A small-business owner and a teacher hope to be on Rexburg City Council – East Idaho News

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is the first of three stories on candidates running for Rexburg City Council in November 2023.

REXBURG — Six candidates are vying for three open City Council seats in Rexburg. Incumbent Bryanna Johnson is defending her city council seat, while Tisha Flora and Jordan Busby are not running for re-election.

These are the other five candidates: Rob Woodall, David Reeser, Brian Thackeray, Eric Erickson and Nathan Martin.

EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Their responses, listed below, were required to be 250 words or less. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing the answers in their entirety, and without any grammatical or style editing.

The general election is on Nov. 7.

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Woodall: I’m a father, husband, and local small business owner. My wife and I have two young boys, one that’s almost four, and another that’s five months old. I’ve lived in Eastern Idaho my entire adult life and have a degree from BYU-Idaho in Supply Chain Management. I served a mission in Seoul, Korea and I’m still fluent in Korean. Over the last five years I’ve worked with my business partner, Curtis, to build up Madison Armory here in Rexburg. We’ve taken it from a small hole-in-the-wall shop to a nationally recognized retail store with an indoor shooting range.

Reeser: I am a proud native of Rexburg, where I have resided for nearly five decades.

I earned an Associate’s Degree from Ricks College and subsequently Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Boise State University. For over 30 years, I have been teaching in Idaho’s public schools. Currently, I am teaching Government, Advanced Placement Government, and courses on the Holocaust at Madison High School. I am truly passionate about my subjects and the incredible young individuals of Rexburg who I get to teach. They have such potential.

Family is of utmost importance to me, and I am fortunate to share my life with my wife, Brenda, along with our four accomplished children and two amazing grandsons. Together, we enjoy quality family time, exploring new destinations through travel, and enjoying the peace of our cabin in Island Park.

I am honored to have been elected twice to the Madison District Library Board of Trustees. My connection to the library runs deep, as my mother served there for many years, even holding the position of Director until her passing. During my youth, I spent countless hours within our community library, developing a deep appreciation for libraries and the joys of reading.

Serving alongside fellow trustees and the Director, I take pride in contributing to the development of policies that uphold the library’s role as a valuable educational resource within our community.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Woodall: My greatest “accomplishment” is my family. I’m so blessed with the time that I get to spend with my family and the opportunity I have to help raise my boys. One of my proudest moments was getting to attend my wife’s naturalization ceremony two years ago when she became a US citizen.

Reeser: My family is my greatest source of pride. While their accomplishments are not my own, my wife and I are immensely proud of our children and the remarkable adults they have become. Witnessing their growth and the positive impact they have on their communities fills us with joy and satisfaction.

On a professional level, my most significant achievement was my selection as a Museum Teacher Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016. This opportunity allowed me to collaborate with fellow Teacher Fellows from across the United States, collectively developing educational materials for the Museum. Moreover, it provided me with the privilege of deepening my understanding of the Holocaust by engaging with Holocaust survivors and renowned experts in the field.

The year spent as a Museum Teacher Fellow was nothing short of transformative. I continue to maintain close ties with those I collaborated with during that time, and I regularly receive updates on new educational materials and insights from the museum. This experience not only enriched my own knowledge but also allowed me to contribute to Holocaust education in a meaningful way. It remains a significant milestone in my professional life, one that continues to inspire me to promote understanding and remembrance of this critical chapter in history.

Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.

Woodall: I’m running for City Council because I believe that I can help deliver the results that many of us have been asking for. Currently everyone sitting on City Council has worked in government or education their whole careers. We can’t expect different results electing the same type of leaders.

The City’s new 2023 Comprehensive Plan shows that while the right statistics/metrics are being looked at, the wrong solutions are being applied. The plan brought to light challenges the city faces but didn’t provide solutions outside of social and recreational aspirations. No mention of infrastructure is made until page 44 of plan, and it’s an afterthought. To prepare for the future we need to be investing in roads and road maintenance, expanding city utilities into growing areas, and making sure that we can fund key infrastructure projects. New parks and trails sound great, but not if it means congested and poorly maintained roads.

Whether we like it or not Rexburg is growing quickly, and the city needs to be proactive in approaching growth. Nobody on City Council has experience dealing with growth at this scale and it’s apparent when looking at how the city is planning.

