Saturday, July 10, 2021

What's the Big Idea?

I don't have a monopoly on ideas. I mean, I have some good ones here and there but I'm not going to act like I know everything or that just because I'm trying to become the mayor means my ideas are better than someone else's idea. So a quick qualifier to you know this isn't all brand new to me and then some ways I'm looking to invest my time, money, and ideas into Provo. 

I joined my HOA board about 5 years ago because I wanted to know where my money was going. My mom had bought some rental properties and I was managing them and I wanted to make sure that the  money wasn't being wasted. Since I've joined we've made many improvements to the neighborhood, reduced spending where we found opportunities, while at the same time saving money for the larger capital investments we will need to make in the next several years. And while a lot of people have a distaste for HOAs, I feel like ours is pretty alright.

In that same vein I'd like to try and reduce the city budget by 10% while not losing any of the quality of life we currently have. In order to achieve this I need to meet with every city department individually and see where we are succeeding, where we are falling short, and where we can improve. I want to find ways for government to be more helpful but less intrusive. Is it possible? I want to try.

I want to be among my fellow residents. My goal is to eat at every restaurant in Provo during my 4 years in office. I'd like to have weekly or biweekly lunches at some of these places and we can sit down together and talk about our city. All this eating means I'll need to visit the Rec Center more! Look for me there! 

I want to be at every groundbreaking and new business opening. If it is an important event to you and happening in Provo, I want to be there. I will actively seek out these opportunities. 

As I said in an earlier post, I plan to donate 10% of my salary back into Provo in some way. I think that's about $1,000 per month. I want to help where I can so I'll be looking for good causes, good people, good ideas so I can give back some of what I've been given.

I recognize that it's not part of my job as Mayor to go out and personally recruit businesses to come here. I'll leave that to the developers so I can focus on the businesses that already call Provo home. But I can make that recruitment process easier if Provo is a business friendly, easy to develop in and then grow in kind of city. And if that can help me find a way to get a Waffle House here, that would be awesome.

I also have far fetched ideas, like asking billionaires for money! There's over 500 of them throughout the country and they need tax write offs. Why not spend some of that money here in Provo? Maybe they help pay for the new water treatment plant expansion. Maybe one can pay off some of the City Center Bond. Maybe one can sponsor every playable round at Timponogos Golf Club or a membership to the Rec Center for every resident for a year. Maybe someone builds us a new school. It's a crazy idea, wild and outlandish but if even one person wants to invest in Provo, then it's a win for us. And if each of them gave Provo a million dollars we'd be out of debt! Can't hurt to ask.

What are some of your ideas? I'd love to hear them.

7 comments:

Marny said...

How can we find out how you would respond to ongoing or future “pandemics”? Will you force businesses, churches, schools, etc to reduce numbers, wear masks, vaccinate, or other similar measures? Or do you believe in medical freedom and allow citizens to make their own health decisions based on their own research?

Caleb Reeve said...

My contact info is available on this site.

Sarah said...

If you are for our rights as individual citizens and not push us to wear useless masks, and take dangerous vaccines then your higher on my list then others, I need to know that you will fight for our rights and our amendments.

Sarah said...
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Sarah said...
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Anonymous said...

You should look into the waste of tax dollars and the way the construction
Is go at the waste water treatment plant.
Political nonsense is going on and needs to be investigated. NOW before its to late

Anonymous said...

Talk to the contractors building the plant. You will uncover a scam that is going to cost millions. Good luck
Once this breaks heads will roll at the city