‘The state of the city is strong’: Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague urges unity in uncertain times in State of the City address

The Emma J. Harvat Hall in Iowa City was packed the evening of Feb. 18 for the city’s annual State of the City ceremony, which was characterized by optimism and hope for the community’s present and future accomplishments. Joining Mayor Bruce Teague on stage for his sixth State of the City address was his mother Mary “Mama” Teague, who led the audience in a rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” accompanied by a keyboard. In his welcome speech, Mayor Teague acknowledged recent turbulence at the state level and lauded the city’s pursuit of inclusivity and beneficence. “In this city, everybody’s welcome,” he told the audience. “In this city, we really do stretch out our arms to help each other and I am so grateful, again, for all you being here today.” The ceremony featured a pre-recorded video highlighting the city’s accomplishments from the past year narrated by the mayor, who emphasized the impact of visual representation. “There’s so much happening in the community, and words in itself just sometimes [aren’t] enough for those that are not so connected to the city,” he said in his introductory remarks prior to playing the video, mentioning infrastructure and the work of nonprofits. “But a lot of individuals in our community don’t see that stuff on a daily basis.” Filmed downtown at the nonprofit cinema FilmScene, Mayor Teague praised Iowa City for its vibrant, inclusive and creative community and thanked city employees, family and community members for making it “a place to belong.” The film highlighted the city’s 2024 accomplishments in its three core values of racial equity, social justice and human rights, climate action, partnership and engagement. “These aren’t just empty words; they are the principals that drive every decision we make,” the mayor said.

Racial equity, social justice and human rights

The city has made significant strides in programs and policies that uplift historically marginalized communities as well as celebrating cultural differences, the video stated, giving the first annual African Festival of Arts and Culture as one example. “We know there is still more to do, and we remain committed to building a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Mayor Teague said.

Climate action

“Our climate action and adaptation plan reflects our promise to protect our natural resources and combat the challenges brought by changing climate," the mayor said, highlighting the city’s innovative sustainability programs, investments in renewable energy and efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

In 2022, Iowa City introduced four electric buses in an effort to reduce greenhouse emissions to help meet its Climate Action Plan, receiving a “Most Collaborative” distinction from the Federal Transit Commission. Following the implementation of electric buses, the city added approximately 64 charging stations for electric vehicles, according to U.S. Energy Department data from May 2024. In November, Iowa City celebrated the completion of a 140 kilowatt solar array at the Iowa City Municipal Airport, which was estimated to cut the airport’s energy costs in half.

Partnership and engagement

A foundation to the city’s success lies in its collaborations with local businesses, nonprofits, local jurisdictions and residents, the mayor said. “Your voices, ideas and involvements are essential in making Iowa City the thriving community we know it can be,” Mayor Teague said, while images of Iowa City Downtown District’s Ambassador employees and members of the South of 6 Iowa City Business District flashed on the screen.

Successes

Mobility, transportation infrastructure, housing and neighborhoods, the economy, safety and public services experienced its fair share of successes for 2024, Mayor Teague noted. Mobility The Fare Free transit pilot program’s passenger trips increased by 40% in its first year, and while grant funds end in 2025, the city is looking for opportunities to sustain the program. A team is also designing the new transit facility, which is supported by $23.2 million in federal grants. Transportation infrastructure The city tackled infrastructure projects like the South Gilbert Street bridge replacement, Rochester Avenue and Dubuque Street reconstructions, new buffer bike lanes, sidewalks and curb ramps to improve accessibility. Challenges like inflation, worker shortage and supply chain issues made the projects more costly and “significantly increased completion time,” Mayor Teague said. Housing and Neighborhoods Addressing the housing affordability crisis, Iowa City received a $3.75 million HUD PRO housing grant to remove barriers to housing by updating its comprehensive plan, establishing a housing counseling program and developing affordable housing. The city also purchased three townhomes for permanent affordable housing and partnered with the Domestic Violence Intervention program to open a new shelter and establish six units of permanent supportive housing for those leaving the shelter. Iowa City furthered support to lower income households by providing assistance for housing rehabilitation and down payments, winter shelter and the creation of new affordable rentals through $1.3 million in federal entitlement funds and $1 million through the Affordable Housing fund. Economy Actively employed people still struggle financially and the city strove for a more inclusive economy in 2024, Mayor Teague said, through a variety of efforts, including an expanded implementation of the city’s inclusive economic development plan. In the spring, the city awarded $4 million in ARPA funds to help a variety of initiatives, including Dream City, a regional hub for underestimated business owners and entrepreneurs; and the launch of the Targeted Small Business Development grant, which provides business support and coaching service for underestimated business owners and entrepreneurs. The city continued with its pre-apprenticeship program and partnership with the University of Iowa Labor Center, bringing underserved populations into building and construction trades. The 2024 fiscal year saw 24 graduates, double the cohort from the previous year, Mayor Teague said. Affordable childcare “Expanding access to affordable childcare has been important to ensuring everyone who wishes to participate in the local workforce can do so,” Mayor Teague said, highlighting the city’s $2 million award to the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County to develop a family resource center and an early childhood center in the Towncrest Neighborhood, which will create approximately 50 childcare slots. The city has also been an active partner in the Childcare Wage Enhancement Program, the mayor noted. Arts and culture

