Jobs

Live Here, Work Here…

The citizens of Vancouver demand and deserve an opportunity to work, live and play–right here in Vancouver. You shouldn’t have to cross the river to Portland every day in order to find good, family-wage jobs. Tim understands what our local businesses need because he runs a local business and has, once a week for several years, engaged with local business owners to learn more about what they need and want in order to survive and thrive on this side of the river.

The REAL opportunity for job growth already exists in our community–we simply need city leadership that recognizes and nurtures it. There are 6,500+ businesses operating here today—many of which are multigenerational, locally owned, and give back to the community. As Mayor, Tim will foster a community that supports ALL businesses–not just one or two multinational conglomerates that have no real investment in our city.

Under the incumbent’s leadership, instead of improving current employment opportunities, City Hall has resisted attempts to form a Business Advisory Council. Instead, the City has continually raised utility taxes, sales taxes, electricity taxes, business license fees and employee head taxes. Successful businesses create tax revenue that allow a city to function, and they pay their employees family wages that allow those families to take pride and invest in their communities.

As your mayor, Tim will form a Mayoral Business Advisory Council, comprised of a diversity of employers within our community. Meetings will be held in public, with all residents encouraged to attend. Further, Tim will empower City Council to better know and understand the businesses and workers within the city, so that they all may act more responsively to the needs of this economic driver.

Tolls

Absolutely NOT A Foregone Conclusion…

The I-5 Columbia River Crossing is a federal and state priority, and we cannot ask the citizens of Vancouver to pick up the tab. Tim understands that $1,500+ in tolls per year is just too much for most citizens to bear, especially those who are forced to cross the bridge every day just because there is no work on this side of the river.

The incumbent has presented tolls as a major part of bridge funding, and Tim fought diligently to remove reference to tolls from the City of Vancouver’s resolution on the bridge. He achieved consensus with all other council members–except Royce Pollard. Tim believes that we should not even consider tolls until we have exhausted all other sources of federal and state monies to fund this federal asset—and if those sources do not come through, we need to look at phasing the project so that we can “pay-as-you-go” without placing extraordinary financial burden on generations to come.

Unity

One City, Citizens United…

For too long, city government has neglected areas of our community outside of downtown. As Mayor, Tim will serve the entire city, refocusing priorities and resources into areas such as the Fourth Plain corridor, the 18th Street corridor, Evergreen Landing and 192nd Avenue. These are the areas where we are growing and living, and these are the areas that we must attend to.

Tim is determined to make City Council meetings more accessible to a broader array of residents, by moving Council meetings to a variety of locations throughout the city. More citizens will have the opportunity to attend important meetings if the Council meets in locations closer to their homes.

Tim is committed to hearing the opinions and perspectives of all of our citizens. We are a community that is greater than individual, narrow-minded ambitions. No longer can we tolerate the blinders of disrespect for dissenting opinions, for that path will continue to widen the rift that divides us. We are a community flush with diversity and a wealth of inner-spirit. This diversity must be captured and nourished; only through inclusion will we move forward as a stronger and unified community.

Sustainability

Walking the Talk…

These days, nearly everyone is jumping on the “green” bandwagon; you’re going to be pretty hard-pressed to find anyone who claims they’re the anti-sustainability candidate. But unlike the incumbent, who’s only recently realized the benefits of sustainability, Tim has been walking the talk for years—since well before sustainability was “in.”

As our city councilman, Tim has planted trees along Burnt Bridge Creek. As an environmental engineer, he has worked with business and industry to clean up contaminated sites and preserve wetlands. And as a private citizen, he is building the “Mainstream Green House,” a highly efficient home that will be a demonstration of affordable ‘green’ construction.

Tim understands that sustainability isn’t just a tag line or talking point. True sustainability is caring for our environment, working together to support local businesses, and practicing smart fiscal management so that we live within our means.