The Iowa City Council on Monday selected at-large member Jim Throgmorton to serve as mayor of Iowa City for a two-year term.
The council, in its first major decision since the Core Four swept the November city election, voted 6-1 for Throgmorton, with former Mayor Pro Tem Susan Mims voting against.
At-large council member Kingsley Botchway was subsequently elected as mayor pro tem on a 5-2 vote, with Mims and District B council representative Terry Dickens voting against.
"When seeking re-election, I said I wanted to build on what is already great about Iowa City and help lead it toward becoming a just city," Throgmorton said. "As mayor, I will do my best to help lead us in that direction. But as an experienced elected official I'm also very pragmatic. I want to get good things done, not just envision better futures."
In Iowa City, the mayor leads City Council meetings and has the ability to set some agenda items, and the mayor's vote has no additional weight. The city manager acts as chief administrative officer and has the power to implement policy decisions made by the council, enforce city ordinances, and is tasked with appointing and supervising directors of city departments.
Initially, Dickens suggested appointing Throgmorton as mayor and Mims as mayor pro tem, but that motion failed on a 2-5 vote with Dickens and Mims voting in favor. No other council members were nominated for the mayoral position.
Mims and Botchway both were nominated for the mayor pro tem position, but a motion to appoint Mims failed on a 2-5 vote with Dickens and Mims voting in favor.
The votes and nearly hour-long discussion signify the disagreements between Dickens and Mims and the rest of the council members and the shift in ideology between the last and the current council. Throgmorton said one of his priorities will be to facilitate productive discussions between council members and the community amid these disagreements.
"This kind of lively engagement will require us to listen carefully to one another, treat every speaker with respect, focus on the substantive issues at hand and avoid letting our disagreements become personal," Throgmorton said. "We will be working together for at least the next two years, and one never knows when one will need to turn to someone else for support."
Though she said she believed Botchway's appointment was a foregone conclusion, Mims said she was better qualified for the mayor pro tem position, citing her four years of experience in that role and past service on the Iowa City Community School Board.
"I think when you look at this position it has to do with a person's experience and skill set," Mims said. "This comes down to a very much political decision. ... It's very clear that the new majority will be able to carry out their wishes and new direction that they envision for the city regardless of who is in those leadership positions."
Botchway said he plans to draw on his two years of council experience and will work toward shifting council perspective from aggressive economic development to sustainability, racial equity and social justice.
"We have become complacent in maintaining various versions of the status quo, and I believe this election was a referendum on the status quo," Botchway said. "Let me be clear, this isn't to say that any one or anybody has done anything wrong. This is simply to state that we need to do certain things differently."
Shortly after the votes, Throgmorton adjusted appointments to city committees and commissions. The Economic Development Committee — which meets to consider financial assistance requests for city developments — previously staffed by former Mayor Matt Hayek, former council member Michelle Payne and Mims will now be staffed by Throgmorton, Mims and Rockne Cole.
The Iowa City Area Development Board, charged with enhancing the economic and business climate of the area, is made up of representatives of the organization's investors, public agencies and community partners, including two city council members. Formerly staffed by City Manager Tom Markus and Dickens, the board will now be staffed by Markus and John Thomas as Iowa City representatives.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...council-names-jim-throgmorton-mayor/78263534/
The council, in its first major decision since the Core Four swept the November city election, voted 6-1 for Throgmorton, with former Mayor Pro Tem Susan Mims voting against.
At-large council member Kingsley Botchway was subsequently elected as mayor pro tem on a 5-2 vote, with Mims and District B council representative Terry Dickens voting against.
"When seeking re-election, I said I wanted to build on what is already great about Iowa City and help lead it toward becoming a just city," Throgmorton said. "As mayor, I will do my best to help lead us in that direction. But as an experienced elected official I'm also very pragmatic. I want to get good things done, not just envision better futures."
In Iowa City, the mayor leads City Council meetings and has the ability to set some agenda items, and the mayor's vote has no additional weight. The city manager acts as chief administrative officer and has the power to implement policy decisions made by the council, enforce city ordinances, and is tasked with appointing and supervising directors of city departments.
Initially, Dickens suggested appointing Throgmorton as mayor and Mims as mayor pro tem, but that motion failed on a 2-5 vote with Dickens and Mims voting in favor. No other council members were nominated for the mayoral position.
Mims and Botchway both were nominated for the mayor pro tem position, but a motion to appoint Mims failed on a 2-5 vote with Dickens and Mims voting in favor.
The votes and nearly hour-long discussion signify the disagreements between Dickens and Mims and the rest of the council members and the shift in ideology between the last and the current council. Throgmorton said one of his priorities will be to facilitate productive discussions between council members and the community amid these disagreements.
"This kind of lively engagement will require us to listen carefully to one another, treat every speaker with respect, focus on the substantive issues at hand and avoid letting our disagreements become personal," Throgmorton said. "We will be working together for at least the next two years, and one never knows when one will need to turn to someone else for support."
Though she said she believed Botchway's appointment was a foregone conclusion, Mims said she was better qualified for the mayor pro tem position, citing her four years of experience in that role and past service on the Iowa City Community School Board.
"I think when you look at this position it has to do with a person's experience and skill set," Mims said. "This comes down to a very much political decision. ... It's very clear that the new majority will be able to carry out their wishes and new direction that they envision for the city regardless of who is in those leadership positions."
Botchway said he plans to draw on his two years of council experience and will work toward shifting council perspective from aggressive economic development to sustainability, racial equity and social justice.
"We have become complacent in maintaining various versions of the status quo, and I believe this election was a referendum on the status quo," Botchway said. "Let me be clear, this isn't to say that any one or anybody has done anything wrong. This is simply to state that we need to do certain things differently."
Shortly after the votes, Throgmorton adjusted appointments to city committees and commissions. The Economic Development Committee — which meets to consider financial assistance requests for city developments — previously staffed by former Mayor Matt Hayek, former council member Michelle Payne and Mims will now be staffed by Throgmorton, Mims and Rockne Cole.
The Iowa City Area Development Board, charged with enhancing the economic and business climate of the area, is made up of representatives of the organization's investors, public agencies and community partners, including two city council members. Formerly staffed by City Manager Tom Markus and Dickens, the board will now be staffed by Markus and John Thomas as Iowa City representatives.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...council-names-jim-throgmorton-mayor/78263534/
