Iowa City District C candidates debate housing, state pressure and city priorities at League forum

At a League of Women Voters forum in Iowa City, Ross Nusser and Oliver Weiline, candidates for the District C city council seat, outlined competing approaches to affordable housing, responses to potential state property-tax cuts and protections for marginalized residents.

The forum, moderated by Shaden Patrick of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, came as the city prepares for a Feb. 4 primary and a March 4 special election to fill the vacancy created when Andrew Dunn resigned. Only District C residents vote in the Feb. 4 primary; all Iowa City residents will be eligible in the March 4 special election, the League announced at the forum.

Housing was the central subject of the evening. Oliver Weiline said housing policy should move beyond market-centered solutions and emphasized tenant organizing. “All people deserve housing as a human right,” Weiline said, adding that he helped found the Iowa City Tenants Union and has worked on eviction defense and mutual aid for people experiencing homelessness. He urged the city to study social- and public-housing models used elsewhere.

Ross Nusser, a realtor and developer, said he supports a mix of solutions, including Housing First programs and targeted measures for middle-income and homeownership options. Nusser said the city already has a funding pool earmarked for housing: “The city has $15,000,000 to spend toward affordable housing that’s earmarked and we can deploy that responsibly,” he told the forum.

The candidates disagreed on how aggressively the city should respond to potential state-level cuts to property-tax revenue. Nusser said Iowa City should “work with [state leaders], not against them,” describing the city as “a blue dot in a very red state” and urging careful, collaborative responses while relying on city staff and legal counsel to assess impacts. Weiline argued the city should pursue creative new revenue streams and local policies to reduce reliance on market-driven housing, citing examples such as municipal utilities and public banking models used elsewhere: “I’ve looked at public banking…in North Dakota,” he said, and pointed to municipal utilities in places such as Cedar Falls and initiatives in Decorah as revenue and climate tools.

Both candidates addressed the question of protecting marginalized residents in the face of state and federal pressure. Weiline used strong language against federal enforcement practices: “I think that ICE should not exist. And I think that, ICE is a terrorist organization in The United States,” he said, and added the city must “do whatever it took to make sure that as a city, we do not participate” in enforcement actions. Nusser said he would approach legal and operational questions cautiously and work with staff and fellow elected officials to determine appropriate city responses: “I would figure out what is coming at Iowa City, and then we'd have to work to be very careful on this.”

On other issues: both candidates expressed support for fare-free public transit. Weiline connected public transit to climate and equity goals and recommended expanding permanent supported housing models, while Nusser cited his volunteer experience with housing programs and recovery services as part of his qualifications. On the city charter review (whether council members should be elected citywide or by district and how the mayor should be chosen), Nusser said he supports the recommendation to eliminate a direct mayoral election and to have district members elected citywide, while Weiline said he wanted more neighborhood-level input before deciding.

The candidates also discussed labor and the city’s relationship with the University of Iowa. Weiline described himself as a rank-and-file worker and labor organizer who has actively supported pickets and union causes; Nusser said he is open to meeting and learning from labor groups and has begun forming relationships. On the university, Weiline said the city should work with the University of Iowa but not “become compliant” if the university treats workers poorly; Nusser emphasized maintaining a cooperative relationship.

The forum included a brief exchange about candidate backgrounds and conflicts. Nusser said he operates short-term rentals and manages property and that statutory conflict-of-interest rules and review by the city attorney and council would govern his participation in deliberations where conflicts exist. Weiline responded to questions about past social media posts by saying some items being circulated are old and taken out of context and emphasized his record of community work and gun-safety practices.

Both candidates delivered closing remarks reiterating their commitments: Weiline emphasized his experience with low-income residents and direct service work and restated housing as a human-rights issue; Nusser emphasized experience crafting housing policy, service on nonprofit boards and a preference for careful responses to state-level actions. The League said the forum recording will be available on its website and Channel 4 would rebroadcast the event; the League reminded attendees of early-voting dates at the Johnson County Auditor’s Office.