Building support for the flood plan

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett says his State of the City message on Wednesday will include something about “trust” in government. Without enough public trust, leaders have a difficult time accomplishing big goals.

And over the next couple of months, the mayor and City Council will seek such support for a very big goal: May 3 voter approval of a proposed 20-year extension of the city's 1 percent local-option sales tax - half of which would go for flood protection, 40 percent for street repairs and 10 percent for property tax relief. They're hoping voters agree that the city needs to protect both sides of the river and that the sales tax extension is the least painful way to come up with local funding required to help secure federal money for the city's preferred plan, estimated at $375 million. It may also influence legislators to pitch in and protect state investments already made here.

When you weigh the burden of extending the sales tax against other options - such as bonding and raising property taxes - or simply taking our chances and doing nothing, we think there are responsible reasons to support the LOST plan.

Weather patterns have changed dramatically. Severe flooding is more common. Increased risk of a disaster near or even beyond the scope of our 2008 event can't be dismissed. Even back in 1967, the Army Corps of Engineers predicted such a flood disaster would happen. The city's response then was minimal. We can't afford a repeat. Major flood protection is costly but another multibillion-dollar disaster in the next decade or two would shred our economy and confidence.

And confidence is key to long-term investment in the downtown area, still the city's largest tax base sector and a vital driver of economic and cultural activity. “It's the first question prospective companies ask,” Corbett said of flood protection.

“It's a huge issue,” said Scott Swenson of the Chamber of Commerce's flood recovery initiative. “We have millions of dollars in public investment going on but still lag in private investment needed to drive the success of the recovery.”

Corbett and other city leaders have also lobbied legislators to allow a portion of the state sales tax growth in Linn County over 20 years to be used toward flood protection. They're looking for up to $200 million. They're arguing that without state support, flood protection won't happen, Cedar Rapids' economy and job base won't grow as much and the state could lose hundreds of millions in potential sales tax receipts from Iowa's second-largest city.

Predicting the future is difficult at best. But good planning and responsible financial commitments can go a long way toward deflecting the brunt of another disaster we can't afford. The mayor and supporters must secure public trust in the plan.

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