Although he has only been an elected politician for a little more than six months, City Council member Rodger Koopman has already made a name for himself.

Koopman, who represents Northeast Raleigh's District B, is by far the most outspoken member of the eight-person City Council. His outspokenness has occasionally gotten him into trouble, as it did when he compared the hardships being faced by troops in Iraq with the council's decision to ban new garbage disposals.

But Koopman also has his admirers, particularly residents who say he is asking tough but fair questions that most politicians avoid.

Koopman spoke about life as a council member and what the remainder of his two-year term may hold.

Q: What has surprised you most about the job?

The surprise is the general lack of interest by the population at large in things that really affect them. I guess I should not have been surprised -- one of my graduate degrees is in political science. What I find difficult is that on these important issues ... I'm not getting a good sense of whether I'm hearing from a large majority or a vocal fringe. To not have a good sense sometimes of what the average person wants, I find that frustrating.

Q: What can you do to make sure you're hearing from a broader range of residents?

What I do, at the expense of my family life, is go to every meeting that I'm invited to. The one thing I discovered when I ran for office is exactly how easy it is to get hold of local politicians. The thing people don't understand is if they give me a call and invite me somewhere, I'm going to do my best to attend. Please, please, please e-mail or call.

Q: Should we expect you to change your outspoken ways anytime soon?

Well, I tend to be a fairly blunt person. Sometimes, my wife tells me I should be more careful. I think people at the end of the day value people who are honest with them. Sometimes I'm punished by people like you for it ... I do have to be careful. [Referring to his comments about Iraq and the garbage disposal ban] I didn't say that right. I think my sentiment was right, the words were poorly chosen.

Q: You've publicly questioned whether the city has the right people in certain leadership positions. How has that affected your relationship with city staff?

I understand what I'm talking about scares the [expletive deleted] out of people. I'm not on some personal vendetta against the staff. I just think that there are some people in leadership positions who are in over their head. When staff members meet me and give me an opportunity to explain myself, they tend to appreciate my point of view. They may not agree with me, but they understand what's driving me. I'm not some unfair jerk. ... Part of the political process is healthy friction, and I think we all understand that.

Q: What issues do you hope to focus on during the rest of your term?

I am genuinely concerned that incredibly fast growth is adversely affecting the quality of life for average Raleigh citizens. The most lasting legacy I can leave is to help figure out how to manage growth much, much better and have more growth pay for itself. And unfortunately, that means more fees.