Kingsley Botchway announces bid for re-election to Iowa City Council

IOWA CITY - Mayor Pro Tem Kingsley Botchway II announced Monday he's seeking re-election to the Iowa City Council.

Botchway, 31, who serves as one of four at-large members of the council, was elected to the City Council in 2013. He also works as the director of equity and engagement for the Iowa City Community School District.

'There's a level of confidence that gets built as you do the work over and over again. Now I'm asking questions that I didn't ask at the beginning because I know more about the insides and outs of a particular process because I've gone through it, especially when you think about the budgetary process,” Botchway said.

Increasing affordable housing and activities to support a healthier community as well as encouraging 'smart” growth and economic development are a few of the goals Botchway outlined in the news release. He also touted the council's recent activity such as creating the Affordable Housing Fund and the creation of social justice and racial equity grants.

'You could talk about poverty; you could talk about food insecurity that is evasive in Johnson County that we need to spend some more time on and be wiling to have not only discussions but policies that speak to those things as well. For me it's kind of digging deeper to ensure that we are providing access and equitable resources for marginalized individuals within Johnson County,” Botchway said.

Botchway earned his bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of South Carolina and a professional doctorate in law from the University of Iowa, according to the release.

Three of seven council seats are up for election this year. Members of the Iowa City Council receive a salary $7,072.00 this year.

Council member Susan Mims' at-large term expires at the end of the year, but she announced she is running for council member Terry Dickens' District B seat instead. Dickens previously told The Gazette he does not plan to seek re-election.

Community organizer Mazahir Salih announced in March that she is running for an at-large seat as well.