Education
High School some College
I am running for City Council in Pleasant View because I moved to Pleasant View not N. Ogden. I feel all of our current elected officials and in a competition with N. Ogden and are trying to build as many houses as possible to keep up. The business are slowly like very slowly coming in. Business recruitment is where the focus of the city needs to be for sales tax purposes.
I am also very frustrated with the lack of transparency with the public. I have spoken with many City Council members who say everything they vote on is public record well if you have been to a council meeting and the issue is explained ask yourself why would they vote that way?
Infrastructure: with the age of technology you should be able to type your street into the City website and see when all the maintenance is scheduled to be done.
Transparency: I feel each month in the published water bill news letter there should be a list of the City Council members and how they voted for each issue in the council meetings. This will assist with the transparency. City Council meetings are for City Council (i.e. the name) it is not a Mayor meeting and the Mayor should be there to answer questions to the council but not run the meeting. There is a summary of each City Council meeting which is required by law to be filed with the State. Why is this not published on the city website as well?
Business Growth: The focus really needs to shift to Business growth for sales tax reasons. Sales tax is where the City gets largest part of the tax to help the City function, it is not from property tax that is minimal.
I am a disabled Army Veteran and a retired Ogden City Police officer. My roles as a police officer taught me a great deal with what happens inside a City. If the Police Department is not actively communicating with its citizens the citizens start to question what they do they do. Look in your news letter is there anything from the Police Department inside, like an update of last months crime states or problems the police have been dealing with?
I was on the president of the Police association in Ogden City and I had to negotiate wage increases, and new policies dealing with the mayor and city council. I am well aware of how negations are conducted and how lack of transparency frustrate the Citizens which I am one.
My question is how safe is Pleasant View? I think it is pretty safe that is why I moved here. Now I don't know much else since the Police do not educate or win the public over by tell us how safe it is. Is there crime, absolutely but again you would not know that. I feel the Police Chief needs to do a better job conveying problems or issues the police are experiencing so that we as a community can help out where we can. Is the a vehicle burglary problem? I don't know but i do know when I'm driving around late at night and early in the morning there are tons of people walking the neighborhood. I don't know how the new police chief is doing so far, but I do know the old Chief was horrible and the City Council never held him to account.
I feel the City needs to do a much better job explaining the City budget to its citizens. If you have been to a council meeting where this is explained it is totally confusing. When you ask a question you are dismissed as if you should know better. I feel all the current council members have been there way to long and no longer accept public feedback.
I feel spending needs to be on Infrastructure as well as recruiting Businesses even if that means hiring a person to court business and bring them into the City. I believe this position will pay for itself if the contract is written properly.
I believe we have a balanced budget and if not every elected official should be fired.
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Education
Weber State University - Bachelor's Degree in Geography University of Utah - Master's Degree in Public Administration
I want to help make Pleasant View the best it can be. I’m not running because of a certain issue or because I have grand plans for change. My professional and educational backgrounds are in public service and I believe I can be a valuable voice in helping the city council make wise and informed decisions. I am a certified planner (AICP) and have expertise in planning/zoning and community development.
1.Responsible Planning and 2.Hillside Development:
Great communities start with great planning. The City Council is ultimately responsible for planning and zoning in Pleasant View City. How we grow and what our community becomes are among the most important decisions we will make. Good planning helps us address the issues we are facing with housing affordability, traffic congestion, air quality, and development of hillsides and sensitive lands. Good planning brings together citizens, community stakeholders, and elected officials to create policies that guide future growth while preserving community character.
3.Economic Development: Pleasant View has experienced rapid commercial growth over the last few years, mainly along our 2700 North corridor. While commercial growth in general is good because it provides additional sales tax, it is also important that we have a plan in place to help attract the right types of businesses in the right locations.
have been employed at Weber County for 20 years in planning and community development. I am a certified planner (AICP) through the American Planning Association and previously served as the County’s planning director. Currently I serve as the community development director where I oversee many of the County’s public service divisions including, Operations, Planning, Engineering, Building Inspection, Roads, Property Management, and the Waste Transfer Station. I am responsible for over 100 employees and multiple budgets totaling over $19 million. I understand the public budget process and recognize the importance of fiscal responsibility, especially with tax dollars. I have also served on the Planning Commission for the last three years.
Public safety is vital to providing a good quality of life for our residents. I will advocate to appropriately fund our police department with training, vehicles, and equipment. I will also work closely with the North View Fire District to make sure the city's needs are being met and that the District is appropriately funded and functioning properly with fire and EMT/ambulance services.
I don’t like paying taxes any more than you do, but I recognize that they are necessary to fund essential government services like public safety, road maintenance, and elections, to name a few. A tax increase should never be the first option considered to solve the City’s financial issues. I applaud Mayor Call and the City Council for not raising taxes this year.
I would prioritize spending for roads/infrastructure maintenance, employees, and parks/trails. Economic development growth is also important to provide additional sales tax and offset taxes that would otherwise be paid by the citizens.
