TOM GILL

I'm running for re-election to the Coralville City Council. I'm a lifelong resident of Coralville, graduate of City High and doctorate from the University of Iowa,

I'm a Navy veteran, having served in Spain and Morocco during in the late 1960s.

In the last 20-plus years I have been closely involved with all the great changes in Coralville.

I'm proud of our work, the planning, and vision that have allowed us to rebuild after the flood. Since 2008, more than $60 million in grants from federal and state sources has been accessed for flood recovery and we have completed one of the largest engineering projects in Johnson County.

The flood protection project is still ongoing with the redevelopment of 13 acres of Old Town that had suffered repetitive flooding. This will increase the taxable value of the area by $40 million dollars. It has been a goal of mine to bring this area back even better than it was before the flood of 2008, and I would like the opportunity to see it through.

In the last year, the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics has opened in the Iowa River Landing and the initial expectations have already been surpassed. The UI Hospital and Oakdale Research Park are an essential component of Coralville's economy and it's imperative that Coralville continue to support the university. In the next four years I hope to see a second UIHC building in the Iowa River Landing.

Coralville has experienced job growth this year with following companies: Sedgewick, 212 employees, MediRev with 135 employees, and they will add 80 more employees next year.

The Kirkwood Regional Education Center to be completed in 2015 is a partnership of Kirkwood Community College, The University of Iowa, and the City of Coralville. This unique partnership will provide the technical job skills needed in the future.

Coralville has positioned itself to become the medical, education, and retail service provider for Eastern Iowa, the agricultural center of the world.

The Coralville community is just beginning to benefit from all the hard decisions the Council has made. I would like the opportunity to see all those plans through.

Though contributions are the norm, I feel it is in the best interest of the community that I run a self-funded campaign.

I would appreciate your vote Nov. 5 and the opportunity to continue working to make Coralville the best community in the state.

Comments: gilldds@gmail.com