This document is intended to outline my guiding principles, beliefs, objectives and policy initiatives as a candidate for the position of Mayor of the City of North for the November 3rd, 2020 election cycle.  The purpose of this platform is to provide citizens the opportunity to see what I stand for and why you should cast your vote for me in support of this platform.

 

Why vote for me?

 

We have a chance this coming November to choose a new direction for our city.  We start by electing a new Mayor and a new City Council majority with a strong desire and total dedication to restoring the trust and faith we all must share in our local elected representatives.

 

First and most important, is the belief that any candidate standing for elected office in the City of North Bend must start that process by being true leaders in the community.  Leadership is about taking on the tough issues and doing the right things when nobody is looking.  Leadership is also about empathy and caring about everyone – while leaving nobody behind.  People in elected office do not have the luxury of not doing the “right things” – every time – without exception.  Moreover, in most cases many important objectives must be achieved simultaneously.  Running a city of just under 10,000 people requires absolute mastery of many important skills – not the least of which is providing an efficient and effective government.

 

Abandonment of the principles of truth and transparency has no place in our city government. Our city’s representative form of government is based on one basic ideal – the right of the people to decide – and that right is inviolate.  No elected official should attempt or allow a duly held election result to be nullified by a simple majority of its elected leadership against the wishes of the electorate – ever again.

 

I look to build a strong coalition for change that will enable our city government to bring about decisive and positive changes with a primary goal of ensuring an open, diverse and more inclusive government, so that each and every citizen can continue to be proud that they live or work in the City of North Bend.

 

My Guiding Principles

 

  • “United I Stand”… With each and every citizen of North Bend

 

Government in its simplest form is about making choices.  Government is supposed to be about making people’s lives better.  Every elected and non-elected person working in government should be able to say at the start of each day – “what am I going to do today to make someone’s life better?  If at the end of the day – everyone is working to make people’s lives better – that’s a good day.  People all over our community are struggling – to find a job, keep their homes, sustain their business, pay their bills and feed their children.   The main focus of any elected leader has to be to try to help everyone get through those daily struggles by effectively and efficiently solving people’s problems.  I strive to create and establish an action based – goal oriented government dedicated to accomplishing positive, creative and effective solutions for the good of each and every citizen of the city each and every day of our terms in office.

 

  • Accountability…

 

The responsibility for the leadership of the city squarely belongs on the shoulders of its elected public officials and the “buck” ultimately stops with them.  Honesty and sincerity with all citizens is paramount.  Polarizing an issue for some political purpose and playing the blame game is not the kind of leadership the citizens of this city need or want.  Not every decision and choice made by our elected government is always a “good one” – but a great government accepts that criticism and moves forward in a positive way to work toward achieving the best possible decision by building a strong consensus with all constituents.  Elected “leaders” enable the building of a strong consensus by being inclusive, deliberative and decisive.

 

  • Listen, Learn, Discover, Question & Communicate…

 

I strive to listen and learn from citizens each day and apply your creative ideas.  I also strive to learn from all of our collective experiences and history in order to effectively apply that knowledge toward serving each citizen in the best way possible.  As has recently been said, “empathy is not a sign of weakness… it is a sign of strength.”  Great ideas come from every corner and only our imagination and fears place artificial limits on those ideas.  Government is meant to be a “conversation” with the people we freely choose to represent us. They help lead us to define and successfully achieve a better future for all of us and our city.  The best way forward to gather knowledge and learn from others – is to listen as much as possible to anyone and everyone who wants to be heard.

 

  • “The government we want is not always the government we can afford…”

 

Unfortunately there are limits on the things that a government can do for its citizens.  Always having to do more with less is the fact of life for all levels of government – especially local governments.  Squeezing the best value out of every single available dollar is what sets a great city from the rest.  Establishing priorities and making choices is the prerogative of the citizens.  Representatives must actively listen and truly “represent” the priorities and choices of all of their constituents and always act in a fiscally conservative manner in order to constantly fight against the perception of wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.  That is the main job of every single elected representative.  The “guardians” of the city’s vision for a better future for all of its citizens rests in the hands of our elected leadership.  Most important, is the solemn duty of our elected leadership to provide for the public safety of all citizens – above all else.  There is no higher duty and responsibility than ensuring that every citizen feels safe in their own home, school and workplace.

