City council, District 3: Pat Shey

By Pat Shey

Voters will choose between incumbents in the District 3 runoff. That can make it hard to distinguish between candidates because incumbents share the successes and failures of the city council's past four years.

In this race, however, there are stark differences between my opponent and me. Two of the most important: our voting records and the way we've conducted ourselves in this campaign.

First, voting records.

A state I-Jobs program brought $33 million to Cedar Rapids, including substantial grants to the public library, the U.S. Cellular Center, CSPS/Legion Arts and flood-affected small-business properties. I voted to support those projects and submit them to the state grant program; my opponent voted against them.

When Priority One proposed to bring up to 500 new jobs to the community, the council at first was reluctant to offer the modest $192 per job incentive the new company needed to keep it from going to another city. Priority One board Chairman Kyle Skogman called me to figure out a way to make it happen, and within days we had the project back on track. The new jobs are here, and taxpayers got a positive return on their investment.

When downtown business and property owners wanted to make progressive changes to the parking system to make it more customer friendly and improve it for economic development prospects, I advocated for their proposal. My opponent was highly critical of change.

There are other examples of us differing on votes, including one related to affordable housing development in his own neighborhood. In all cases, I supported positions that would bring jobs here, encourage business and neighborhood development and make investments that give taxpayers a strong return.

Some of those votes were controversial. There hasn't been much that has been easy in this community, for any of us, since the flood. Fortunately, other council members also stepped up on those votes, and we were able to avoid inaction that could have done great damage to our ability to recover from the flood, rebuild affordable housing and restore our great neighborhoods.

Now let's look how we've conducted our campaigns.

When voting records, issue positions and leadership skills get thorough and critical examinations, voters win. Instead of engaging in vigorous debate, my opponent decided to use special-interest money to horribly distort my record and mislead the public. The Gazette has exposed how wrong his campaign information has been. Political observers from both parties have noted that my opponent is the first among more than 50 candidates who have run for city office in the new government to have resorted to the shameful campaign tactics the new form of government was supposed to help stop.

I will continue to run a positive campaign and offer only the truth about the real differences between me and my opponent. I stand ready to serve this district and will be accessible to you and your ideas and feedback.

I offer the experience of a small-business owner and perspective of a neighbor and family man. I'm excited about working again with new Mayor Ron Corbett and this new city council to restore Cedar Rapids as one of the greatest cities anyone could ever hope to live in.

Pat Shey is a small-business owner and at-large city council member who is running for the District 3 council seat in Cedar Rapids.