Steve Gorman
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired Firefighter
Email: GormanForCityCouncil@gmail.com
I am a lifelong citizen of Council Bluffs. I worked 30 years as a professional firefighter. I am happily married to Chris Gorman for 41 years and we were blessed with two children.
| Question 1:
Population Growth & Economic Vitality Many residents and business leaders believe that growing the population of Council Bluffs is critical to near- and long-term economic vitality, workforce sustainability, and community vibrancy. Others are more cautious or uncertain about the need for growth, citing a desire to keep the community the way it is.
"Density is the most important discussion within our community. We have been stagnant in our population for many decades, my whole life basically, and it has become increasingly difficult to afford the communities needs including roads, public safety, the police force, and firefighters. There are three things we need to look at: housing, jobs, and quality of life within our community. These core values are necessary to bring in young professionals who are looking for a safe community to work and raise their families. We need to increase our population by 25 thousand people in the next 25 years, or a thousand people per year. This will allow for growth of infrastructure needs as well as an increase of tax base to sustain our community. All one needs to do to know that we need an increase of a taxable base is to look at the roads. Roads are funded by the gas tax that is distributed by population base. So the farther we sprawl as a community without an increase of population, the harder it is to maintain the road services. We are taking the same amount of money and trying to stretch it farther and farther each year. If we do not grow, the same number of people will continue to pay an increase in taxes each year; therefore, we must grow to maintain an equitable community." |
| Question 2:
Attracting and Retaining Workers and Families Building and maintaining a strong workforce, particularly young professionals and families, is important to ensuring a strong future workforce and a vibrant local economy.
"There are three things we need to look at: housing, jobs, and quality of life within our community. These core values are necessary to bring in young professionals who are looking for a safe community to work and raise their families. With housing and rent availability under 2%, our young people have to look elsewhere to live. This then encourages them to take their professional talents closer to their new homes. The number one priority of our city council should be increasing housing. The talent we need can be created locally. We need to utilize Iowa Western Community College as a work force development to meet the needs of our community through technical and professional education. This will create a more skilled and talented workforce which will bring higher pay and a better standard of living for our community. Those who graduate at Iowa Western will be incentivized to stay within our community by partnering with Iowa Western’s educational planning to make sure it complements the industries we have within our community. The more affordable we make our community to live, the more likely young families will be able to afford childcare. This will increase the quality of life of these young families. Parents understand that children are the future of our community and it will incentivize parents to invest more into the safety and future of our community." |
| Question 3:
Role of City Government in Economic Development Economic development is increasingly competitive across the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro, the Midwest, and the nation. Communities are vying for limited business investment, talent, and development opportunities. While these efforts are often driven by private and nonprofit partners, city government plays a vital role in creating the conditions for success through policies, infrastructure, incentives, and collaboration.
"We need a mix use strategy for development. This means that we can have shared spaces for housing, storefronts, and entertainment. This also includes green spaces and public transportation. Walkable communities are a modern attraction for young professionals and to incentivize young people into our community we need to create some within our city. We want to create our developments in a manner that utilizes both space and structures that we currently have. We can develop and utilize our space better by growing skyward as opposed to urban sprawl. Adding on top of already established infrastructure decreases costs and increases the gain to our community as a whole. Ultimately, the state, Council Bluffs, and the metro area need to work collaboratively in order to bring in more businesses and economic growth to sustain the standard of living for our community which will in turn attract new young professionals and their families. By attracting these new young professionals, this will create a larger tax base which will help our current small businesses keep their taxes affordable, and will create a larger pool of talented workers within our community. We need to grow in a coordinated structured manner that keeps us within a sustainable budget while pursuing progress for the benefit of the future of our community." |
Question 4:
Fiscal Responsibility & City Budgeting Developing and managing the city budget is one of the most important responsibilities of elected officials. A responsible budget must reflect community priorities, comply with legal and financial constraints, and respond to changing economic conditions. Understanding how city revenues are generated, and how those funds can and cannot be used, is critical to making sound decisions.
What experience do you have with budgeting, particularly in government, business, or nonprofit settings? Share your understanding of how a city budget works, including major sources of revenue and how city services are paid for. How would you approach developing and monitoring the city’s budget? What city services or projects would you prioritize?
"As a city councilman for the last four years, I have, in cooperation with the rest of the city council, overseen the city budget each year for approval. We have intelligent minds who work out all the details on the city staff. Each department head puts their own budgets together with approval of the mayor, but it is up to the city council to make sure that the budget as a whole stays within our city levy.
