I was discussing some of the reasons why it is important that I am reelected in November. Yes, continued progress in preparing our citizens and city for disasters is part of it, but there are so many more reasons.
When I first took office in 2004 our city was millions of dollars in debt. My first challenge as Mayor was to look at how we did things as a Government, prioritize services and look at what could be accomplished better by other means. As a result of changes made, we paid off that debt, built up a reserve of almost $1,000,000 and did so without big tax increases by the city. We did so by increasing efficiencies, bringing in new businesses and helping our current businesses do better. Due to these changes and my belief in fiscal discipline, when the economic downturn hit is 2008 our city was in a much better position than many to survive. We did make cuts, but we did not need to slash programs and lay off employees because we were already operating lean. Although our reserves have shrunk over this past few years, they did what they were supposed to do, provide for services during Pacific’s rainy days.
There are many other accomplishments we can be proud of. Under my administration we have aggressively pursued grants and funding to improve our infrastructure. We completely rebuilt Ellingson, added sidewalks and bike lanes on 3rd Ave, built a new water tower and regional stormwater facility. We are working regionally with Sumner to our south creating a new Manufacturing Industrial Center to create new jobs and moving forward to rebuild Valentine Road, Milwaukee and Butte early next year. We are moving into our second phase of widening Stewart Road and preloading of the shoulders from SR 167 to Thornton should begin soon. Much of this is funded by your tax dollars that are paid to State and Federal Government; we are just bringing those dollars home to benefit you.
What I am most proud of is what we have accomplished as a community. In 2004 I asked a group of citizens to step forward and volunteer their time on civic functions in our community. Out of this initial group, Pacific Partnerships was born. By encouraging and empowering citizens to take active control of their lives, Pacific Partnerships now provides for much of our civic infrastructure; Pacific Days, The Giving Tree, our Tree lighting at City Hall, many of the activities that draw us together as a community. We also have the White River Valley Lions Club of which I was the first of the founding members. Both of these great organizations are not brought up to take credit for them or what they do, but to point out that I value the power and abilities that our citizens have and believe it is important for us as a community to always promote those values.
Yes, I am proud of what we have accomplished in preparedness. We are on the cutting edge in many ways and have found creative ways to provide many of the same resources that communities four times our size struggle with. We are teaching citizens not just how to prepare and save themselves, but to effectively work together in times of disaster. I am proud to have been recognized as a Risk Innovator by Risk and Insurance Magazine and proud of the national recognition garnered as a result of our attitude, training and preparedness.
There are many reasons I deserve to be reelected as your Mayor for another four years. I am dedicated to this community and will always work to empower our community to be better than we are. Some have complained that I am using my position as a stepping stone to a new career. I have turned down job opportunities that would take me away from my ability to serve as your Mayor because I still had work to do here. When I retire, I most likely will pursue a new career in emergency management because I have developed a passion for it. I believe that it is important for everyone to look at how they can best serve others, and if my experience can help our nation become better prepared then yes, I will pursue that as a new career. But it is because of the passion I have for the subject and my desire to always serve in the best interest of our citizens that is the reason. That is always something to be proud of.
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