in you,” Corbett said. 'We really needed to send that message to the private sector that we are confident … we are going to be better than what we were before the flood.”

l Changing the tone of development and growth with an 'open for business” mantra as he sought to cut through the bureaucracy of doing business in Cedar Rapids. Corbett aggressively competed with neighboring communities in recruiting businesses, including GoDaddy and Physicians' Clinic of Iowa, The deal with GoDaddy fell through, but it showed Cedar Rapids was serious about economic development, Corbett said.

l Restoring community pride after the devastation of the flood. 'Walking away, people are really feeling good about Cedar Rapids and hopefully I played a small role in turning the emotional tide,” he said.

Corbett's approach and out-front style drew criticism, too, including for nearly every one of his big accomplishments.

Prosser was pushed out despite strong support from several on council, and Pomeranz was hired through a closed search. In economic development, many felt the city gave away too much.

The city defied opposition to close a portion of Second Avenue SE for the PCI campus. And it awarded the Westdale Mall redevelopment contract without competition, backed a private loan and made a $5 million subsidy up front.

Many criticized the city's purchase of what is now the DoubleTree Hotel as inappropriate, and investment in the new library as excessive.

Chuck Wieneke, who served on City Council from 2008 to 2011, said he agreed with Corbett most of the time, though the two had run ins over the years and often found themselves on opposite sides of difficult votes.

Wieneke accused Corbett of operating outside the council - like making plans to purchase the DoubleTree before discussing it with the council - and offering incentives to lure GoDaddy away from Hiawatha without discussing it with the council. At the time, Wieneke called a news conference to express his displeasure.

'Our major disagreements were usually over procedures,” Wieneke said last week. 'I wanted to be more open where council had a chance to discuss things. It didn't happen all that often, but he'd meet with somebody and didn't inform other councilors. It gave the impression something was done behind closed doors.”

Still, Corbett developed more friends then enemies - Wieneke included.

Lee Clancey, who was Cedar Rapids mayor from 1996 to 2002 under the commission form of government, said Corbett framed what it means to be mayor under the new form of government: someone who is visible.

Under the old system, the mayor was full time and was in charge of policy and operations. The role of the new mayor had not been fleshed out by the time Corbett came on board.

'Some go into the position and aren't that thrilled to be there; they are uncomfortable,” Clancey said. 'The mayor has to take a very visible position on the council and in the city. As that kind of mayor, you can drive projects, policies and the future of the community. I think Ron was effective at doing that. He also had a tremendous teammate in the city manager.”

Dale Todd, who served as the parks commissioner from 1998 to 2002 and will be sworn in Tuesday as the District 3 council member, considered Corbett, along with Clancey and Don Canney, the best mayors Cedar Rapids has had in recent memory. He called Corbett the 'right mayor for the right time.”

What made Corbett effective was his ability to build strategic coalitions, a skill he likely developed as speaker of the House, Todd said.

Corbett brings people who may not be natural allies to the table, doesn't hold grudges or keep enemies and is looking for solutions at several levels, Todd said.

His help 'pushing in the direction that needed to be pushed” is one of the reasons restoration of Cedar Lake is on the brink of happening after decades of discussion, Todd said.

'Your mayor needs to have strong personality whether you like it or not, to be strong and self confident,” Todd said. 'They walk into the room and people are drawn to them for a host of reasons.”

Pomeranz recalled how Corbett sent him inspirational messages each day in the first three months after he'd been hired. Corbett urged him to 'get out of the cocoon” of City Hall and engage the community directly - advice Pomeranz considered influential to his own success.

Corbett was a good partner who did not interfere with Pomeranz managing the operations of the city, and focused on policy, being an ambassador and leading a team, Pomeranz said.

'He did a great job pulling the team together and fighting for what need to be done and what he believed in,” Pomeranz said. 'Together as an administration and Ron and the council, we pushed forward many improvements that have created a better community.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com