Skip to main content

Council Decisions and Voting

Deciding how to vote

With election day coming up on Tuesday, I thought I would explain my approach to voting as a member of city council.

I have no specific political agenda for the city council, and I have no pre-prepared votes for any specific issues that come before the council. I give all issues a fair shake.

As an example, recently, Sergeant Cameron Stanford from the Madison County Sheriff's Office came before the council to suggest we may want to begin to consider the city's role (or lack of role) in the process of private property owners enforcing parking restrictions. The sheriff's office provided copies of both Rexburg's and the State of Idaho's laws regarding towing and booting on private property.

Sugar City has a close relationship with the Sheriff's Office, and it was great they came and provided information about this issue. After some brief discussion, no action was proposed by the mayor or the council. Our current position on the issue is generally a hands-off approach, as the issue is really between the private property owner and the vehicle owner.

Now, if the day comes when this issue rises to the level of possibly needing action by the city, I will do additional research on the issue. I will seek opinion and comment from residents, from property owners, from the city staff, from the mayor, and from the other council members. We will discuss and debate. Then when the vote is called, I will cast my vote. Up until that moment, I'm happy and willing to learn more and consider more about the issue. This is how I will work with any possible "booting" action in the future, and it is the same way I have approached and will approach any other issue. I remain open and willing to hear from and be reasonably influenced by all parties involved throughout the process.

Once I have made a vote, and the issue before the council is settled one way or the other, I'm always ready and willing to explain the reasoning behind my vote. I'm also willing to readdress a particular issue if the need arises.

This is a wonderful town, full of great residents. I'm optimistic for our future. There are some important issues coming before the council in the future, and I'm confident in the city's ability to handle them with energy and intelligence and with dedication to the principles and values that have made this such a special place.

As you go to the polls on Tuesday, I would appreciate your vote, and I will continue to work hard on the council, serving the great residents of our city.

Glenn

 

Popular posts from this blog

Sugar Days and America250 Celebration! State-Wide Drought Declaration

Sugar Days 2026 Sugar Days is just a couple months away: June 20th.  We plan to have the traditional community breakfast 8-10am, followed by the bounce houses, rock wall, music, and vendors running through the day. We'll raffle prizes for the kids on the hour, every hour as well! This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, so we have some America250 activities and events we're planning this year. We applied for and received a special state grant to help fund some of our America250 Idaho activities. Some of the ideas we're considering and/or working on: Patriotic music performances by residents and choirs and bands throughout the day Dramatic speeches celebrating our nation and Idaho or reenactments of famous patriotic speeches Commemorative clothing or other tokens for participants Patriotic-themed children's parade Red, white, and blue balloons for kids Kiosk with US, Idaho, and Sugar City history information and more...
Read more

Public Information, Sewer Use Rate Increase, City Budgeting

  Public Information Recently, I was happy to see that some people notice the announcements regarding youth soccer that I occasionally post on social media.☺ (I've volunteered for the past decade or so with a local organization.) I'm not always sure those announcements for Sugar Soccer are very effective. Of course, the real reason the soccer information was screen shot and reposted, was to demonstrate to residents of Sugar City how hard it might seem to be informed regarding topics and issues being discussed and acted upon by city council. I sympathize with residents who can sometimes feel caught off guard regarding some issues coming up in city council. The mayor, council members, and city staff spend hours each week staying as informed as we can be. Understanding a proposed ordinance, development application, zone change request, or budget item can take hours of discussion and research. Sometimes we have to hear from state and other local government entities. Sometimes we ha...
Read more

Did you see this on the ballot? Sugar City Urban Renewal Agency

We have a lot of important votes to cast in the upcoming election. I hope everyone exercises their right to vote. One of the items Sugar City residents will vote on is regarding the creation of a Sugar City Urban Renewal Agency (SCURA). After considering the pros and cons of an urban renewal agency, the city council approved sending the issue to the public for a vote. I’m generally in favor of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, which is a standard economic development tool used by urban renewal agencies. I’m not an accountant or expert on these matters, but let me see if I can explain my understanding of a TIF district and why I would encourage you to vote yes on the issue in November. ( The State of Idaho Code refers to TIF districts as “Revenue Allocation Areas,” but I’ll use “TIF districts.”) The intent of a TIF district is to use the property taxes from a specified area to improve that area through residential, commercial, or public development projects, which, in turn, ...
Read more