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Mayor of the Year Award RecognitionCopyrighted October 6, 2025 City of Dubuque PRESENTATIONS # 1. City Council ITEM TITLE: Mayor of the Year Award Recognition SUMMARY: Iowa League of Cities Director Alan Kemp will recognize Mayor Brad Cavanagh for recently being named Mayor of the Year in the Over 10,000 in Population category by the Iowa Mayors Association. SUGGUESTED DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: 1. Press Release 2. Nomination Page 12 of 1264 9/19/25, 11:55 AM Cavanagh Receives Mayor of the Year Award Cavanagh Receives Mayor of the Year Award SEPT. 19, 2025 Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh was recently named Mayor of the Year in the Over 10,000 in Population category by the Iowa Mayors Association. The award was presented at the association's business meeting on Wed., Sept. 17, during the Iowa of League of Cities Annual Conference and Exhibit in Des Moines. The Mayor of the Year Award was created to recognize individuals who have provided extraordinary public service to their community, the Iowa League of Cities, Iowa Mayors Association, and local government. The award has three population categories: Under 2,000, 2,000-10,000, and Over 10,000. Mayors Przychodzin of Massena and Van Otterloo of Rock Valley won the other categories. Mayor Cavanagh served as the Iowa League's board president this past year, leading conversations and partnerships across the state and at the Iowa Capitol. The association noted Cavanagh prioritized transparent public communications, launching a new "Delivering Dubuque with Mayor Cavanagh" video program to explore how the city is making investments, the public improvement initiatives the city is progressing, and key facets of local government for residents. According to the association, although the position of mayor of Dubuque is part-time, Mayor Cavanagh's dedication and efforts make it seem like a full-time commitment. Mayor Cavanagh's talents as a gifted speaker, strategic thinker, and problem solver serve his community well and rank him highly amongst his peers and most deserving of this recognition. The Iowa League of Cities recognizes and celebrates the engaging and thoughtful leadership of Mayor Cavanagh in meeting the unique needs of Dubuque. https://www.cityofdubuque.org/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message/271081 Page 13 of 1 A 9/19/25, 11:55 AM Cavanagh Receives Mayor of the Year Award Mike Armstrong, Iowa League of Cities Communications Coordinator mikearmstrong@iowaleague.org, 515.244.7282 Copyright © 2025 City of Dubuque. Al 50 W. 13th Street, Dubuque, IA 52001 Powered by 97CIVIC.SEND https://www.cityofdubuque.org/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message/271081 Page 14 of 1 A In your view, what has this person done to provide extraordinary service to city government, their community and local region or the Mayors Association? Why do you feel this person should receive the Mayor of the Year Award? Although the position of Mayor in the City of Dubuque is part-time, Mayor Cavanagh's dedication and effort make it seem like a full-time commitment. Mayor Cavanagh's talents as a gifted speaker, strategic thinker and problem solver serve his community well and rank him highly amongst his peers and most deserving of this recognition. He is actively involved in numerous organizations that leverage resources, establish connections, and advocate for specific issues, including the Iowa Mayors Association and the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. As President of the Iowa League of Cities, he represents the organization and collaborates with the board of directors to develop policies and drive initiatives that align with the League's mission and objectives, serving as a key stakeholder in shaping the organization's future strategy. He has also served on the Iowa League of Cities State Legislative Policy Committee as a member, including as Cochair and then Chair since he was elected as Mayor. Mayor Cavanagh founded and leads the Dubuque Community Air Service Task Force, a coalition of community stakeholders dedicated to advocating for the return of legacy air service to the Dubuque region. His leadership has been catalytic in returning vital daily air service to the Northeast Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Southeast Wisconsin region. Mayor Cavanagh's involvement in multiple organizations not only demonstrates his dedication to representing Dubuque but also reflects his enthusiasm for building partnerships. He recognizes partnerships as vital to the success of the community and has supported buy -in from community leaders, businesses, and residents in multiple initiatives. He regularly attends conferences to share Dubuque's successes with other communities and learn from their achievements. These conferences include the National League of Cities, the Iowa League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the COP28 Conference held in Dubai in 2023. Mayor Cavanagh was elected as the 2024 Vice Chair of the Iowa Metropolitan Coalition, collaborating with other Iowa leaders to promote the legislative priorities of Iowa's larger communities. Mayor Cavanagh consistently highlights both Dubuque's challenges and successes as he shares our story on the regional, national, and global stage. In March 2025, Mayor Cavanagh traveled to Quebec, Canada, to present Dubuque's Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project to an audience of more than 100 participants. The forum was hosted by Vivre en Ville, a Canadian public interest organization that contributes to the development of sustainable communities throughout the province of Quebec. As the only American presenter and one of two keynote speakers, Mayor Cavanagh shared Dubuque's multi- faceted approach to addressing flash flooding through the Bee Branch Watershed. The forum included representatives from communities across Quebec and other Canadian provinces facing similar flooding challenges. His participation reflected a commitment to sharing Dubuque's successes as a model for others. In October 2023, Mayor Cavanagh was one of 50 U.S. mayors to participate in Bloomberg CityLab 2023, a prestigious, multi -day summit to discuss addressing challenges cities are facing regarding climate, infrastructure, technology, migration, gun violence, and more. The event brought together more than 500 city leaders, experts, innovators, and artists from over more than 200 cities spanning 40 countries and six continents. Page 15 of 1264 In November 2023, Mayor Cavanagh was one of 150 mayors invited by Bloomberg Cities Initiative to attend COP28, an annual global climate