Elections, Government
Cedar Rapids mayoral candidates debate city manager’s merits
Posted on Oct 30, 2009 by Rick Smith.
Ron Corbett, Brian Fagan, P.T. Larson
In the final mayoral forum of the 2009 campaign, candidate Ron Corbett said Friday, if elected, he will ask the City Council to put City Manager Jim Prosser under a 90-day assessment “to see how he performs.”
Corbett’s chief opponent, Brian Fagan, called Prosser a city employee who, like every city employee, must meet certain expectations. Fagan, an at-large City Council member, said he wants to see Prosser do more to fix city streets and to better enforce the city’s building codes. But having said that, Fagan noted that Prosser was named the state’s “City Manager of the Year” a year ago for all his hard, effective work.
The third mayoral candidate, P.T. Larson, 52, who has run unsuccessfully for the City Council 12 times before, said he, if elected, would ask the council for a vote on Prosser’s future with the city, and he said he would vote to let him go.
The three mayoral candidates went back and forth on the Bob Bruce Radio Experience on WMT-AM from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, with the discussion growing most heated around who is running city government, the city manager as Corbett contends, or the council as Fagan says is the case.
Corbett, 49, vice president at trucking firm CRST Inc., pointed to what he said was Prosser’s effort of late in private meetings to push to have the city’s new public library built in conjunction with a new City Hall.
Fagan, 37, an attorney at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman, said it is the City Council that is asking Prosser to explore such a co-location, and Fagan noted that city consultant OPN Architects Inc. has participated in such library/City Hall projects. Another council member has said those projects have been in Monticello and Ankeny.
Corbett shot back saying that Fagan and others are bound and determined to build a new $50 million City Hall no matter what it takes. Fagan said a new City Hall didn’t necessarily mean a new building, and he pointed to the private-sector building on the site of the former Killians department store downtown as a possible place that city government might occupy. Fagan said he still thinks Linn County is interested in joining forces with the city.
Corbett said he opposed building a new $50-million City Hall and he opposed tying up the construction of the new library with talk about a new City Hall. Corbett said city government should go back to the flood-damaged Veterans Memorial Building and the nearby federal courthouse, which the city is slated to take ownership of.
Corbett talked again about what he says has been a “culture of delay.” Fagan said the council has avoided “panicky, short-term thinking” that he said would have cost flood victims in the city money and would have left the city in “the long-term poor house.”
jamesman
31. Oct, 2009
Corbett has it right but I would prefer to see them fire him
23streets
31. Oct, 2009
Part 1
I have personal experience with Katrina, Rita, Ike, and many other major catastrophes looses caused by nature. I worked as a Ins Property Claims Adjuster. The fact time was taken to recover $75 million more dollars than originally asked to settle for, is a fact that the Recovery from the insurance claims has been handled correctly. The fact that the claims are still open to protect the city from unknown future losses is more important than, a fast settlement. Katrina and the other storms I have worked, still are working claims, and the recovery is long and painful.
23streets
31. Oct, 2009
Part 2
Some of the greatest errors is to settle to soon with out the professional claims specialist working on behave of the city. The Ins co. view is to be fair and FAST at a settlement so they can close the claims and know there cost of the storm loss. The CR City with Fagan has done a great job at aspects of maximizing the cites recoverable claims, and the claims will not be closed till the supplements and future new claims that will reveal them self as this recovery goes on. I am sure we will be another 5 yrs and still have open claims. That is the norm in Catastrophe storms. The work at the beginning pays off huge dividend down the road.
mofoluck
01. Nov, 2009
One things I learned from Advanced Principles of Insurance was Insurance companies want to hurry up and make a settlement that's less than market value – most people disparate for cash will take the quick way out and suffer in the long run – but at this point the insurance company doesn't care. FEMA is this cities insurance company in times of disaster – so Mr.Brian Fa_gan had it correct: We need to take our time, get it right and get the money that we're rightfully owed to rebuild this City. "One of the things we used to say in the Marines was – Slow is smooth – smooth is fast." Lets be smooth about who we pick to rebuild our city – Mr.Smart (Brian) or Mr.Slick (The other guy)
Johnnyg1
31. Oct, 2009
Really. Take a look at the Farmstead fire and how our consultant handled that one.
MossyOak
31. Oct, 2009
Does Stamy's mind that you overshare information?
