Thoughts on Leadership, the Role of Mayor, and Why I’m Running
Since announcing my candidacy I’ve had a lot of people ask, some jokingly and some seriously, “Why in your right mind are you running for Mayor?”. Some have also asked whose pocket I’m in or what my agenda is for wanting to become Mayor.
And those are all fair (and important) questions.
For my part… I’ve never had goals to be a politician. Quite honestly I’m still getting used to calling myself that. But what I have always cared about is the health and wellbeing of our community. To me the role of Mayor isn’t about politics. It’s about problem solving. And my agenda for running really comes down to this… I believe Cedar Falls can do better.
If I’ve learned anything through my work in business & community development it’s that communities don’t become prosperous, vibrant places by accident. It has taken us decades of committed, forward thinking leadership to get Cedar Falls to where we are today. I look back 20 years ago at the late 90’s and early 2000’s and the investments we made then as a community. Projects like the trail systems, the Cedar Falls Rec Center and public Library, the industrial park, CFU and the fiber internet, the redevelopment of downtown, and development of our parks and public spaces. Projects and investments that have helped to make Cedar Falls a great place to live for the last 20 years.
And we can’t take for granted the amount of work and shared commitment it took to get us here.
We need to continue to make those same types of smart, forward thinking decisions today so that Cedar Falls continues to be a great place to live. Through my work at Grow Cedar Valley I spent a lot of time researching which communities people and businesses are moving to and why. Almost always, the communities who are thriving share something in common: they have a shared vision for their future, they have leadership who understands that vision, and, most importantly, their leadership and residents are working together to invest in that future. And that’s what we need to get back to.
Why I’m Running & the Role of Mayor
I made the decision to run for Mayor because I truly believe Cedar Falls has a lot of opportunity ahead of us. But also because I believe that opportunity won’t happen by accident.
We are a diverse community of over 40,000 people and over 110,000 in the metro. Many of us with different origins, cultures, and beliefs. And we will never agree on everything (if you’ve ever been in a relationship you know that even two people won’t always agree on everything! Especially what to have for dinner). But at the end of the day we need leadership who works together, listens and communicates openly even when they disagree, and is willing to make shared decisions and stay focused on the priorities that matter.
I believe, more than any other duty, the Mayor has the responsibility to remind us of that shared commitment and help create a shared vision of where we want to go as a community. Residents must be able to trust that the City is listening to and addressing their needs. City Council must be able to trust that City staff is working to further the policies and goals of Council. And City staff must be able to do their jobs and have clear direction on what the goals are for them to work toward.
All of this takes open communication and a culture of trust. Both of which are heavily influenced by the Mayor’s responsibility to be a trusted convener.
One of my biggest strengths has always been bringing a diverse group of people together, creating a common vision, and working toward making it happen. And if elected I’m looking forward to working with City Staff, Council, our businesses & community partners, and all of us as residents to do just that. And to continue making Cedar Falls a better place to live for today and the decades to come.
- Danny Laudick