 

  • Government doesn’t have all the answers…

 

The problems that government faces everyday don’t always have a solution that can be achieved by the government alone.  Solutions to even the most difficult problems can be found in many different places.  Government is not supposed to be the great “enabler.” Rather – our government should assist where feasible and certainly not get in the way of making things better for its citizens.  Moreover, our representatives have to be willing to do the work that is necessary to get to the foundations of the problem and then put in the even harder work to come up with a workable solution.  Every elected representative must be willing to continuously challenge the status quo by asking “what if…? and “Why not…? All government – at every level – is without exception – “Of the people, for the people and by the people” – there is no higher purpose for an elected official than to ensure that imperative is foremost in every aspect of city government.

My initiatives for positive change & reform for this city are centered on five key areas including:

 

  • Governance
  • Community Relationship Building
  • Financial
  • Operations
  • Infrastructure

 

As an elected representative of the people of the city– I will enthusiastically elicit new ideas from a variety of sources, people and places with the primary goal of making people’s lives better and improving our city.  .

 

For all too long our elected leadership has lost focus on what is really important to the people of this city and the long-term success of North Bend.  I will bring these new ideas, solutions and actions to achieve what needs to get done.

 

There is little time to spare with the November election fast approaching – all newly elected representatives must stand ready on day one of their terms to carry out the mandate of the voters to bring about the necessary changes – so long deserved by all of the citizens of our city.

 

The following is a listing of ideas, proposals and objectives that I feel are important to begin restoring the trust and faith of the people of North Bend in their local government:

 

Governance

 

  1. All public meetings will continue to be streamed live to citizens in order to expand and ensure an inclusive and more participative government.  The usual Monday “Working Sessions” of City Councils past shall be ended immediately and all future public debate and discussion will be conducted at regularly scheduled public meetings to the maximum extent possible.
  2. Citizen comments will no longer be limited to 3 minutes at the beginning of each public session. Debate and discussion will be welcomed after every meeting agenda item.  Public debate and questions are always welcomed in order to help learn and form better decisions and actions.
  3. Implement term limits for all elected positions. Serving our city is a privilege – not a right.  Limiting how long a person can serve in public office ensures that incumbency does not become automatic and name recognition wins the vote over potential new contributors with new ideas.  We must ensure that diversity and inclusion are and remain an essential element of our city’s elected leadership.
  4. Appoint a citizen led commission to review and modernize the City Charter. Since passage of the original city’s original charter much has changed – lessons learned and past experiences should help to shape and update this “living document” that gives shape to how our city operates.  We must also review and modernize the enumerated powers of the Mayor and the City Council to help them achieve greater success for the North Bend of the future.
  5. Review all current contract service providers to the city and make recommendations for changes and/or create Requests for Proposals (RFP) no later than January 31, 2021. City contracts should not be perpetual and service providers should be annually reviewed with consideration given to time limits on contractors who have long served the city in order to bring in a fresh perspective.
  6. Immediately conduct a comprehensive review of all boards, committee functions and procedures. Make changes where necessary.  In particular – the functions and procedures of the city’s Budget Committee will be reformed to enable greater citizen participation in the establishment of spending priorities and policies.
  7. All city employees will be encouraged to be as responsive as possible to all citizens. An open door policy will be the norm and citizens will be openly welcomed in City Hall.
  8. Immediately create and recruit citizens for participation in a newly formed “Citizen Advocacy Commission.” This citizen led commission will be established for the sole purpose of providing citizens with a venue to bring forward their concerns and complaints about their city government. The commission will have the authority to make recommendations and interact with any city government official in order to affect action and make necessary changes for a more responsive city government.  The commission will directly report to the Mayor and the City Council membership.
  9. Immediately appoint council members as mentors to each of the city’s boards and committees. Additionally, council members shall be appointed to act as a direct liaison to all city departments in order to gain unfettered knowledge and to aid in the council’s ability to lead and make better decisions that affect all stakeholders.

 

Community Relationship Building

 

  1. Conduct quarterly town hall meetings with citizens to address important issues directly with citizens for the purpose of gaining more knowledge and being more effective decision-makers. Active and ongoing outreach to citizens is essential to an effective and participatory government.

