Dedicated Advocate
Storm water management, traffic calming, infrastructure improvements, fiscal responsibility
are community-altering issues that will touch us all. As a council member, and fellow
taxpayer we need to make sure that tax dollars are spent wisely and that we get good value
for our investments.
By combining several infrastructure projects together – storm water, sidewalks, paving,
curb and gutter – we are able to limit the intrusion into a neighborhood, decrease costs,
and provide a more cost effective project. By having up front, neighborhood meetings we
include the residents most affected into the early decision making process, being able to
make adjustments at an early stage when they can be most meaningful. Having a “point person”
that a resident can talk to and express concerns to have made projects run smoother. When
projects are large and complex, questions and problems arise but the ability to get
answers to the resident in a timely manner is the key to making these intrusions into
neighborhoods as stress free as possible. The process has been made more inclusive, but
improvements can and will be made to provide a higher level of customer service.
The stress that the present economic crisis is putting on all our personal budgets is
also being felt at the local level. The Citizen Summit is a way for your council to
involve residents in the strategic planning process. By defining those areas of most
concern and interest, the council and staff are able to formulate their short and
long-term goals. Priority ranking is done and a budget is set. Monitoring the budget’s
revenues and expenditures, and making any necessary policy adjustments is an important
job of the council. Clearly defined goals, that are resident driven, will help me make
the right choices in the future.