This page has been created to house City of Cedar Rapids data and information requested by City Council candidates. All City Council members, candidates and the public have access to this information.
Candidates interested in meeting with the City Manager or any Department Director should contact Lisa Shannon in the City Managers Office at l.shannon@cedar-rapids.org or 319-286-5080.
Election Information
For election information, including details on how to file for office, and other candidate and campaign resources, please visit the Linn County website.
Cedar Rapids Council Districts
Cedar Rapids is divided into five council districts. A council member is elected by the eligible voters within each district. The council member must reside within the district to hold office.
City Council District Maps
About City Government
The City of Cedar Rapids serves more than 128,000 people who live, work and play in the City of Five Seasons. The City is operated under the Council-Manager Form of Government and governed by a part-time, nine-member City Council elected by the public. More than 1,300 people work for the City of Cedar Rapids, providing services for all residents and businesses.
Charter of the City of Cedar Rapids
City Budget
The City provides the following services: public safety, public works, solid waste collection, animal control, parking, ground transportation, community development and municipal water and sewer. The City also provides cultural and recreational opportunities through various departments and commissions.
BUDGET DOCUMENTS
Political Signs
Political signs must comply with Temporary Sign Regulations.
SIGN REGULATIONS
NCS Citizen Survey Report
Every two years since 2016, the City of Cedar Rapids asks a sample of residents to participate in The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™). The survey is designed to provide information about how the city government is serving residents, to gauge perceptions of the City, and to make comparisons with peer cities. The survey centers on community livability and includes questions about the quality of life in the community, local policies, demographics, rating of local government services and resident use of services. The City plans to conduct ongoing surveys every two years in order to track trends, gauge citizen perceptions, and solicit feedback.
Survey results measure public perceptions and areas of interest for residents.
CITIZEN SURVEYAutomated Traffic Enforcement System
Automated traffic enforcement (ATE) is a safety countermeasure that is used to enhance roadway safety. Automated enforcement involves the enforcement of red-light running violations and speed limit violations. The use of ATE in Cedar Rapids has resulted in a decrease in the total number of crashes and crashes with injuries.
Automated Traffic Enforcement
Flood Control System
The Flood Control System is designed to convey the same water volume as the flood of 2008, reducing flood risk through the heart of Cedar Rapids on both the west and east sides of the river. The system will include a combination of floodwalls, levees and gates, and incorporate aesthetic elements that reflect our community’s culture, history, and vision.
FLOOD CONTROL INFO
Sustainability
The Community Climate Action Plan is structured to improve our community's resilience to climate hazards, increase clean energy, and support residents’ access to basic needs.
PAVING FOR PROGRESS
One percent local option sales tax set aside solely for the maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction of public streets. Sales tax generated by Cedar Rapids residents as well as visitors who shop/dine in our community. Provides approximately $20 million annually for road repairs. The program went into effect July 1, 2014 and expires on June 30, 2024, unless otherwise renewed.
Achievements to Date (2014 – 2020)
- Approximately $122 million invested into our roads
- More than 60 linear miles of roadway improved
- Over 200 projects completed to date
- 70% of completed projects have been residential
- 30% of completed projects have been arterial
Strategy
- Address neighborhood streets that rarely rose to the priority list in previous years
- Invest in roads before they reach the end of their service life, when repairs are most costly
- Completely replace some of our most deteriorated streets
- Utilize a data-driven, impartial, and measurable plan
Prioritization
The City developed a 10-year management plan using data collected on every roadway in Cedar Rapids. The data is collected by a vehicle that drives the surface of the roads and collects data on texture, pavement distress, and roughness. Fresh data is collected approximately every two years, and the plan is updated accordingly. In addition to the pavement data, other factors help determine street priorities, including how bad the street is and how expensive it will be to fix. There is a cost benefit of performing work early rather than when the street is worse and repairs are more costly. The City’s strategy has been to do a little of both — completely replace some streets, while doing preventative maintenance on others.
Neighborhood Streets
Many projects funded by the sales tax – particularly neighborhood streets– would not have been possible given the past funding available. Residential streets in the past rarely qualified for federal funding, making it next to impossible to move up the priority list when competing with the needs of high volume arterial or collector streets.
PAVING FOR PROGRESS INFO
City Employee Demographics (self reported — 2021)
5 - Asian
20 - Black/African American
23 - Hispanic/Latino
1 - Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
6 - Not specified
1114 - White
2 - Two or more races
The above does not include: Temp/seasonal, Airport, Library, Vets Memorial Commissions, Civil Rights Commission, City Council, City Clerk's Office, or City Attorney's Office.
Learn about the City's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts.
Economic Development
Below are some examples of economic development agreements.
BAE
The Depot
Diamond V
Entrepreneurship and Business Startup
The City assists entrepreneurs and business startups in a variety of ways:
- Catalyzing organizations that provided direct assistance to startups. The City provides direct financial assistance to organizations that provide direct assistance to entrepreneurs and startups, including NewBoCo, Entrepreneurial Development Center, and Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The funds are distributed through a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process with a 2-year funding cycle based on strategic objectives of the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. A significant emphasis of the ED Strategic Plan is business startups and facilitating economic growth from within the community.
- Direct Financial Assistance. The City provides direct financial assistance to small business, and startups through the Cedar Rapids MICRO Loan, and the Cedar Rapids Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).
- Indirect Financial Participation. The City provides financial assistance to projects under the Economic Development Programs. The financial assistance ensures growth of the tax base through development and redevelopment projects to ensure there are opportunities for physical spaces for business startups and small business that are growing.
- Facilitating Referrals. City Economic Development Services staff understands the resources available in the startup and entrepreneur ecosystem – whether local organizations, or State partners such as the Iowa Economic Development Authority. This allows staff to refer individuals or companies that reach out to the City for assistance or to make connections which service providers.
Citizen Review Board
The City of Cedar Rapids established an independent Citizen Review Board (CRB) to further community relations and police accountability.
CRB INFO
