By Brody Lovell
The Cedar Falls Ward 3 City Council candidates, Daryl Kruse, Bob Manning and Tom Nagle, discussed their plans for the future of Cedar Falls during a recent forum at the council chambers.
This is the only contested race in the Nov. 4 city elections in Cedar Falls.
The event was organized by the Northern Iowa Student Government, with President Alli Webster as host, and Professor Scott Peters and Allison Rank, the director of UNI Center for Civic Education, as moderators.
With approximately two dozen supporters in the audience, the debate was conducted in a traditional style, with a one-hour time limit for discussion, a one-minute time limit for answers, and 30-second rebuttals. The candidates respected the rules.
Mayor Danny Laudick, who is running unopposed for a second term, was also in attendance.
Incumbent Daryl Kruse, 66, who is vying for a third term, focused on his 39 years of experience in finance, his career as a landlord and a council member. He called for simplifying the building code in Cedar Falls.
He said he would promote cautious budgeting, protect the property rights of citizens when developing areas of the city (such as the College Hill) and showed skepticism of current programs such as TIF, tax increment financing, a financing tool used by local governments to finance public infrastructure projects.
“The City of Cedar Falls is one of my clients, you can say,” Kruse said.
Engineer and businessman Tom Nagle, 49, who is running for office for the first time, talked about the quality of life and engagement with citizens as his priorities. He expressed support for the city administration and reiterated his openness to discussion for restructuring city government. He also emphasized the importance of affordable housing and job creation, as well as sustainable construction and increased access to trails for alternative modes of transportation.
“My focus is simple,” he said. “Transparency, engagement, and common sense solutions.”
Banker Bob Manning,74, said he would prioritize local outreach, citing the feedback he has received while campaigning. He talked about flexibility in rezoning, excitement about budget planning, and the overall optimism he has seen throughout the community. He said if elected, he would build on past successes and added he wants to avoid a partisan divide on the council.
“I don’t want to be part of the fray,” he said. “I want to just get things done.”
The first round of questions centered around citizen engagement and local government structure. The candidates were asked how they would ensure they are representing the citizens while serving on the council, and whether they think a change should be made to the Cedar Falls government structure.
Nagle said he would promote the idea of public forums and open mics, which would provide citizens with an opportunity to express their concerns to the council directly. He also argued that a consistent leadership role from a city manager would be beneficial, but expressed concern about making the mayoral position a “part-time job.”
“It is important for the city to have a city manager or a city administrator … [it] provides some consistency,” Nagle said.
Manning emphasized the importance of listening to the electorate, a principle he demonstrated by going door-to-door during his campaign.
Kruse cited his experience attending Homeowners Association meetings, setting up direct meetings with Mayor Danny Laudick and his practice of following up with citizens after they speak to the council. In the government structure, he expressed skepticism about a change, given how well, in his opinion, the current government is operating.
“Personally, I think it’s fine the way it is, the mayor sets the direction of the city,” Kruse said.
The moderators then asked questions about housing and development in Cedar Falls. Specifically, they referred to the rising price of homes in the area and the Hill Vision plan, which was passed in 2024.
Manning referenced how the former plan for Main Street resembled the current one on College Hill, and cited the downtown district as a reason he loves Cedar Falls.
On housing and development, the candidates presented differing approaches to addressing the increasing cost of homes in Cedar Falls.
Manning referenced an attempt by the Cedar Valley Home Builders Association in the past to appraise the city and seek recommendations for development, but it ultimately fell through due to a lack of funding, he said.
Kruse focused his response on the building code, citing that changes made by the previous city administrator have been directly linked to the increase in home prices.
Nagle stressed the importance of affordable housing for citizens of Cedar Falls and noted that job creation would go hand-in-hand with housing.
All candidates encouraged environmental friendliness when the issue of environmental sustainability came to the fore.
Nagle advocated for the use of sustainable construction materials, as well as a push for utilizing the city’s recreational services to encourage people to use alternative methods of transportation.
“Encourage green development, sustainable construction, enhancing the trail system,” said Nagle.
Manning said the city should follow the lead of other places that have experienced a more direct impact of climate change.
“We’re going to follow the lead of some of the other people rather than reinvent the wheel,” Manning said.
Kruse referenced some of the current issues in the city regarding sanitation as priority objectives in addressing climate change.
“Water retention off of construction sites, controlling nature is what we’ve got to do,” said Kruse.
In their closing remarks, the candidates reiterated their motives for running and why they think they should be elected.
Kruse cited his years on the council promoting a “safe and secure” Cedar Falls. As a financial planner, he sees citizens “as their business” wanting and advocating a financially sound government and city.
Tom Nagle emphasized a desire for increased citizen participation and opportunities to do so. He wants “open communication” between the council and the city and prioritizes that in his campaign.
“No excuses, just results,” Nagle said.
Manning ended the night by reiterating the love and optimism the electorate has for Cedar Falls and what he has seen in his door-to-door campaigning.
He said his vision for the council to be “proactive” and avoid partisan infighting.