Navigating tension between Des Moines, state government is an issue in mayor, council races

No matter who wins seats in the Nov. 7 municipal elections in Des Moines, city government is poised for change.

A new mayor will take office for the first time in 20 years, replacing the retiring Frank Cownie, and a new council member will represent Ward 1, in the northwestern part of the city, to fill a vacant seat. Odds are that one of two City Council members running for mayor, at-large member Connie Boesen or Ward 3 member Josh Mandelbaum, representing southwestern Des Moines, will win the mayor’s race, meaning yet another new member will join the council in the new year.

And that’s regardless of whether three other incumbents on the ballot, at-large member Carl Voss, Ward 2 member Linda Westergaard (northeastern Des Moines) and Ward 4 member Joe Gatto (southeastern), retain their seats.

Des Moines reporter Virginia Barreda has examined the records and vision of Boesen and Mandelbaum, with assistance from data reporter Tim Webber, who looked at more than 2,100 votes they cast so far this year. They differ little on big-picture city policy issues, such as their shared focus on strengthening neighborhoods, but more on what role the city should play in taking stances on state issues, Barreda and Webber found.

That focus on city-state relations reflects heightened, and I believe troubling, tensions between Iowa’s largest city and state lawmakers. A rural-urban divide has long run deep in Iowa politics, affecting cities across the state, not just Des Moines. That divide has calcified in the Legislature as politics has become more polarized at all levels.

Mandelbaum believes in forcefully staking out the city’s positions and pushing for policy changes on issues where he believes state law is harming city residents, including on controversial issues such as abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given states vast discretion to regulate abortion, but Mandelbaum believes the city should act where it can within the law, advocating for ordinances to limit police and city officials’ ability to investigate a person for accessing or providing abortions in Des Moines and to reimburse city employees for travel to receive reproductive services if they’re no longer available in Iowa.

Boesen says she staunchly supports abortion rights but believes regulating abortion care should be left to the state and federal governments.

She believes the distraction of taking on state and national issues could impede the council’s work on critical issues squarely within its purview, such as affordable housing and equitable policing. She also fears such action could further erode strained relations between Des Moines officials and the governor and state lawmakers, or worse, prompt retaliation.

That’s not an unfounded worry. Republican legislators already eliminated the authority of cities and counties to raise the minimum wage within their boundaries. They also outlawed the “source of income” ordinances that Des Moines, Iowa City and Marion had adopted, which required landlords to accept federal housing vouchers — an effort to deter discrimination against low-income families.

In editorial board interviews, several council candidates stated outright or implied their belief that if the council took certain actions its members thought would benefit residents, it risked triggering retribution from the governor and legislators, rooted perhaps in conviction or simply from spite.

This level of suspicion and distrust isn’t healthy for Iowans — rural or urban, Democrat or Republican or apolitical.

The editorial board wrestled with the Boesen vs. Mandelbaum decision. They’re both able council members, and both of their arguments on the city’s best approach toward state issues have merit.

As a core principle, the board values transparency. If state government is considering action that the mayor or council members believe would be contrary to the best interests of the city, they should make that clear to lawmakers and the people they represent.

But the board also believes elected officials have a duty to work together, across party lines and all levels of government, to craft policies and laws that best serve their constituents. (The inability of the U.S. House to elect a speaker aptly illustrates that government dysfunction benefits no one.)

Ultimately, the board endorsed Boesen, believing she could better navigate the ever-more-difficult path of clearly stating the city’s interests and working to change harmful state laws, while at the same time cultivating the relationships and goodwill that allow progress on areas of common ground.

It won’t be easy.

More election coverage coming your way

Early voting began Wednesday. We’ve already begun publishing previews of contested city and school board races in the Des Moines metro. A flood of those are still heading your way, providing information about the candidates’ backgrounds and views, gathered through questionnaires.

In many ways, local elections shape daily quality of life more than high-profile state and national races. School board members govern the direction and oversight of local schools. Council members oversee public safety, housing and business regulations, streets, parks and other amenities

As you make your choices, I encourage you to read our news coverage to become more informed about the candidates and to consider our editorials, offered in the spirit of contributing to public discourse on community concerns.

Carol Hunter is the Register’s executive editor. She wants to hear your questions, story ideas or concerns at 515-284-8545, chunter@registermedia.com, or on Twitter: @carolhunter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines, state government tensions are issue in mayor, council races