Meeting The First District

As I had mentioned in a prior posting, I put a few miles on the bike, and went out to meet as many of the folks in the first district of Grand Traverse County that I could.

Being the first time I have campaigned in the district, I realized there are a lot of folks who didn’t know who I was, and tried to get to know them a little.  No surprise however, to find most of the residents open to some new leadership, even in the limited scope of a single county commissioner.  High taxes appeal to almost no one, and the realization that the county is operating with a yearly deficit certainly drives home the point for seeking a change in that position.

Between new state guidelines on how local governments must negotiate with municipal employees to the seemingly willful disregard for efficiencies that are needed to meet balanced budget targets, we need to have some tough representation in place to properly represent our values.

I am hoping to have the opportunity to prove it is possible.

Many believe it is, and have indicated their support, or at least the willingness to try a different approach.

One of the ways in which we can discover solutions, new efficiencies, or cost saving measures that do not affect the level of county services we expect, is to actually LISTEN to the people who are being represented.  Any position in government requires decisions to be made that rely on logic, investigation of fact, and reasoning ability of the person making those decisions.  If all of the facts are not there, how can the right decisions be made?

As I traveled through the district on the first of many visits with constituents, I discovered more concerns and thoughts on many of the obvious topics such as septage, pay studies and parks, but also got a taste of some others like solid waste, public safety, etc..  When these are talked about more, we are able to prioritize and sometimes craft solutions and resource gathering so that the solutions can provide multiple answers.  The input from the public is invaluable.

Will everyone always agree with all of the conclusions?

An answer can be found by looking at the many different political approaches taken in all levels of government.  Probably  not.

Can we meet real needs with the resources we have?  Probably, but we need to identify first what our priorities are.  We can with your voice.

Between a discussion at your door, a phone call if you like (I’m in the book as I have been in the same place for over 20 years), or participation with others on this site’s forum,  expressing those priorities might not be so hard as before.

Between what is important to county and first District residents, and a principled approach to how county resources should be handled, Grand Traverse County can continue to remain fiscally and structurally healthy in the midst of what looks to be more years of economic uncertainty.