 

  1. Create a new strategic plan for the city that includes updated specific goals and objectives. This plan will be created with contributions from stakeholders throughout the community.
  2. Immediately move to expand the city’s virtual presence in order to create a more easily accessible city government using existing models and best practices. Create and adopt weekly email newsletter format to be distributed to all stakeholders in our city.  Additionally, immediately draft and adopt a social media policy for all elected, non-elected and employees of the city.
  3. Immediately begin a cooperative effort to address the most critical problems of our city including:
  • Long-term and short-term economic/fiscal issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic
  • Affordable housing
  • Homelessness
  • Mental health & drug use
  • Our aging population and the implication for business and government
  • Sustainment and success of existing businesses
  • Economic development and job creation
  • Enforcement of existing laws and codes
  • Disaster preparedness – including a pandemic – not just earthquakes and tsunamis

Solutions must be actively pursued in a cooperative environment with all adjacent local governments and public and private non-governmental resources on the front lines of these critical issues that are affecting each and every citizen throughout our city.  Affordable housing is identified as an especially essential element of a viable workforce and a healthy business climate.

 

Financial

 

  1. Immediate initiate the process of conducting an audit of the city no later than December 31, 2020. Immediately publish and communicate the results to citizens so that everyone has a true understanding of the financial condition of their city.

 

  1. The city’s financial statements – including a Profit & Loss Statement and a Balance Statement shall be provided to the City Council by the Finance Director on a monthly basis and also prominently posted on the city’s web site for citizen review.

 

  1. Complete the negotiation on a “joint” 911 Call Center agreement with all other Coos County participants.

 

  1. Appoint a citizen-led commission to explore and make recommendations for potential outreach toward the goal of annexation to landowners “across the bridge” in order to expand the tax base of the City of North Bend. The purpose is to create a larger more inclusive community and “build the bridge” to our adjacent neighborhoods and induce them to come under the umbrella of the city.

 

  1. Closely examine where greater efficiencies can be achieved in our city services. Diligently explore the benefits of outsourcing various city functions.  Ask city employees (those who know best) where those efficiencies are and incentivize those ideas and suggestions.

 

  1. The city “check register” shall be immediately placed online with annotations clearly available as to the purpose of the payments the city makes. City Council will do their homework to review city expenditures before voting to “pay the bills” and ask the “people’s questions” about those expenditures – in public and on the record.

 

City Operations

 

  1. Encourage the current City Council to suspend the hiring process of a City Administrator until after the November election in order to allow the “new” Council to interview and hire a new City Administrator whose goals and objectives are in line with a new City Council majority. Additionally, conduct an immediate review of the duties and responsibilities as well as the limits of authority granted to a City Administrator by the elected representatives.
  2. Review the performance of all current city department heads to ensure that their goals and objectives are a match with the community.
  3. Re-initiate a search and hire a well-qualified City Finance Director (CPA license required). The city must have a licensed CPA to conduct and plan the financial operations of the city.
  4. Immediately create a public led commission to conduct an independent review of the city’s public safety requirements. The commission will report their findings and make recommendations to the City Council toward the singular goal of achieving the highest levels of public safety for our city and all of its residents, businesses and visitors.
  5. Ensure that the highest levels of cooperation are cultivated and maintained with adjacent communities and stakeholders. The City of North Bend cannot afford to go it alone – we are truly all in this together.
  6. In an era of increasing budgetary constraints and in light of recent events – immediately work toward rebuilding the trust and confidence of all of the city’s employees in their elected and non-elected leadership.
  7. The City Administrator will develop at least five (5) “Key Performance Indicators” (KPI’s) whose purpose is to readily capture and provide an immediately recognizable measure of the city’s operational effectiveness and overall responsiveness to our citizens. These KPI’s will be reported to the Council and to citizens on a monthly basis.

 

Infrastructure

 

  1. Develop and build private-public partnerships to achieve objectives including such necessary infrastructure improvements such as beginning the task of replacing and rebuilding the over 210 miles of roads within the city.
  2. Investigate the expansion of the city’s “Urban Renewal” grant program to possibly include more commercial zones in North Bend. Greater recognition of doing whatever the city can possibly do to improve our city is absolutely essential to the long-term success of our city.
  3. Develop an “Economic Opportunity Zone” for North Bend in order to encourage and develop small business creation and sustainment.
  4. Immediately review and develop plans for leasing the city’s pool to an outside management concern with the sole purpose of reducing the cost to taxpayers and maximizing the benefit to all users of the facility.
  5. Develop key public-private cooperation and provide essential support to re-development of underused building and lands within the city. With low interest rates for the foreseeable future – deliberation and care needs to be given to leveraging the municipal bond market in order to obtain the capital necessary to achieve new and improved essential infrastructure for our city that directly contributes to our citizen’s quality of life.