C.R. District 4: Scott Olson

The Gazette Editorial Board

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In Cedar Rapids City Council District 4, first-time candidate Jean Leaf, commercial realtor Scott Olson, real estate appraiser Steven Rhodes and former state Sen. Cloyd “Robby” Robinson are vying for a seat vacated by Chuck Wieneke.

The district includes much of the flood-affected northwest side, stretching to the city's western edge. The campaign to represent it has displayed the tug-of-war between the still-strong pull of the flood three years behind us and the future needs of the city.

This endorsement proved to be our most difficult decision. But we believe that Olson is the best pick to push the district, as well as this city, forward.

It's Olson's long record of local, community involvement that sold us on his candidacy. He's been involved in numerous community efforts and issues and was nearly elected mayor in 2005. He understands current issues and how city government works. Olson will impact the council from day one.

In a city where economic development, business recruitment and private-sector investments hold the key to many problems facing the City Council, Olson's development experience will serve the city well. From road repairs to demands for city services to public safety concerns, an expanded tax base, jobs and more revenue from both are the best solution. Olson also supports flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River.

We endorse Olson understanding that his deep involvement in development projects raises concerns about possible ethical conflicts while he serves on the council. He has pledged to be proactively transparent in avoiding such conflicts. We're satisfied Olson can navigate past any problems, and we'll look for actions that confirm our expectation.

Robinson impressed us during our meeting with him. He pledged to make openness a hallmark of his service on the council. He expressed support for downtown redevelopment, the city's hotel purchase and flood protection, noting that he backed the 20-year sales tax extension defeated in May. He conveyed a positive, independent voice.

But we questioned the consistency of that voice after reading a guest column he submitted at our invitation. In the column, which will be published Sunday, Robinson stridently criticizes the current council, charging that city conspired to misuse flood-recovery dollars on city projects and “secretive” non-profits, and did little for flood victims. In the end, we simply could not reconcile his recitation of these often-repeated, but mostly inaccurate, allegations with his positive performance before the Editorial Board.

Leaf struck us as a sincere candidate who cares deeply for her neighborhood and neighbors, and wants to be a watchdog on city spending. We hope she uses her first campaign as a springboard to more community involvement.

We can say much the same about Rhodes, who has known the challenges of dealing with flooded properties and admirably wants to find ways to give back to the community for the assistance he's received.

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