Iowa City considering hiring lobbyist

City Manager Tom Markus wants the city of Iowa City to hire a lobbyist to advocate on its behalf to state lawmakers.

Markus is asking the City Council to let him request proposals from lobbying firms. The council will discuss the matter at a work session Sept. 6.

Markus estimates the cost of contracting with a lobbyist at $25,000 to $30,000 a year.

Nine cities in Iowa had lobbyists in the 2011 legislative session, including Cedar Rapids and Coralville, according to the Iowa General Assembly website. Coralville paid $27,500 for the services, Assistant City Administer Ellen Habel said.

Lobbying on Iowa City's behalf has been handled by its elected officials, administrative staff and organizations it belongs to like the Iowa League of Cities.

Markus said that while the city has good relationships with its local legislators, they are almost exclusively Democrats. With Republicans in control of the Iowa House and the governor's office, he believes a lobbyist could help expand the city's reach.

“I think that you do need to have discussions on the other side of the aisle,” he said.

He said having a professional lobbyist could help Iowa City as it tries to get the state to support a Chicago-to-Iowa City Amtrak line, goes after state grants and seeks legislation concerning a recent

Iowa Supreme Court decision that clears the way to for apartment buildings to convert to residential cooperatives, which pay half the property taxes of a commercial apartment.