Tim Conroy will vie for an at-large seat in this year’s City Council elections.

Conroy announced his bid for council in July 2015. He has worked in residential real estate with the Blank & McCune for roughly six years.

Conroy graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He has served on the UI Museum of Art Member’s Council and is a member of the Iowa City Downtown Rotary Chapter.

Conroy said he has a range of ideas to help improve Iowa City and the surrounding areas.

“I want to focus on furthering our economic development,” Conroy said. “We also need good city services that we can guarantee to our current residents and the ones in the future. We will need to become more self-sufficient as a city.”

Affordable housing is another area of interest for Conroy. He believes down payments and subsidized housing are ideas the city should be looking into.

With the amount of growth Iowa City is experiencing, Conroy said he wants to look into more diverse housing accessible to everyone.

“We need to work on being more inclusive as a community and furthering representation of minorities,” Conroy said. “Our population gets more diverse every day, and we need to understand as a community to be more welcoming.”

Conroy said he believes he will be able to bring something special to the council if elected.

“I can bring a good perspective to the City Council. I encounter clients from broad socioeconomic statuses and they trust me,” he said. “I have a sense of responsibility and can listen to other people in order to show me a broader picture of what’s happening.”

Buffie Tucker, who served on the Museum of Art Members Council with Conroy, said he had a lot to offer the city.

“He is a very dynamic person and good at following through on things,” she said. “He has a thoughtful approach to new ideas and is very open-minded. He will be a good leader for our community.”

Wally Chappell, a family friend, said he believes Conroy has exactly what the City Council needs.

“I think we need fresh thinking in the council and Tim can bring that,” Chappell said. “He is really good because he understands the arts and the power of the arts, which is a huge aspect of Iowa City and the university.”