New Iowa City Council Geogaphically Concentrated

City Council, or Northside Neighborhood Association?

One more argument for a larger council with a true district system: With Saturday's changing of the guard at Harvat Hall, five of the seven Iowa City council members are from just two adjacent north side precincts.

New mayor Matt Hayek and council newcomers Susan Mims and Terry Dickens are all from precincts 22, and holdovers Mike Wright and Regenia Bailey are from the next precinct to the south, precinct 21.

Only the two members representing the other two districts, Ross Wilburn and Connie Champion, are from other parts of the city. And Wilburn is from the one District A precinct that's east of the river, leaving the west side still unrepresented since... well if you don't count Naomi Novick and Manville Heights, it's been at least since I got to town 20 years ago.