Iowa City resident Tim Borchardt is hoping to bring a new, more conservative perspective to the Iowa City City Council if elected in November.
Before then, though, Borchardt will face off against incumbents Pauline Taylor and Laura Bergus in the District A primary on Oct. 10. The general election for city council will take place on Nov. 7.
Borchardt has lived in Iowa City for over 30 years and ran for the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in 2019 but lost in the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.
If elected, Borchardt said he plans to make Iowa City safer and tougher on crime, tighten up the city’s budget, and make housing more affordable for all, especially the middle class, which he feels has been pushed out of Iowa City because of how expensive housing is.
Borchardt would like to see the overall budget cut by 10 percent. When going through the planning process, he said he would want three different budgets prepared so councilors can see where various cuts could be made in the different versions.
The two non-negotiable budget items would be the police and fire departments, Borchardt said. He plans to fully support the Iowa City Police Department and if elected, wants to hire an additional 10 officers over time.
Borchardt said the added officers would add to the safety of the city as well as increase public trust between the community and the police department. He said increased police presence in the city would lead to community members getting to know the officers and thus build trust.
“I want a police force that integrates with the community because you cannot build trust with a police force if the community doesn’t know [the officers],” Borchardt said.
In April, Bergus proposed an amendment to the city’s budget that would shift money from the police budget line to other community safety services that do not involve law enforcement, such as CommUnity Crisis Services and Shelter House.
Another issue Borchardt would like to tackle if elected is homelessness. Borchardt said he has no issue with homeless individuals occupying public spaces, such as downtown Iowa City, as long as it does not interfere with the quality of life of those living and walking downtown.
While Borchardt said he thinks Iowa City needs to be more affordable, he does not see affordable housing as the solution to the population of homeless individuals in the city.
He said he believes there should be more mentoring and ministering opportunities made available for homeless individuals who may be struggling with substance abuse and addiction.
Iowa City’s Shelter House offers mental health recovery services as well as various forms of assistance with employment, housing, education, and healthcare.
Borchardt said he feels this approach would be more beneficial for struggling individuals than just giving them a temporary place to live because it gives them a chance to better their lives.
“This city seems to think that if we just shove [the homeless] in a house, throw money at it, our conscience is clear,” Borchardt said. “You can’t make these people do what they don’t want to do… if they choose to make lifestyle choices that aren’t the best in the world, it shouldn’t be incumbent upon us the taxpayer to take care of them.”
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Borchardt said he understands the challenge ahead of him as a Libertarian candidate in a majority liberal Iowa City, but he is still looking forward to seeing the primary results and will plan his next course of action from there.
“If I’m lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to move past the primary, maybe there’s enough people out there who have had enough also of all the crime and crap,” Borchardt said.
