page_title: Iowa City, Iowa
section_title: Government
hierarchical_section_title: Iowa City, Iowa / Government
caption_attribution_description: A view of the Iowa City City Hall.
context_page_description: Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 75,130 in 2019, making it the state's fifth-largest city. The metropolitan area, which encompasses Johnson and Washington counties, has a population of over 171,000. The Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area is also a part of a Combined Statistical Area with the Cedar Rapids MSA. This CSA plus two additional counties are known as the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids region which collectively has a population of nearly 500,000.
  Iowa City was the second capital of the Iowa Territory and the first capital city of the State of Iowa. The Old Capitol building is a National Historic Landmark in the center of the University of Iowa campus. The University of Iowa Art Museum and Plum Grove, the home of the first Governor of Iowa, are also tourist attractions. In 2008, Forbes magazine named Iowa City the second-best small metropolitan area for doing business in the United States.
context_section_description: Iowa City is governed by an elected city council of seven members: four council members at large and three district members. The two council members at large who receive the most votes and the three district council members serve four-year terms. The other two council members at large serve two-year terms. A mayor and mayor pro tem are elected by the council from within its members to serve terms of two years. As of 2020, Iowa City Council members are:
  Bruce Teague (Mayor, At-Large)
  Mazahir Salih (Mayor Pro Tem, At-Large)
  Pauline Taylor (District A)
  Susan Mims (District B)
  John Thomas (District C)
  Laura Bergus (At-Large)
  Janice Weiner (At-Large)
  Under this form of council-manager government the powers of the city are vested in the city council. The council is responsible for appointing the city manager (as of 2016 Geoff Fruin) who implements the policy decisions of the city council, enforces city ordinances and appoints city officials. The council also appoints the city attorney and city clerk.
  Iowa City is unusual in that it is one of only four cities in Iowa in which the mayor is chosen by the city council. The mayor of Iowa City serves a two-year term and has a vote on council, representing the district or at-large position from which he or she was elected. The mayor is primarily a figurehead or a "first among equals", with some power to set agendas and lead meetings, as well as serving as the public face of city government.
caption: Iowa City City Hall
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