HAL'S TRACK RECORD

“Omaha no longer needs to harbor a feeling of inferiority, but we can’t rest on our laurels, either. The key is, what do we do to keep the spring in our step?” - Hal Daub

Hal worked for all citizens.

As Omaha’s Mayor from 1995 through 2001, Hal Daub worked diligently to reduce property taxes, fight crime, improve Omaha’s parks, secure greater cooperation between City and County government, and set the course for economic development along the Missouri riverfront, in the downtown area and throughout the city.

Hal reduced taxes.

As Mayor, Hal secured reductions in property taxes nearly every year he was in office. And he didn’t do it by simply reducing the tax rate, something that is easily achieved when rising property values and annexations increase revenue. He did it by skillfully and carefully managing spending to balance the City’s budget.

Under Hal, the rate per $100 of property valuation was 62 ½ cents/100 in 1995 – and in 2001 had been cut to 42-½ cents/100 – a reduction of nearly one-third!

Hal fought crime.

Under his leadership, Hal took the Omaha Police Department from the ground and put it in the air – introducing helicopters as a vital weapon in OPD’s arsenal against crime. He had the vision to understand the enormous importance of having aerial backup for the officers on the ground. Today it would be hard to imagine police searching for an armed suspect – or a missing child – without this valuable “eye in the sky.”

Hal was an advocate of the “broken windows” approach to targeting all crime, large and small. An article in the Atlantic Monthly stated a theory that, “If the first broken window in a building is not repaired, then people who like breaking windows will assume that no one cares about the building and more windows will be broken. Soon the building will have no windows . . .” When put in place in New York City, the “broken windows” approach reportedly resulted in a significant reduction in crime. Other cities have since adopted “broken windows” policing in some form. Hal launched the city’s offensive against graffiti by purchasing and staffing Omaha’s first anti-graffiti van, a service whose need persists today. He worked to establish the Offenders to Work program, helped secure voter approval of the Police and Fire Training Center, and saw the first-ever National Accreditation for the Omaha Police Department.

Hal envisioned phenomenal development.

Undoubtedly the most visible legacy of Hal Daub as mayor is the transformation of the Missouri riverfront and downtown areas.

Other improvements that benefitted from Hal’s vision of a better Omaha include the Hruska Federal Court House, Old Market Embassy Suites Hotel, Gallup University Riverfront Campus; Curtis National Park Service Regional Headquarters; the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Riverfront Condominiums development, the West Dodge Expressway, and the development of the former Ak-Sar-Ben thoroughbred racetrack properties, as well as business developments in north Omaha and at the site of the former stockyards in south Omaha.

Hal worked to improve family recreation.

Understanding that a city must serve its citizens in all facets of life including recreation, Hal oversaw a series of improvements to Omaha’s parks system. He developed the Omaha Park Improvement Plan and moved the City from building small swimming pools to major Aquatic Centers, which during his time in office were opened at Miller Park and Benson’s Gallagher Park.

His administration also launched the popular Sun Dawgs summer parks program for children, developed with private sector financial support.

Hal sought cooperation between city and county government.

During his time in office, Hal worked to move City and Douglas County government toward a more cooperative relationship. The merger of the two entities’ 911 emergency centers was accomplished because Hal was willing to compromise and allow Douglas County to operate the center.

He worked to achieve the City-County Library Agreement, allowing Douglas County residents to use Omaha’s libraries, breaking a long-running dispute on that issue; and he sought to combine separate City and County Information and Data Systems operations into one entity managed by Dot.com.

He supported merging the management of various county and city parks under the City of Omaha Parks Department, and helped secure an interlocal agreement to merge the Millard Fire Department with the Omaha Fire Department, as well as obtain the Omaha Police/Douglas County Sheriff interlocal law enforcement agreement.

Hal forged partnerships.

There is a time for lively discussion, and a time for setting aside differences. Under his administration as a two-term Omaha Mayor, the city accomplished great things.  “You don’t build something as marvelous for the city as the Qwest Center Omaha without being able to cooperate and work together,” Hal says. “I wouldn’t want to be mayor in a city where everyone responded ‘yes’ to everything I said. I might as well cover my desk in bobble-head figures and send everyone else home.”

In a 2006 interview with Omaha’s B2B magazine, Hal reflected fondly on his time in the Mayor’s office. “As Mayor, I could get my hands around an idea, bring people together and work out a deal.”

Today, Omaha continues to reap the benefits of Hal Daub’s skills as Mayor to bring people together and work out a deal.

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