Joyce the Right Choice is not just a slogan, I believe that I am the right choice to help the RH City Council strike a balance between doing what is best for the city as a whole and actively listening to the community. I believe that the best approach is to research all available options, present them to the community with an explanation of the pros and cons and then strike the best balance possible. I am willing to set up pop ups (like with petition drive) and have frank discussions about those pros and cons and listen to your responses. I believe a lot of the discord between city vs residents can be resolved with straightforward facts and answers.

We cannot hide from the facts that:

1. everything has become more expensive at a faster rate than we have ever experienced, and without a crystal ball we are unsure of the long term effects.
2. property taxes are in flux (it’s hard for the experts to predict the revenue from this source) with changes in our states legislature
3. long past councils ignored or were unable to address the maintenance issues of our community to the point that repairs/maintenance are hitting us all at once and at a great cost (i.e., $800K for a 2 block section of road) From 2008-2010, property values tanked and the city faced difficult finances – had to cut jobs, move budget monies around, etc… So when the influx of people from California came in with lots of cash money, our property values rose enough to spin our heads. Even if we sold our homes at these new values, we didn’t have enough money to reinvest. So we are stuck trying to keep our homes with rising costs in insurance, taxes, and upkeep, and the city is in the same boat.
4. We must increase our revenue and if we can’t afford a property tax increase, then our only choice is to strengthen our sales tax base with wise decisions. When Sams walked away, we lost 30% of our sales tax revenue and it took 10+ years to regain those lost revenues. We should have been increasing in those years rather than playing catch up.
5. We must speak up and stand up and be willing to put in the effort like so many did for the liquor store petition. One voice gets lost in the wilderness, lack of input tells the council that you don’t care, we must be better informed.
6. Proven leadership has been used ad-nauseum and I personally don’t believe that we have had good leadership for many years and the current council/Mayor have inherited some issues that were not of their own making. What we really need are 6 council people and the Mayor to think outside the traditional box and bring new ideas and alternatives to the table that preserve RH’s essence while providing revenue to sustain the community.

Yes, I believe that I have the backbone to make tough decisions, while at the same time informing the community of the reasoning behind those decisions. I also believe that I am an out of the box thinker. I grew up as a ‘hands on’, do-it-yourself character that doesn’t easily take no for an answer.