I have experience with scaling and allocating resources in businesses to maintain sustainable growth, and we need that type of experience on City Council. I want to help put Rexburg on track to grow sustainably through proper investments in infrastructure, bringing in businesses that will provide high-paying jobs, and ensure that we have a proper foundation to build on as we grow. I want to be your voice on City Council to make sure that your concerns and ideas are heard.

Reeser: I believe in and will work for:

• Community Engagement: I believe in the power of community engagement and will work to ensure that your voices are heard and that your concerns are addressed. I will always listen to the concerns of my constituents.
• Education: My background as an educator has given me a deep appreciation for the importance of quality education. I will advocate for policies that support our schools and provide opportunities for our youth.
• Economic Development: Our local businesses are the backbone of our economy and provide jobs for our residents. I will advocate for policies that encourage entrepreneurship, attract new businesses, and support the growth of existing ones. 
• Infrastructure: We must maintain and improve our infrastructure so that business may flourish, safety is enhanced, and our quality of life will continue to improve.
• Public Safety: The safety of our residents is paramount. I will work closely with our law enforcement agencies to ensure that our town remains a safe place to live and raise a family.

What are the greatest challenges facing people in your community? What is your plan to meet those challenges?

Woodall: Rexburg’s biggest challenge is managing growth correctly and bringing better, higher-paying jobs to Rexburg while maintaining the values that Rexburg was built on. Compared to other similarly sized cities in Idaho we have high housing costs with relatively low wages. With current inflation, many are feeling the squeeze as their dollar has less purchasing power.

As a city we need to invest in infrastructure and services that will support our population for years to come, which in turn attracts businesses that bring higher-paying jobs. In the past, the difficulty of developing new projects in the city has driven away some of these jobs.

My plan is to work with local business owners and developers to make sure that the city is providing the foundation and infrastructure needed to bring high-paying jobs to Rexburg. We’ve seen young and bright local students graduate and move out of state to take higher-paying jobs, and we need to bring those jobs here to Rexburg. With a highly educated populace and one of the largest private universities in the country, we have the people and skills that businesses need.

Reeser: Our community’s most pressing challenge lies in effectively managing growth, which poses a complex set of issues, primarily centered around infrastructure development and the need to balance the desires of current residents with those of newcomers.

I pledge to attentively listen to the concerns and ideas of community members regarding any issue. By fostering an environment of open dialogue, we can work together to establish a shared vision for managing growth in our community. This collaborative approach ensures that the voices of long-term residents are heard and respected while accommodating the needs of newcomers.

Infrastructure, with a specific focus on road maintenance, new road construction, and bridge upkeep, presents a substantial hurdle. To tackle this issue, I am committed to gaining a comprehensive understanding of our current funding sources. Additionally, I will actively explore opportunities for securing State and Federal funding to enhance our infrastructure development initiatives. By accessing diverse funding streams, we can create a better, more efficient plan for road maintenance and expansion, ensuring the long-term prosperity and connectivity of our community.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How will you communicate directly with constituents?

Woodall: At the end of the day, we all have the same goal – to make Rexburg a better community for our families and create more opportunities for personal, educational, and social development. City Council members are the voice of citizens in local government, they need to listen and take input from all sides of an issue. I want that input and I want to hear from you.

Anyone who wants to communicate directly with me can visit www.rob4rexburg.com and reach me via the Contact Me tab on the website. I want to hear what concerns and comments you have about what’s going on in the city and how you think we can make Rexburg a better place.

We need to maintain a more open dialogue between City Council and constituents. A lot of the issues we’ve had in the city over the last few years could have been avoided through a more open conversation. If elected to City Council, I’m ready to listen and understand the problems you’re facing.

Reeser: The concerns brought forward by the people I serve will be thoroughly considered in every decision I make. While there may be differing opinions, rest assured that everyone’s voice will be both heard and respected. While I may not always fulfill every constituent’s wish, their input will always be a crucial factor in my decision-making process as a City Council member.

In our close-knit community of Rexburg, accessibility will be a hallmark of my representation. My constituents can easily reach out to me through various channels such as phone, text, or email. Utilizing technology allows us to stay interconnected like never before, enabling efficient communication between citizens and their elected representatives. This accessibility empowers our community members to engage with government officials effectively while ensuring that I remain transparent and accountable in my role. Together, we can work towards a more engaged and informed community in Rexburg.

What areas in your community need immediate improvement? What actions will you take to address those needs?

