Candidate Viewpoint: Cottage Grove City Council candidate Lisa Meyer

Talk about it

As a candidate for City Council I feel it is important to run at this time because we are at a critical point. Many residents are feeling the strain from the current economy and businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Our city must make fiscally responsible decisions that support our small businesses and encourages their stability and growth. We need council members who will make fiscally sound decisions to ensure we are not adding unnecessary financial burdens on our residents.

Many residents have lost trust in the council and feel their voices are not being heard. The large support for the charter proposal substantiates this. We need a council that can rebuild that trust, who is willing to listen to the concerns and needs of all residents and business owners. We need a council that will make decisions only after effective research and input by all stakeholders in the community. After which the council must effectively communicate the reasoning behind the decision, not only the result.

We need a long-term city vision that defines who we are and where we want to go. This vision would support creating unique commercial, retail and residential development which would define Cottage Grove. This vision would create a city that entices our neighboring residents to come to Cottage Grove for their shopping, dining and entertainment. We need to embrace our local businesses, the backbone of our city. They are what make us unique, makes Cottage Grove interesting to visit and helps to create jobs. A thriving environment for our businesses creates a thriving community. This will sustain our quality of life in a climate of declining state funding to cities.

I ask for your vote in November.

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