Name Tom Vlassis | Education Drake University | |
Thomas 'Tom' Vlassis was defeated as city councilman for Ward I in 2010. Tom was elected to the Des Moines City Council (Ward One) in April 1989, after having served on the City's Planning and Zoning Commission for five years. Prior to the commission appointment, Vlassis was involved in international cultural and educational programs on behalf of the city of Des Moines.
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Early life
Vlassis attended North High School in Des Moines, Iowa. After he was discharged from the Air Force, Vlassis enrolled at Drake University in September 1956, where he received a degree in education before graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor's in Pharmacy. Tom was married to his wife, Sophie Pargas Vlassis in 1976.
Political career
Vlassis' was first elected to the Des Moines City Council in 1988 and was defeated in 2010. In 2005, Vlassis ran unopposed and won the election with 2,731 votes. His current term expires January 1, 2009. Vlassis has announced that he plans to run for re-election. As of January 19, 2009, Vlassis' campaign had $423.39 on hand.
Tom has served on the Police and Fire subcommittees for 10 years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Regional Workforce Investment (RWIB), the Central Iowa Employment & Training Consortium (CIETC), and served six years on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Central Iowa. Vlassis is in his seventh term as a member of the Steering Committee on Community and Economic Development. He continues his service as liaison to the SBA/HUD Economic Development program in Des Moines.
Controversy
On March 31, 2006, David A. Vaudt from the Auditor's Office for the State of Iowa released a report concerning an investigation of misuse of federal and state funds to pay excessive salaries and bonuses to three executive members at CIETC. Vlassis served on the Board of Directors and stated before a legislative panel that his function was to be a "rubber stamp". Several individuals involved in this incident were sentenced to prison time, including another Board member, though Vlassis was not ever indicted. Vlassis refused to resign from the City Council, in spite of the fact that more than 6500 people signed a petition demanding his resignation.
In June 2005, the Des Moines City Council began collecting "franchise fees" on the utility bills of residents. On June 3, 2009 those fees were found to be illegal by a state district court. Though the exact number is still being determined, the Court stated that the City illegally charged residents over $9 million per year since 2005, resulting in an estimated $50 million of damages, not including interest.