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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
May 22, 2005
Page
15
Davenport and Cedar Rapids share a debate over council manager versus full time mayoral systems. Mayor Brooke argues a part time Cedar Rapids council would attract less qualified candidates and invite micromanagement, while supporters praise more public discussion and open governance.
The Gazette reports Cedar Rapids voters face a June 14 ballot on a bigger City Council and ward based seats. Proponents say wards boost representation while opponents fear disenfranchisement. The Home Rule Charter Commission studied options for a larger body with ward divisions.
The Home Rule Charter Commission endorses five districts with about 24 000 residents each. Voter turnout varies by area and a June 14 vote could create a City Council with four at large seats plus the mayor, aiming to balance district focus with city-wide interests.
The current commission system with a full-time mayor seeks two-year at large terms and a council majority to approve department heads. The proposed council-manager plan would have nine part-time council members, district and at large seats, a full-time city manager, and four-year terms with no primaries and runoffs as needed.
Cedar Rapids faces a June 14 vote on keeping or abandoning the 1908 commission form. A 1911 book, promoted by the National Municipal League, analyzes early commission experiments led from Galveston to Cedar Rapids, praising centralized five member control while noting critics and a fatal 1909 mayoral shooting.
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