CEDAR RAPIDS -- Mayor Kay Halloran hasn't said much publicly since the flood. Wednesday night, she explained why she's let others speak for her and what she thinks about people who say the council is dragging its feet.

Even though many residents want the council to move faster, Mayor Halloran thinks good decisions are better than quick decisions.

“The word for the day is patience. It's not easy. People don't like to be patient, but under these types of circumstances, that's what they need to be,” she said.

Halloran and other council members have routinely faced criticism at council meetings over the past few weeks.

The mayor says she understands people's frustrations, but she doesn't think it's possible to speed up the process.

"Of course it isn't as fast as they would like it. They would like to snap their fingers and have it fixed or have a magic wand they can wave and it'll all be ok again. But, that's not the way it works,” Halloran said.

Halloran says she hasn't been as visible lately because she's been working a lot behind the scenes. She meets with lawmakers on a regular basis to help bring funds to Cedar Rapids as quickly as possible.

"I don't need to be in front of your camera. As long as the job gets done, I don't care who gets the credit for it,” she said.

The mayor also believes the disaster could actually make the city a better place to live.

"This is our opportunity to be cutting edge, to be top drawer, to make sure we don't merely replace what we've lost, but that we make it better,” Halloran said.

Snap decisions and mistakes could have serious consequences later. That's why Halloran still argues careful conversations and choices are the best way to move forward.