Scoop: Des Moines drops Iowa League of Cities membership after 126 years
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Des Moines City Hall. Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
The City of Des Moines has ended its 126-year membership in the Iowa League of Cities to cut expenses.
Why it matters: The league's research, outreach and lobbyist team are influential in helping almost all of Iowa's city governments advocate at the state level for policies affecting their operations and services.
- DSM, the state's largest city, will represent itself during the upcoming legislative session with unknown potential extra costs.
Inside the room: League director Alan Kemp tells Axios he met with DSM Mayor Connie Boesen and city manager Scott Sanders early this year and they told him DSM was evaluating its memberships as a cost-saving measure.
- He said it's the first time in at least 25 years that one of Iowa's largest cities has left the league.
The other side: Sanders tells Axios that the decision to withdraw was tough but confirmed it was done so for savings and because DSM has access to similar services.
- He's previously voiced dissatisfaction with the outcome of legislative efforts in recent years — which included a new state law restricting local governments' revenue growth.
State of play: DSM was a founding league member when it was launched in 1898 by a small group of cities wishing to improve local government.
- The organization, which trains city staffers about effective public policies, currently represents over 800 of the state's roughly 940 city governments.
- Dues are based on population. DSM's most recent tab for the last fiscal year came to around $40,000 — about 1% of the group's revenue.
Zoom in: In addition to the league's six state lobbyists, DSM has been using its own lobbyists for years.
- The city had five registered lobbyists in this year's legislative session, including employees of local law firms and city staffers with other job duties.
The intrigue: DSM is welcome to rejoin the league anytime, Kemp said.