Johnnyg1
31. Oct, 2009
If I knew what you were talking about my answer would be no.
tle1952
31. Oct, 2009
worked it is a little differnent than living it. when you get your part done, you go home. it is a long and painful recovery, but lets move forward on getting the journey for all affected over with
basketcase
31. Oct, 2009
How long do you think individuals – people – human beings – can put their life on hold waiting? What kind of psychological toll do you think is taken each month a person struggling to keep the mortgage company off their back on a property they have 80,000 equity in, but is now valued at 5,000 for the lot, while they are told and told and told to wait while they struggle to pay a mortgage on a worthless pile of wood and rent on a place to live? You can't be proud of capturing federal dollars at the expense of humans.
23streets
31. Oct, 2009
Part 2
Some of the greatest errors is to settle to soon with out the professional claims specialist working on behave of the city. The Ins co. view is to be fair and FAST at a settlement so they can close the claims and know there cost of the storm loss. The CR City with Fagan has done a great job at aspects of maximizing the cites recoverable claims, and the claims will not be closed till the supplements and future new claims that will reveal them self as this recovery goes on. I am sure we will be another 5 yrs and still have open claims. That is the norm in Catastrophe storms. The work at the beginning pays off huge dividend down the road.
torimagic
31. Oct, 2009
I have to agree with 23streets – I don't believe that there has been a 'culture of delay' as Corbett asserts – look at what happened with Linn Cty – they rushed to rehab the AOB and iJobs rejected their funding request because they didn't take the time to poll public opinion or do valid cost assessments. It set them back almost a year because of that. I don't think Corbett is giving the current council credit. That being said, I don't think Fagan is being realistic about what Prosser has actually done and/or accomplished. The only reason he got City Manager of the Year is because we had a catastrophic flood. I don't believe he or Halloran did the City of CR any favors when they purportedly stayed 'behind the scenes' and let Fagan, as mayor pro tem, and other city employees provide updates. We elected a Mayor and council to be the face of CR and when we are faced with a horrific event like the 2008 floods, we expect to see THEM reassuring us, answering questions and showing LEADERSHIP. With Prosser, it's hard to appreciate any hard work he may have done, when we haven't seen any. He may be a City employee, but as a taxpayer and a citizen of CR, I have an expectation that city employees, especially ones as prominent as the City Manager, perform on a public platform. I expect no less, and neither did the citizens of IC and Coralville whose City Managers WERE on the forefront of press conferences and briefings along with the Mayor. We deserve no less respect. THAT, gentleman, is the key to winning the election. RESPECT your constituents, don't tell us what we need, ask us.
torimagic
31. Oct, 2009
I believe PT Larson needs to face reality that he is in way over his head. He isn't even on my radar of consideration for a candidate for mayor. It's actually a little pathetic.
Scoty
31. Oct, 2009
Corbett is correct that the city manager has been allowed to much leeway and power in the decision making process in Cedar Rapids. A 90 day assessment would be a good starting point. Replacing Prosser with a different city manager might be an even better decision. However, the issue is with the type of government the city is currently governed under. Replacing Prosser with someone new will lead to the same issues. A city manager is unelected. Not being the choice of the people, the decisions they arrive at lack the validation of being from someone elected to office. The council members don't have specific areas to focus on. Thus, certain elements of city governance don't receive the attention they deserve and others get too much attention. For this type of government to work effectively, time needs to be taken to make sure all elements of the city are prioritized and receive appropriate focus. Until that happens, the City Manager will inevitably dominate the decision making process.
Tom52403
31. Oct, 2009
Jim Prosser has been a disaster for Cedar Rapids. He can take his red-light cameras, utility taxes , no-vote bond issues and army of $300 an hour consultants (who don't ever accomplish anything) somewhere else. He is not compatible with Cedar Rapids or Iowa in general.
It's been obvious for a long time that he wants a new city hall to build his resume for his next bigger and better job somewhere in some other city. We simply don't need it and I don't want to pay higher taxes for the rest of my life so Prosser can add a feather in his cap.
jamesman
31. Oct, 2009
Well Said Tom, and thats the path we are heading down
maxineiship
31. Oct, 2009
Tom52403 I agree with you…Prosser does not care about CR, we are just another notch in his belt before he moves on to another unsupecting city !! I am for sending him on his way to his new destination…wherever that may be, as long as it is not CR !!!
