Former Mayors Halloran and Pate will lead Cedar Rapids' Charter Review Commission

Two former mayors, Kay Halloran and Paul Pate, will chair the city's Charter Review Commission, City Hall said Monday.

Halloran was the city's first mayor under the city's new charter, which voters approved in June 2005 and which replaced a century-old commission form of government that featured a full-time mayor and council with a part-time mayor and council and a full-time city manager.

Halloran chose not to seek re-election in 2009.

Pate, who served two, two-year terms as mayor and was the last of the city's mayors under the commission government, chose not to run against Halloran in 2005 for what had become a part-time post.

The city's new charter of 2005 stipulates that a Charter Review Commission be appointed and meet in 2011 to review the charter and recommend any changes to it. Such commission review will come every 10 years after this year as stipulated in the charter.

Joining Halloran and Pate on the Charter Review Commission are Nancy Bruner and Robin Tucker, both who were members of the Home Rule Charter Commission back in 2005, as well as LaNisha Cassell, Monica Challenger, James Craig, Patricia Miller, Mary Nelson, Fatima Smejkal, Scott Overland, Nancy Welsh and Carleton Whiting.

Mayor Ron Corbett and members of the City Council each suggested members for the commission.

Corbett said on Monday that the commission is balanced by gender and city geography in addition to being led by two former mayors and with two former Home Rule Charter Commission members on the Review Commission as well.

Corbett said the Review Commission will meet for the first time on May 5 and will be asked to report back to the City Council in August.