Woodall: The biggest complaint from people about the City of Rexburg is the roads. People are frustrated with potholes during the summer and during the winter they’re frustrated with keeping the roads clear of snow and ice. Many candidates talk about fixing roads because it’s a popular platform to run on in Rexburg, but after getting into office we never hear about it from them again. We need to immediately allocate funds from non-essential projects and expand our capacity to maintain our roads during both summer and winter months.

Another area that needs to be addressed is proper planning and zoning within the City of Rexburg. As the city grows, we need to protect property rights and establish boundaries through zoning. In recent years, there have been a few development projects that just don’t mesh with the existing area. Poor zoning hurts property values of homes and businesses that put down roots first. Through proper zoning we can add structure to the community, create safer neighborhoods, help businesses flourish, and beatify Rexburg.

Reeser: The answer I provided for question 4 also addresses this question.

What parts of the city budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget that cuts could be made?

Woodall: One area that needs more funding is public safety. I get to work with Rexburg Police Department regularly, and it’s amazing how much they do with such few resources.

Currently the police department is understaffed, and officers are responding to dangerous and violent calls alone because they don’t have enough officers on-duty. Rexburg Police Department also lacks the money needed for life saving equipment and training.

When it comes to infrastructure and roads, the city is using Local Improvement Districts (LID) to plan and execute infrastructure projects. The City plans on spending $2.7 Million in 2024 on LID 53 for street improvements, $810,000 of that will be paid out-of-pocket by homeowners and businesses in the district.

Homeowners and businesses have complained about the lack of notice and transparency with many of the previous local improvement districts. Let’s use city funding so that we’re not burdening individual homeowners to improve the roads in their neighborhood. There is no reason the city should be double dipping into our pockets.

Through the Rexburg Urban Renewal Agency, the city allocated $2,078,133.42 of tax revenue towards the City’s fiber internet ring. The City of Rexburg has also allocated $2 Million to new Parks and Municipal Arts projects in 2024. While these are well-intentioned projects, why aren’t we putting those funds towards projects and equipment that are truly essential?

Reeser: Road repairs could use more funding. However, this is not the only solution to the problems facing Rexburg drivers. Sometimes the weather does not cooperate as it is challenging to repair asphalt roads in the low temperatures of winter. It is possible that the short-term solution to pot- holes and poor road conditions in the winter could be solved with little additional monies, but through more efficient repair timetables and reporting mechanisms. If elected, I would visit with those city employees who care for our roads and learn as much as I can from them about the situation so that I can help create solutions that work for both our citizens and our city employees.

Hard decisions would have to be made if monies needed to be moved from one budget to another. I would not support a reduction in funds for vital city services but would look seriously at other parts of the budget for reductions.

Enhancing funding for road repairs could help citizen frustration with winter driving, yet it’s important to recognize that Rexburg’s driver-related challenges aren’t only about money. Difficult weather conditions, especially the frigid temperatures of winter, often hamper asphalt road maintenance efforts. Addressing the pressing issues of potholes and subpar road conditions during winter may not necessarily demand a substantial budget increase. Instead, a more efficient approach could revolve around optimizing repair schedules and refining reporting mechanisms.

What is the role of local media in your community? How can city officials work to have a better relationship with the media?

Woodall: Local media has been essential in spreading awareness on issues in Rexburg over the last few years. Rexburg has been in the national spotlight for several things, and local media made sure that we don’t lose our voice. As a business owner I’ve seen how much local media can help bring issues to light. It’s a shame that many citizens to find out about new city ordinance and policies after they’ve already gone to a vote. City Council members need to use their position to help inform citizens about what’s going on through local media.

City officials need to be proactive in using any and all avenues, including local media, to spread awareness about issues that directly affect all of us. If it wasn’t for local media sources and social media, many within the city would have no idea about what’s going on.

Reeser: The media plays a vital role in Rexburg by shedding light on the challenges within our community and by spotlighting the government’s efforts to tackle these issues. I believe that fostering a strong relationship between city officials and the media is important. To achieve this, city officials can be readily available for interviews and responding to inquiries with transparency and candor.

In return, media organizations should remain committed to upholding the highest standards of accuracy in their reporting. It is crucial that all facts are presented as precisely as possible, ensuring that all stakeholders, including the public, government officials, and those affected by the issues, are represented in a fair and truthful manner.