conference in Dubai, where world leaders convened to engage in crucial negotiations and commitments concerning the climate crisis. While there, he participated in the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit to represent local solutions to the crisis and showcase Dubuque's leadership in climate action. Mayor Cavanagh came back to Dubuque re -energized in his commitment to address the global climate crisis, and has engaged his Council colleagues and many community groups in conversations about the demand for us to act locally to impact our children's future. Mayor Cavanagh frequently travels to Des Moines and Washington, D.C. to strengthen relationships with state and federal legislators and to advocate for the needs of local municipalities, especially as many grants and programs that benefit Dubuque may be impacted in an ever -changing landscape. He approaches these interactions as collaborative partnerships, making himself both approachable and effective in working with lawmakers. During the 2025 legislative session, he played an active role in communicating the potential impacts of proposed legislation on local governments. His involvement was particularly influential in the property tax discussions, where he helped legislators recognize the value of delaying the legislation to allow for continued dialogue. Mayor Cavanagh's approach was that while tax reform is beneficial, it must be a thoughtful process that considers everyone's interests. Doing it right takes time to carefully evaluate the impacts of various ideas and proposals. Now, with several months available for analysis, there is an opportunity to develop a fair plan that respects taxpayers while ensuring cities, counties, and schools can continue providing the essential services residents need, expect, and deserve. Mayor Cavanagh played three important roles in this legislative session. 1. Serving as the Mayor of Dubuque gave him a keen understanding of the community, the needs of the residents and the demands on taxpayers. He was able to articulate to legislators the importance of conducting a deliberative process. 2. As President of the Iowa League of Cities, he was able to represent the interest of all of the communities in the State of Iowa, directing the efforts of their lobbyist and having the Iowa League of Cities develop impact templates so each community could quickly and accurately calculate how different pieces of legislation would impact each community and their ability to continue to offer essential services and to positively impact quality of life for their residents. 3. Mayor Cavanagh serves as a member of the Metropolitan Coalition, an organization that represents the large cities in the State of Iowa, and he was able to advocate for the special needs of these larger cities, who serve as the economic engines of the State of Iowa where almost all of the economic and population growth is occurring as they serve the interest of the majority of the people who live in the State of Iowa. Another facet of Mayor Cavanagh's extraordinary service is the culture he creates with his council colleagues, city staff, and residents. Mayor Cavanagh's professional background includes work as a social worker and college professor, and he uses the skills that make him successful in those settings in his elected role. Mayor Cavanagh skillfully balances professional decorum at City Council meetings with a touch of humor, injecting well-timed jokes that foster a positive atmosphere. He diligently sets a tone that indicates the City Council is approachable and receptive to resident input and models civility and respect in an age where those values are increasingly replaced with tense public debate and incivility. When subject matter experts present highly technical information to the City Council, Mayor Cavanagh Page 16 of 1264 frequently distills the key points and outlines next steps. He proactively considers public perception and ensures that his summaries make the information accessible to all. Mayor Cavanagh's commitment to supporting informed, engaged residents and fostering transparency is exemplified in multiple ways. The first example is in the "Delivering Dubuque with Mayor Cavanagh" video series he initiated shortly after becoming mayor. Working with video production staff from the City's public information office, he explores the investments and initiatives that are bringing about positive change in the Dubuque community. In each episode, Mayor Cavanagh meets with city staff, partner organizations, and community members to explore the many ways in which they are "Delivering Dubuque" to all. Since taking office, at least 10 episodes have been produced. The second example is in the "Leading Iowa: Good Government in Iowa's Cities Podcast" that Mayor Cavanagh co -hosts. The podcast features conversations with government leaders from across the state, sharing best practices and success stories in public service. The podcast celebrates the dedication of public servants and showcases their commitment to their communities Mayor Cavanagh served as a co -keynote speaker at the City of Dubuque's 2025 Employee Recognition Event, participating in a conversational discussion on stage in front of a majority of the City organization. The format offered employees a unique opportunity to see and hear directly from the mayor. He openly addressed the City's current challenges and shared future goals, demonstrating a genuine commitment to transparency and to keeping employees informed, engaged, and connected to the City's overall direction. Mayor Cavanagh acts to make sure that all residents have access to their elected officials. While we have continued to meet challenges in determining how we can assist when state legislative barriers stand in the way, Mayor Cavanagh has advocated for residents in many ways. A specific example is his advocacy of mobile home park residents who are victims of predatory landlords, fostering partnerships that are exploring creative solutions to assist in their affordable housing needs. Mayor Cavanagh embodies the community -focused aspect of the role by constantly attending community events and participating in diverse speaking engagements, from project ribbon cuttings to reading to first graders. He has also taken time from his busy schedule to personally connect with participants in our City Life program, especially in our Spanish speaking class. Mayor Cavanagh deserves the Mayor of the Year award because he tirelessly advocates for the community that he loves. The City of Dubuque is incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated, personable, and caring individual representing our city as Mayor. Page 17 of 1264