In 2024, the Iowa City Downtown District partnered with Block by Block to launch the Ambassador program, an enhanced municipal cleaning and wayfinding service; and introduced X Marks the Arts, a campaign to bolster the city’s cultural and entertainment district. Mayor Teague also gave an update to 21 S. Linn St., a development site with three formal proposals that include arts and entertainment letters of intent. “We are excited to explore a new opportunity at this critical corner, one that reflects the community’s character, and underscores our commitment to ensure a welcoming, vibrant, urban core,” Mayor Teague said, of the development. Safety and well-being Mental and physical health remained a priority for 2024, with the city continuing its partnership with several social service programs and the implementation of the co-responder police officer unit, which includes an officer and mental health liaison who focus on de-escalating crises and connecting individuals to essential services. Mayor Teague also mentioned the lead reduction program and the launch of the resilience hub program, which strives to maintain key services before, during and after climate disasters; and the fire department’s Community Connect, a platform to share critical information about homes and businesses in the case of an emergency. Public services At the Iowa City Public Library, the city established a bilingual children’s department position in Spanish, which allows focus outreach and early literacy support. Additionally, the library continues to support language learning through story times for children in multiple languages, and is enhancing its world languages collection with works by participants of the University of Iowa International Writer’s Workshop, according to the video. Strategic plan resources The completion of the 2024 National Community Survey was a big step in the city’s practice of data-informed decisions, Mayor Teague said, which provides a “valuable baseline of the public’s perception of our services, and can help us focus on areas most in need of additional support.” The city hired a crime analyst to help fine-tune its mental health and crisis intervention services and became involved with the Bloomberg Harvard Leadership initiative to expand “operational effectiveness,” conducting a space-needs assessment of several city buildings. Citing the city’s “prudent and transparent fiscal management,” Mayor Teague announced that the city's AAA Moody Bond Rating was reaffirmed, making it one of three cities in the state with the designation. “This important rating allows us to lower borrowing costs, and spend less on interest expenses and more on programs and services that directly benefit the public,” he said.

Looking forward

“Looking ahead, we do face several challenges. We as a city are coming up on some of the most difficult budgetary years in the last two decades,” the mayor said, citing property tax reforms, stagnating taxable valuations, inflation and volatile expenses, all of which will have “uncertain impacts on our future finances.” Despite that bleak prediction the city’s future remains bright, he added, and will stay committed to providing high-quality public services to residents. So far, it has built up $6.8 million in affordable housing fees that were generated through inclusive zoning and tax increment financing policies, which can be reinvested in the community. “As I look ahead to 2025, I am energized by what is on the horizon for this great community that is always seeking to improve. We will continue to grow and strengthen and I remain thankful for the opportunity I have to help guide us as we move forward together," he said.

The state of the city is ‘strong’

The Quire of Eastern Iowa gave a performance after the State of the City video, followed by a call to action by Mayor Teague. “The state of our city is strong,” he said, acknowledging that “we have some troubling times right now. And more than ever before, we need to come together as a community where we need to apologize to each other, myself included, let us do that. It’s time to move forward in unity.”