City Council at large: Don Karr

By Don Karr

Cedar Rapids is my home and has been for all of my life. My family has been in Cedar Rapids for more than 150 years. All the things that mold you into a good person were taught to me by teachers, family, friends and most of all by the life experiences of the people in our community.

I am running for city council because I see my community going in a direction I believe is not in our long-term best interest and I want to make a positive difference for the community I love.

I have served this community on non-profit boards such as the Boys & Girls Club. I also serve on the city's grants and programs committee to help with the federal CDBG grant monies that have fought residential blight and brought many services to the special needs of our community. I was a Scout leader, a coach to many youth sports programs and served on local school committees.

As a small-business owner, I have experience creating jobs. I know the talent and experience that resides in this community. We need to stop outsourcing to consultants and start using our local experts to assist in our flood recovery.

After the flood of 2008 destroyed our family business, I gathered a handful of friends on my back porch and we started the Cedar Rapids Small Business Recovery Group. We did not wait for outside experts. I found the best and brightest in this community with a few phone calls.

Our group was not only honored for its work by the federal Small Business Administration but we are beating the national odds on business failure rates following a natural disaster.

We need a city council that is committed to not only helping local businesses succeed but locating opportunities to bring high-quality companies to Cedar Rapids that provide jobs. I know what is great about this community and I am not afraid to go out and promote what we have to offer.

I will make one of my first priorities to pass a meaningful buy-local resolution. We should bring together our community's best and brightest to help our city tackle creation of jobs for small businesses that bring jobs faster through entrepreneurship. We will need to work hand in hand with groups like The Chamber and Priority One to create and retain existing jobs for larger businesses.

I want to bring common sense back to our city. We have waited too long for real leadership from our city council. We need people who are not afraid to make decisions. Our city council no longer seems to be running the city. We are coming up on our second winter since the flood and many families have received little more than empty promises that help is on the way. Enough planning and public input sessions have been held. The city should have the information that it needs to start rebuilding, yet little has been accomplished. I will demand the city staff produce a plan to move our recovery forward within my first 30 days.

My next priority will be to enhance public safety efforts. This will include development of police substations where needed and to have them open at nights and on the weekends and the revival of the reserve officer program to work hand in hand with the neighborhood associations.

Finally, the city needs to take a very real look at how we fund a 21st century city and develop a strategic objective for our city's growth and sustainability without always raising taxes.

Donald Karr Jr. is a Cedar Rapids businessman seeking the District 3 city council seat.