Chief
04-22-2008, 05:56 PM
Reprinted with pleasure, and with the permission of the Candidate.
mrgrn
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
For those I have not the opportunity to meet yet, I thought I would take a minute and tell you a little bit about myself.
Except while I was away to college I have lived in Clark County my entire life. I graduated from Columbia River High School and attended college at EWU. While I was earning a degree in Business Administration, I joined the Cheney Fire Department as a volunteer. I discovered that my first choice for a career was with the fire service. When I returned home after graduation I was fortunate to be offered a job with CCFD 6 as a firefighter. Over the years I progressed through the ranks and spent the last 9 years of my career as the fire chief. As the leader of Fire District 6, I was responsible for approximately 100 personnel and the operation of an agency protecting over 60,000 residents with a budget in the millions of dollars. Tough decisions had to be made on the administrative level as well as on emergency scenes and I met those challenges. I am currently a manager at The Amphitheater at Clark County. Working in the private sector the past five years have given me a greater perspective with some of the challenges in making a business successful
I have been involved both professionally and as a volunteer in the public process over the years. I enjoy the interaction between those involved to reach creative solutions to our community needs. I have never hesitated to serve on different boards or to provide input to various agencies handling planning issues; I have participated in planning issues with the Vancouver School District. WSU Vancouver, Legacy/Salmon Creek Hospital and many other projects.
My parents instilled a sense of giving back to the community in me at a very young age and showed me by example how rewarding it was. I have been involved with the community through the HDSCBA serving 2 years as it’s president, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Little League, the Boy Scouts of America, 25 years of service with the American Red Cross and others. I am currently the chairman of TEAM 99 a group working with the county, local business and neighborhoods to improve HWY 99. I also serving on the Klineline Bridge Outreach Advisory Group to help local neighborhoods and business deal with the closure of the bridge.. I have found involvement in the community to be challenging, educational and rewarding.
There are several issues that are very important to me.
The quality of life we enjoy in Clark County must be protected. We must have safe family-oriented neighborhoods, varied recreational opportunities, strong schools, adequate roads and protection of our natural resources.
Transportation issues At the county level, our transportation issues are simple: we need to focus on safety, congestion, efficiency and making sure our tax dollars address these most central issues. Every transportation dollar must address prioritized projects that reflect these facts and they must be identified and implemented. Are local county transportation dollars spent the most effectively on projects that actually make a difference? Are all arterial traffic lights synchronized for the most effective traffic flow?
We need to make sure these issues are addressed.
Economic development is essential to the health of the county. We must establish a more business friendly environment, expand our economic base and create more family wage jobs in Clark County. That will help reduce pressure on an already over burdened I-5 corridor. Accomplishing this requires the right policies. We need smarter, smaller government. We need to make sure our county’s budget is both efficient and effective. With the decrease in new construction the budget will become tighter in the upcoming years and we need to make sure the budget is accountable and responsible to our citizens.
The county must also work with others in the recruitment of new businesses into our communities while helping with the retention and growth of the businesses that are ready here. Economical growth will help provide more family waged jobs in the county so that many of the 65,000 people who cross the Columbia River each day can have the opportunity to work closer to their homes and families. Less dependency on Oregon for jobs is a win for our citizens. New businesses contribute a higher rate of taxes to local jurisdictions than do homeowners. This will help stabilize property taxes.
I believe in constructive intergovernmental relationships. County government may disagree with city governments but that discourse must be kept in perspective and should always be viewed through the filter of “what’s best for all of the people of Clark County”. Open channels of communication are in the best interest of our community.
Our community’s safety must be a constant priority. Police, Fire and other emergency services and agencies should always be a priority and considered basic services. They should be funded first. We must continue to make sure law enforcement and treatment facilities have the tools they need to get the job done concerning our meth problem and its impacts on all of us: high crime rates, the break up of families and the financial burden of approximately 70 % of our jail space occupied by people who have committed meth-related crimes. We need to strive to make Clark County a “meth-free zone”.
Integrity in public service is very important to me. I believe that open communications and the search for common ground in difficult situations are crucial to finding solutions to the county’s problems.
Working on behalf of our community is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I have thought a great deal about how to best apply my skills and desire to serve our community. We need strong, honest and open leadership. As your county commissioner I will use my experience and apply my values to move Clark County forward in a positive and prosperous direction.
I have a reputation for integrity, accountability, accessibility and common sense in both my professional and every day life. These attributes will help me serve Clark County as you next commissioner. Together we can secure Clark County’s future greatness as a place to live, work and to raise a family.
