What is important?

Thank you for all who have contacted me to ask about the issues.

It is imperative for me to know what is important to each of you. I am not forming opinions about issues without listening first. I understand the citizens are scared of the uncertainty of the economy. It is important that we view the city as the business that it is. We have a board of directors, which is the City Council with the Mayor as the Board Chairman and CEO. We have employees who provide services. We collect fees for those services as well as taxes from those who live here. We have a responsibility to make sure we make wise decisions. We don't have the option to have a bad few months and close down as we have seen 79 businesses do in the area. We are in serious times and don't need to spend time seeing dollar signs and moving on any and every project that sounds too good to be true. It is about survival and I am committed to being in for the long haul. I have a history of true leadership and wish to be held accountable for all actions and decisions I may make.

I want to hear from you about what matters most to you. If I don't know the answer, I will tell you I don't know and find out. I look forward to hearing from you.

The Facts

It is my desire to serve as a member of the St. Marys City Council. I am interested in hearing from citizens about issues that are of interest and concern. I would rather people contact me directly rather than rely on guessing or rumor to find the answers to their questions.

We need a good balance of council members from diverse backgrounds. Elected officials who listen to the citizens, think for themselves and don't have hidden interests or agendas.

What will I promise?

To always make common sense decisions based on the facts presented, and with input from the citizens. I believe in listening twice as much as I speak, researching issues I don't fully understand and always holding myself to a higher standard of accountability.

The issues that I believe are of most concern to the citizens right now are:

-The Airport

-Infrastructure

-Fair Assessments

-Business Retention

-Open Government

I look forward to answering questions and listening to your concerns. I am easy to contact. My e-mail is jolenehaney@gmail.com, my phone numbers are 882-4224 and 467-2119.