Lobbyist For Iowa City In The Works

Iowa City officials discussed getting the city more of a voice in the state legislature at the Iowa City Council special meeting Tuesday.

"This is a good opportunity for us to coordinate and keep on track of different legislative issues, especially at the state level," Iowa City Manager Tom Markus said.

Markus recommended the city council secure the services of a lobbyist to represent Iowa City concerns in Des Moines on issues such as the recent Iowa State Supreme Court decision on the valuation of property taxes in and around Iowa City.

Iowa City could lose up to $3.3 million in tax revenue due to the decision handed down by the Iowa Supreme Court in July, according to Iowa City Assessor Dennis Baldridge.

"We're just trying to determine, what's the best way to coordinate our (lobbying) efforts." he said. "We do have an issue that has already come up with the (Iowa) Supreme Court ruling on valuation (of property). That's something we're paying attention to, and could talk to others about legislation."

Markus said having someone in the lobbyist position would allow the city to monitor what's going on in the different departments and the legislative committees instead of having staff drive to Des Moines.

"The lobbyist can tell us when they need to be out there, and we can give them authorization to speak on our behalf, to make commentary on a timely basis rather than getting in a car and trying to drive there and take care of things," he said.

Markus estimated the cost of  retaining such an individual would cost between $25,000 and $30,000.

"A number of other jurisdictions have done it this way," he said. "That's an amount based on what I've seen from other retainer arrangements across the state." 

Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek said other communities such as Cedar Rapids and Dubuque already retain lobbyists with great success.

"It certainly provides better access to what's going on," he said.

City Council member Ross Wilburn said it would be helpful for a lobbyist to be present and able to help "craft policy" at the Capitol during critical times, such as state budget and hearing times when policy is shaped or allocations given.

"As a practical matter, it's difficult to have staff or a council member running back and forth between here and Des Moines on such short notice," he said.

City Councilor Regenia Bailey agreed it would be helpful to have a "point-person to communicate with."

Markus estimated it could be as early as October to secure such a person.

"We hope to coordinate our whole legislative efforts through this position," he said. "When one really considers the dollar amount that we're spending, it's a pretty good value."

No formal action was taken by the city council regarding retaining a lobbyist at the special meeting Tuesday, though most seemed in favor of the idea.

"It's a smart move and the way this legislature is going, we could have three or four (lobbyists)," council member Connie Champion joked.