To accomplish these goals and others I ask for your support.
Thank you
mrgrn
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
For those I have not the opportunity to meet yet, I thought I would take a minute and tell you a little bit about myself.
Except while I was away to college I have lived in Clark County my entire life. I graduated from Columbia River High School and attended college at EWU. While I was earning a degree in Business Administration, I joined the Cheney Fire Department as a volunteer. I discovered that my first choice for a career was with the fire service. When I returned home after graduation I was fortunate to be offered a job with CCFD 6 as a firefighter. Over the years I progressed through the ranks and spent the last 9 years of my career as the fire chief. As the leader of Fire District 6, I was responsible for approximately 100 personnel and the operation of an agency protecting over 60,000 residents with a budget in the millions of dollars. Tough decisions had to be made on the administrative level as well as on emergency scenes and I met those challenges. I am currently a manager at The Amphitheater at Clark County. Working in the private sector the past five years have given me a greater perspective with some of the challenges in making a business successful
I have been involved both professionally and as a volunteer in the public process over the years. I enjoy the interaction between those involved to reach creative solutions to our community needs. I have never hesitated to serve on different boards or to provide input to various agencies handling planning issues; I have participated in planning issues with the Vancouver School District. WSU Vancouver, Legacy/Salmon Creek Hospital and many other projects.
My parents instilled a sense of giving back to the community in me at a very young age and showed me by example how rewarding it was. I have been involved with the community through the HDSCBA serving 2 years as it’s president, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Little League, the Boy Scouts of America, 25 years of service with the American Red Cross and others. I am currently the chairman of TEAM 99 a group working with the county, local business and neighborhoods to improve HWY 99. I also serving on the Klineline Bridge Outreach Advisory Group to help local neighborhoods and business deal with the closure of the bridge.. I have found involvement in the community to be challenging, educational and rewarding.
There are several issues that are very important to me.
The quality of life we enjoy in Clark County must be protected. We must have safe family-oriented neighborhoods, varied recreational opportunities, strong schools, adequate roads and protection of our natural resources.
Transportation issues At the county level, our transportation issues are simple: we need to focus on safety, congestion, efficiency and making sure our tax dollars address these most central issues. Every transportation dollar must address prioritized projects that reflect these facts and they must be identified and implemented. Are local county transportation dollars spent the most effectively on projects that actually make a difference? Are all arterial traffic lights synchronized for the most effective traffic flow?
We need to make sure these issues are addressed.
Economic development is essential to the health of the county. We must establish a more business friendly environment, expand our economic base and create more family wage jobs in Clark County. That will help reduce pressure on an already over burdened I-5 corridor. Accomplishing this requires the right policies. We need smarter, smaller government. We need to make sure our county’s budget is both efficient and effective. With the decrease in new construction the budget will become tighter in the upcoming years and we need to make sure the budget is accountable and responsible to our citizens.
The county must also work with others in the recruitment of new businesses into our communities while helping with the retention and growth of the businesses that are ready here. Economical growth will help provide more family waged jobs in the county so that many of the 65,000 people who cross the Columbia River each day can have the opportunity to work closer to their homes and families. Less dependency on Oregon for jobs is a win for our citizens. New businesses contribute a higher rate of taxes to local jurisdictions than do homeowners. This will help stabilize property taxes.
I believe in constructive intergovernmental relationships. County government may disagree with city governments but that discourse must be kept in perspective and should always be viewed through the filter of “what’s best for all of the people of Clark County”. Open channels of communication are in the best interest of our community.
Our community’s safety must be a constant priority. Police, Fire and other emergency services and agencies should always be a priority and considered basic services. They should be funded first. We must continue to make sure law enforcement and treatment facilities have the tools they need to get the job done concerning our meth problem and its impacts on all of us: high crime rates, the break up of families and the financial burden of approximately 70 % of our jail space occupied by people who have committed meth-related crimes. We need to strive to make Clark County a “meth-free zone”.
Integrity in public service is very important to me. I believe that open communications and the search for common ground in difficult situations are crucial to finding solutions to the county’s problems.
Working on behalf of our community is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I have thought a great deal about how to best apply my skills and desire to serve our community. We need strong, honest and open leadership. As your county commissioner I will use my experience and apply my values to move Clark County forward in a positive and prosperous direction.
I have a reputation for integrity, accountability, accessibility and common sense in both my professional and every day life. These attributes will help me serve Clark County as you next commissioner. Together we can secure Clark County’s future greatness as a place to live, work and to raise a family.
To accomplish these goals and others I ask for your support.
Thank you