Soldier deployed in Afghanistan announces bid for Iowa City Council

IOWA CITY – An Iowa City man who is currently deployed in Afghanistan as a member of the Iowa Army National Guard is making a run at the City Council in Iowa City.

Dan Tallon, who failed in a 2009 council bid, will start campaigning when he returns to Iowa City in July after his deployment ends, said Mark McCallum, who is helping Tallon in his effort.

Tallon said in a news release sent by McCallum that he has a “passion for the city and people of Iowa City.”

“I look forward to addressing the issues that touch the lives of every resident and searching for ways to improve their lives and the city as a whole,” he said in a statement.

Tallon, who is 22 years old, will be signing a lease for a home near Lucas and Burlington streets and will seek the District C seat, McCallum said. Regenia Bailey currently represents the district, but she is not running again.

Tallon is the second person to announce his candidacy for this fall's election. Rick Dobyns is running in District A. Four seats are up for grabs, and Mayor Matt Hayek, an at-large member of the council, is the only incumbent running.

Tallon survived the primary election in 2009 but came in fourth for two open at-large seats in the general election, collecting 16 percent of the vote.

He is a native of Davenport and has lived in Iowa City five years. He attended the University of Iowa prior to his current deployment. Students do not traditionally do well in Iowa City elections, with turnout among their peers often very low.

In the news release, Tallon said he supports providing developers with zoning and density incentives to encourage the creation of affordable housing.

He also wants a new comprehensive plan for downtown Iowa City and the surrounding neighborhoods that would encourage housing diversity by offering density bonuses to developers. He supports zoning laws that would allow existing apartment buildings to be converted to housing cooperatives to allow for more affordable owner-occupied housing downtown, according to the release.

Tallon said he supports keeping vendors on Melrose Avenue on the days of Hawkeye football games at Kinnick Stadium.

Like Tallon, McCallum failed in an attempt to win a seat on the City Council in 2009. He said he became friends with Tallon during the election.

“I disagreed with him on some issues, but he's got a lot of energy and ideas I found compelling,” McCallum said.

The Iowa National Guard confirmed that Tallon is deployed with Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry.