Kaden Shumway – Candidate Questions
Give us a brief biographical sketch of yourself and your family. My name is Kaden Shumway, I have been happily married to my wife Chloe for four years. We have a very energetic two year old daughter, and we are expecting a son in August.Before I met my wife I served an LDS mission in Sydney Australia. I work for a commercial framing company called Utopia Construction that I have been with for over three years. I was in the Air Force for a short time but was medically discharged, I tried to get back in but I have been permanently disqualified from serving. So instead I have stuck with construction, I work for a great company I have learned a lot and I have grown to love building, I make a good living to provide for my family. How long have you resided in Eagle Mountain, and why do you call Eagle Mountain your home? I have lived in Eagle Mountain for over a year now and I am glad to call it home. I live in city center, I love the small town feel and the beautiful open land and valleys. Decisions are made by the city council that you may or may not have knowledge of the ecology of the area and the possible repercussions of those decisions. What resources would you use to complete your due diligence regarding habitat and wildlife impacts? I will seek out the local experts and environmental groups for information, and represent the concerns of those being directly affected. What do you think is the role of non-disclosure agreements and economic growth? And how does it affect government transparency? The purpose of NDA’s is to mainly gain favor for corporations by the local governments in the area in which they want to build up their facilities and to do it in a quick and more efficient manner. The local governments offer tax breaks to these companies in order to get to a deal quicker. What that does is put more of a burden of taxes on the people that live in the same area. This also causes our local government to not be transparent with the governed. Transparency is necessary to ensure a free society. The government sharing information with the people is what keeps them honest and accountable for their actions. We need a government that keeps the people involved in the decision process because the choices that the government makes affects the people. What specific things do you feel that the city is doing exceptionally well? Growing and maintaining a strong sense of community. What specific things in the city do you feel need substantial improvements? I believe that Eagle Mountain can improve the transparency with its citizens, and living within the city’s means. We need to maintain our current growth before taking on too much. Eagle Mountain needs to avoid debt and raising taxes. Is the rural culture and feel of Eagle Mountain important to you? Eagle Mountain has a rural culture and feel, how do you think we can have growth and keep that feeling? Yes, it is very important. The rural culture is what makes Eagle Mountain the way it is. The city can still grow, but at a reasonable pace that the people agree with. We cannot let the developers dictate our growth. The zoning needs to align with the values of the citizens. Are there things city government should not provide for the people that it currently is? Why or why not? Recycling needs to be encouraged more on an individual level, it becomes hard on a city level because over 95% of recycling is just taken to the dump anyways. So we either try and help educate the people on what is accepted in recycling and what is not, or just have the people take care of it on their own instead of going through the city. Another thing the city needs to not do is harass the people over ridiculous rules and regulations. I know a man who tried to set up a milk machine for his cows for just his own personal use and it caught the attention of the city, representatives of the city came and said he can’t set it up because it “looks” professional and could used for commercial use and to distribute. So he took it all apart. Later the city returned to him and said they could not find a city code against what he was doing so they gave him permission to continue, but by then it was too late. He had already lost a lot of money taking it all apart and going through the process of setting up machine that doesn’t look professional. All of this could have been avoided and would have saved this man a ton of time and money if the city would not only know and understand the law but also not intrude on people’s lives to make sure that the government is not missing out on its chance to get all the money they possibly can from the people. If you are running but are not currently elected, what specific agenda’s would you like to champion though the office of city council and why? More Transparency and protecting the rights of the people. Tell us something that sets you apart from the rest of the group of candidates? That I am willing to stick my neck out for the little guy to protect his rights. I will represent the people, fight for more transparency so the people stay informed and keep their local government accountable for their actions. What are your personal, political, and professional long term goals in regards to Eagle Mountain? I will trim down ordinances, and reduce the risk of the city government getting too much power and not having complicated and complex laws and ordinances. What founding father (signer of the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution) has impacted your political philosophy the most and why? Do you have a favorite quote from a founding father? Thomas Jefferson is my favorite Founding Father. His bravery in the face of a power structure that sought to take away the liberty of the people before and after American Independence is an example for us all. I hope we can all remember his wise words, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people, …They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” Thomas Jefferson, letter to Uriah Forrest, 31 Dec 1787 The city has numerous boards and commissions that it uses to help the City Council with decision making and to assist City Staff. What is your impression of these boards their effectiveness? They are extremely valuable to the city for growth and keeping the people involved. What service have you given to the residents of Eagle Mountain? I have visited and built relationships with under represented groups in Eagle Mountain to ensure everyone’s rights are protected and that their voices are heard. What is density vesting and how do you plan on dealing with it when it grants higher density than you are comfortable with? Density vesting is where a developer seeks to adjust the density allowed under a master plan. Outside interests are regularly trying to get cities to adopt higher density planning with the promise of more tax revenue for the municipality. I will work with stakeholders to protect our cities safe neighborhoods and respect for our culture of defending individual property rights.
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.