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cedarvalleysentinel.com sent a survey to each of the City Council and Mayor Candidates for the 2017 election. The questions included ones about roads, education, city issues, city strengths, as well as a few to get to know the candidates on a more personal level. Over the next few weeks, those answers will be published on cedarvalleysentinel.com. If you have missed any, want to catch up, or just review them again, you can do so by visiting the Cedar Valley Sentinel (formerly i84005) Election Center at http://cedarvalleysentinel.com/elections/. Feel free to share these articles on social media. Lets get the word out and increase voter participation in this election cycle. Eagle Mountain is a great city, and it can be made even greater by our elected officials, but they need input from the residents.
The answers for the candidates have not been modified in anyway. We have also randomized the order that the answers are listed in for each question.
This amazing area is a part of who I am. I have been involved with it for nearly half my life. I love it here. I want Eagle Mountain to be the best it can be. And, it is a good time in my life to return as a more active participant. We started Eagle Mountain with a grand vision, and a lot of hope and a lot of work. When the County approved our incorporation, which I spearheaded, I was asked to be mayor. It was only to be until the next election cycle in 10 months. But, when that cycle came up no one wanted to run. So, I was told to the law was such that I would remain as mayor. That wasn’t in the master plan for my life, but there was still so much to do and I wanted continuity for our dreams. Then, when the time was right, I turned governance of the city over and on it went. We designed Eagle Mountain around the concept of community. I believe we need to get back a clear vision of the uniqueness and beauty of what our community can and should be. We need to be smart about how we approach our own growth and our own spaces. I am running for mayor to help make that course correction.Matt Visser – City Council Candidate
Why run? Oh my, this was a last minute decision for me. Let’s not confuse that, I’ve been thinking about running for a long time. I was looking for a place in the city to serve. A place where I could make a difference. A place where I felt needed. Those opportunities didn’t look like they were coming my way. Then the rumors started coming, questions asking if I was running for council. I answered, no. Like a few of the candidates I was spending a lot of time at city council meetings, I was asking questions, and even making comments. The rumors grew to, are you running for mayor? This time I let them grow. What did I find? People like my ideas. They like that I’m not afraid to speak my mind. This still wasn’t enough, for me to run. Then, I received an email that hit home. I started thinking, why not? Not for mayor, but City Council. 330 on the last day to file I was on my way home from work and made the decision. I’M RUNNING! All of the candidates including myself, have great ideas and could be an asset to the city.Donna Burnham – City Council Candidate
Running for city council was a difficult decision for me. As many of you know, I previously served on the council and when I completed my term, I felt I was done. However, with Mayor Pengra and Adam Bradley not seeking reelection and Stephanie Gricius and Tom Westmoreland running for mayor, the city is left with an experience deficit. I am uniquely qualified to fill that deficit.Drew Curley – City Council Candidate
I am running for council because I believe I can bring unique aspects to the council. In my education and career, I am required to approach things from multiple perspectives and without personal bias. When I am approached with an issue, I am the type of person to thoroughly read everything in the presented materials, conduct my own research, consult experts, and come to my own conclusion. If new information is presented, I will re-evaluate everything and let that influence my conclusion. I take a firm stance when necessary, and though I may not agree with others, I will at least understand where they are coming from.Stephanie Gricius – Part Time Mayor Candidate
I chose to run for mayor because, having worked on the council, I’ve identified some processes I would like to modify. I chose to file as a secondary source of income because I believe that politics should not be one’s sole career. I already have a career, the city is my passion.Jonathan Vail – Mayor Candidate
The reason that I am running is so that I can once again serve my community. As Mayor, I will be serving every citizen in the community. They will be put their trust, in me, to make decisions, both easy and hard, that will impact them for years to come. This is both amazing and humbling at the same time. I would be representing them. That is why I am running.Jared Gray – City Council Candidate
I have a deep desire to serve. I speak often of being in the service of our fellow man. I love to volunteer and just help where I can. I’m currently on the Parks and recreation board, the cemetery board, I help at youth council when I can, and I’m the president of the Pony Express Events. I like being involved. And I feel I have lots of qualifications and experience to offer our city in a time of need.Melissa Clark – City Council Candidate
There comes a time in every person’s life where he or she gets that tap on the shoulder and despite all of the reasons not to, the reason for, is more compelling. Eagle Mountain is my family’s home and will be for a long time. I look at everything that has happened in our country and the fighting and disagreements over policy and character and know that the best place we can make the most difference is within our own homes, and the second-best place is within our community. Our city government has to do everything to protect our time, property, and liberty and stay out of the way of our dreams and hopes. I am running because the next four years EM will see unprecedented growth and change and the decisions we make will impact the community for the next century. I am running because I want my kids and all kids to have a chance to have those hopes and dreams, and because so many great people took the time to help me as a kid and a young adult to find my voice and my reason to use it.Jan Preece – City Council Candidate
Why run? I honestly have never had any intention to run for any office. When we moved out to Eagle Mountain I decided to get more involved with the community and started participating in some events here and there. A couple of years back I sporadically started attending City Council Meeting, what I found is that I could keep up to date on the happenings in the city by doing so and I started to attend on a regular basis. I also found I enjoyed it. I don’t have an agenda, I don’t have any pet peeves, I don’t have any pet projects. But I have learned a lot about our city and our people and your concerns. Your concerns are my concerns
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.