As a business owner I have learned over the years that communication with my customers is essential.  If I don’t adequately listen to their wants and needs I lose the opportunity to serve them and to retain them as a satisfied customer.  I have been involved in many issues over the years with West Jordan city government and several times felt the City Council and the Mayor have ignored my concerns.  As Mayor I will establish a civil, orderly process of resident communication so that issues are heard.  Currently, most all communication with the City Council by West Jordan residents takes place during City Council Meeting.  A more proactive approach can likely better help address the needs of the residents.  This can come in the form of citizen committees, open forums, and through other potential venues such as an electronic “suggestion box.”  In this way hopefully issues can be addressed while they are still small concerns.  This proactive approach will likely have the natural outgrowth of improving the efficiency of discussions during City Council meetings if many resident’s needs have already been addressed in other ways.  If not addresses the council meeting must remain a viable option for citizens to speak out on issues they deem to be important.   

The mayor and the council members have actively sought election by our residents as their representatives, and those officials have an obligation to listen to the people who elected them.  Residents are like customers of a business.  When they have a concern they want to be heard and treated with dignity.  City Council members, the Mayor, and every city employee should emphasize principles of customer service in any interactions they have with city residents and they should be open to considering the suggestions and ideas of our residents.  City Government and City Staff cannot be set apart from the citizens in any way.   

As Mayor I will publish more detailed personal profiles of elected and appointed city officials, including the members of our committees, commissions and task forces, so the public can better understand the experience and backgrounds of the people who represent them in city government. Residents should be informed of who their district and at-large city council representatives are and how the decision-making process works in our city.