WinterTexan
31. Oct, 2009
Prosser NEEDS TO GO and take FA GAN with him. Be sure to vote this tuesday. Prosser also needs to take Kris with him.
HiawathaBob
31. Oct, 2009
Prosser is one of the best things that has happened to city government. When he arrived we had a horrible organization, and budgeting process akin to a cattle swap. The commissioners that everyone seems to want back had run the city into the ground. He picked up the pieces. The taxpayers in Cedar Rapids should send him a card for saving them money, and improving service delivery.
PDT
31. Oct, 2009
WOW!! Those are some statements you never hear around CR. You can't really be serious.
BradyDorman
31. Oct, 2009
You are exactly right Bob. Prosser is doing a commendable job, professionally managing our city. Simple thinking usually doesn't solve complex problems.
pappybeary
01. Nov, 2009
neither does a donkey walking backwards.
mofoluck
01. Nov, 2009
You're right – it's sad for me to admit it but you're right. I used to listen to what fast ron had to say and then I talked to some friends in New Orleans about how things went for them after the flood. FA_GAN isn't perfect – but he's been right about more things than not – he's used FACTS and LEADERSHIP to get try to get things done and all's the other guy (fast ron) has done is just talk talk talk…that's the real culture of delay.
jamesman
06. Nov, 2009
Where has Prosser saved money???? Have you looked at your tax bills from Cedar Rapids with the massive drops in the services of Cedar Rapids? Have you even been looking around and seeing what has been happening?
Well Guess not otherwise you would be spewing this
Baum
31. Oct, 2009
I will thank Prosser right after he sees that the elevator in our parkade downtown is fixed. Winter is coming and we have handicapped employees that need access to the skywalk. This has not been repaired since the flood but I hold out little hope as I understand the elevator in the building housing the code enforcers is not fixed either! Code enforcement what a joke!
Watcher444
02. Nov, 2009
Fagan said he still thinks Linn County is interested in joining forces with the city. – quote from opening article
The very last thing Cedar Rapidians want is to join forces with Linn County. The investigation done by KGAN over a four month period about the Linn County Attorney letting pedophiles, child pornographers, and dope dealers off the hook and not even filing charges let alone doing prosecutions is just the tip of the iceberg with Linn County.
Not only does the County Attorney's office not file charges on these people the court system allows attorneys to lie in court even with the evidence sitting in front of the judge. The County Attorney's office can't touch DHS workers because a reading of an Iowa Supreme Court ruling says that DHS is THE STATE and therefore it is the County Atttorney's office, although elected to protect you, are the servants of DHS even if that means not prosecuting bad workers or corruption.
Linn County raised property taxes on a lot of people right when the real estate market was tanking even in such depressed and under siege sections of town like the Southeast side.
There is a video of a woman sitting at the County Attorney's office trying to stab her husband. She walks free to this day. That same woman admitted in an affidavit ten years ago to pulling a loaded gun on another husband with their child between them and she still got custody of the child. The husband when he was stupid enough to pull a gun on her got put in Anamosa for 7 years. The same woman is a known bigamist but the statute of limitations has run out but still uses her illegally obtained name to fraudulently receive funds from the state. She has defrauded the state twice on welfare and never been prosecuted for it and most of the money has never been recovered. Your tax dollars.
That's just a single family. I am sure there are thousands of such stories.
The last thing you want is Linn County putting its skeletons in your closets. KGAN's investigation was a joke compared to what is really going on in this county.
dpiddy8283
03. Nov, 2009
Do any of you have any understanding of local government. Prosser has been a city manager for well over 30 years, never been fired before and has done a wonderful job in CR. im sure its tough for him to deal with childish political antics he isn't a politician he is a bureaucrat. If he is fired he will gladly take his nice severance package and give ya'll the finger as he moves on to work with people who have a brain.
23streets
03. Nov, 2009
Now Now I think citizens have the right to say what they are experiencing. I agree the cards delte have been more than he was excpecting. The flood was the 2nd most sever natural catastrophe. 2nd to Katrina. Then the city councile is part time! After todays election it can be a opportunite to start fresh. I am not for or against Prosser and I would not want his job. Plus the people who have been flood victems have major problems and need to vent. Both canadates for Mayor say they can do a better job and have possitive results. I think we need full time councile and Mayor.