Our city levy is determined by the property tax evaluation by the state. In addition, we have an one cent optional sales tax that is essential to spur economic development within our community. We also utilize tax increment financing to help incentivize businesses to come into our community instead of settling on the Nebraska side of the river.
Affordable housing is the top priority within our community. Bigger businesses may look at our community and see that we do not have enough housing availability for their work force, so they choose to settle elsewhere. This is a preventable harm to our community. We have less than 2% availability in each rental and housing availability demographics. This increases the pricing of homes and rents, which decreases the incentive of new young professionals from settling in our community while also increasing the number of our neighbors who become homeless. Our community deserves better, and growth is the answer."
| Question 5:
Downtown & Corridor Redevelopment Vibrant, well-designed corridors and a thriving downtown are key to a city’s identity, perception, and long-term economic momentum. In Council Bluffs, areas such as First Avenue, West Broadway, the riverfront, and the historic downtown, among others, serve as gateways to the community and focal points for housing, business, entertainment, and civic life. Redevelopment of these areas is central to attracting new investment, residents, and visitors.
"I would like to see an enterprise zone down our core, stretching from where we connect to downtown Omaha, continuing through the 100 Block, and ending at Iowa Western Community College. I would like this to be roughly six blocks wide. In this area, we would match the taxation of downtown Omaha. This would eliminate the gap financing challenges we currently have with Omaha and would allow for more growth in business, entertainment, and civic life. We need help from the state of Iowa; the state needs to work with our community. As a border town, we have to compete with our neighbors in Nebraska, and we need to have policies that can help support the economic differences between our borders. We are the only border city in Iowa that is the minority to the connecting border city. We need the state on our side to expand the tax structure to be able to compete and expand our infrastructure. This does not mean that we are trying to mimic Omaha. This is a means to obtain the tools we need to incentivize young professionals and businesses to come into our community. We will always be uniquely Council Bluffs, but we can take our small town feel and expand it with the growth of our community." |
Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to serve in this office?
I was a born public servant. I love working for my community. I spent 30 years serving my community as a firefighter and I want to continue to serve. I want to continue the work that I started as a city councilman 4 years ago.
2. What should voters expect if you’re elected?
Voters should expect my full attention to the issues that our community faces. I will do everything in my power to ensure I attend our city council meetings informed and prepared to listen to the experts on all subjects that affect our community.
3. What’s the most important issue facing voters?
Density is the most important discussion within our community. We have been stagnant in our population for many decades, my whole life basically, and it has become increasingly difficult to afford the communities needs including roads, public safety, the police force, and firefighters.
4. What's something else you plan to focus on?
There are three things we need to look at: housing, jobs, and quality of life within our community. These core values are necessary to bring in young professionals who are looking for a safe community to work and raise their families.
5. Is the city going in the right direction?
Yes and no. There is always room for improvement. We need to address the housing issue or our citizens’ future quality of life will be at risk. Over the last 4 years, we have put in a little over 2,000 new living spaces within our community with more to come. But we need to continue growing at approximately 1,000 new residents a year to continue to be able to fund the community's essential services. We need to work as a community to create better paying jobs by attracting businesses that will increase the standard of living of our current residences.
6. What is your position on the streetcar? Is that position firm or flexible?
I think it is the duty of the council to educate themselves on the streetcar and the impacts it would have on our future communities. My position at this time is a position of learning. I do not believe we are currently at a position to make a firm decision either for or against. We need more information and public input on the issue.
7. What’s a realistic timeframe to make housing no longer the city’s top priority?
I believe it will take us at least 5 to 10 more years to meet the needs of our community in housing. We have to have a pipeline of finished developments, developments in the progress of being built, and future plans for the next growth phases. It takes approximately 2 years from start to finish on average, so we must always be thinking of the future to keep up with today.
8. If you could have the state adopt or change one policy, what would you want?
I would love the state to give us the tools needed to create an enterprise zone. I would like to see an enterprise zone down our core: stretching from where we connect to downtown Omaha, continuing through the 100 Block, and ending at Iowa Western Community College. I would like this to be roughly six blocks wide. In this area, we would match the taxation of downtown Omaha. This would eliminate the gap financing challenges we currently have with Omaha and would allow for more growth in business, entertainment, and civic life.
9. What else should voters know about you?
Not only am I a retired Firefighter. I am also a retired Journeyman Electrician. I have worked two jobs most of my adult life. I am not scared of hard work or tough questions. I am resourceful, and I can help our community solve our problems.
10. In a sentence, why are you the right choice?
I am just one email away. We can only succeed as a community if everyone is invested. Because I am retired, I can put most of my time and energy into focusing on bettering the future of our community.