ILA PAC is dedicated to serving housing providers and their tenants in the communities of Iowa.  In 2003, the Des Moines City Council and it's city manager created a heated firestorm with Des Moines landlords regarding it's significant increases in housing inspection fees and the way the inspections are implemented.  The results have been to increase fees to the residents of rental and leased housing in the community of Des Moines - resulting in indirect additional taxation of tenants.  We believe the City of Des Moines' leadership and the lack thereof, has enacted a bad example for other municipalities throughout the state of Iowa.  The memory of these un-civic minded actions will not be quickly forgotten.

Consequently this and other predatory actions of the city government of Des Moines have necessitated the founding of the Iowa Landlord Association Political Action Committee. 

While we have initially focused our attention on Des Moines, our organization works with landlord and property management firms across the state of Iowa.  Therefore, as we see other areas of Iowa with similar issues of government mismanagement, we will support solutions to resolve such inequities.  Once again, our purpose of this PAC is to advance community housing by promoting good law and government policy to the benefit of both housing providers and tenants.

As part of our consideration of candidates for the City of Des Moines municipal elections, a questionnaire was sent out in July 2003 to all the candidates requesting that they respond to these questions.  Below is a list of those questions:

---

1. To encourage the Des Moines City Council's vote in favor of the new inspection fee structure, Ben Bishop promised a detailed inspection cost versus revenue report in six months.  When will that report be delivered and how will the council evaluate that report?
    

2. Is the current merger plan between the City of Des Moines and Polk County a good idea?
    

3. Would the City of Des Moines be better off using a private company for inspecting rental property?
    

4. Do you believe the current fee structure for rental property in Des Moines is just and fair?  If your answer is yes, why do you believe it is?  If your answer is no, what would you propose to lower the inspection fee?
    

5. Is the City Budget of Des Moines 'out of control' due to deficit and draconian cuts?
    

6. Do you believe the current re-inspection fees imposed on landlords is an inherent conflict of interest for the City of Des Moines?
    

7. Currently, malicious destruction to rental property by tenants has been treated as a civil matter by the DMPD even though Chapter 716 of the Iowa Code classifies it as criminal mischief.  Would you put more emphasis on the protection of rental property by encouraging the DMPD to treat damage done by tenants as a criminal matter as opposed to a civil one?
    

8. Did you vote for the $1,500,000. given to the Principal Financial Group?
    

9. Did you vote for the $900,000 to repair the field at Sec Taylor Stadium?
    

10. Do you believe Des Moines is doing a good job of managing its budget due to the current deficit?
     

11. In your opinion, will the current proposed merger between the City of Des Moines and Polk County save taxpayers' money and lower property taxes?
     

12. Do you have other ideas on how the City of Des Moines could save money instead of the current recommendations by the city manager (shutting off lights, etc.)?
     

13. Would you recommend to lower inspection fees on rental property if it was shown that the current fee structure exceeded the actual cost of doing the inspections?
     

14. How would you do a better job of managing the City of Des Moines?
     

15. Is the current city manager, Eric Anderson, doing a good job?
     

16. Would you vote to limit the number of terms a councilperson could serve?