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Why run for Mayor of Columbia City?
I have lived in Columbia City for most of my life. This is the place that I call my home. I am so thankful for the opportunities that this place and the people who live here allowed me to experience. Whether it was show choir and student council in high school, Head Start Christmas parties and flower planting in the HANDS Foundation, or baptism and confirmation at CCUMC, I am so thankful for this place. Furthermore, I have the most experience in community and economic development than any other candidate. These skills that I have acquired as the Northeast Community Liaison for the Office of Community and Rural Affairs are necessary for whoever is given the honor of being elected Mayor. This isn't a job that just anyone can step into without experience. It takes someone who knows what a wet well is in the sewer system, someone who knows that economic development doesn't just fall into your lap, and someone who has an understanding of the political process from both the state and local level. Finally, it takes someone who is willing to devote their full time attention to the job. I am the person who can fulfill all of these requirements.
What is the significance of "Experience. Passion. Leadership."?
These are three qualities that I have picked up on when working with successful mayors. Dave Ramsey once said, "if you want to be a millionaire, you need to find out what they did to make them into a millionaire and emulate it." So, this is exactly what I did with successful mayors.
The first is Experience. The Mayor of the City must be someone who has the experience to understand what major problems threaten a small rural community like ours. They must have an intricate understanding of many issues ranging from the sewer and water lines that run under our feet, to the economic structure of the downtown corridor. They also must have a good understanding of how utility rates and property taxes work in regards to the collection and dispersement of these dollars. Someone who doesn't know how local government is being funded is likely to misspend your tax dollars. I have worked with small communities (including ours) and helped solve major issues in these key areas. I have more experience in community and economic development than any of the other candidates.
Secondly, Passion was a prime quality of successful mayors. The Mayor of the City must be someone who has the best interest of his/her citizens in mind. They must understand that when they are at conferences and meetings that they may be the only "Columbia City" someone will ever see. The Mayor is always the ambassador for the City and its residents. Furthermore, they must have a deep desire for serving the residents of the community. The job of Mayor is a full time job. I will treat it that way because my desire is to serve the citizens of our community. The City needs someone who will be available at all hours of the day or night to make the hard decisions and attend meetings with potential business investors. Snow will not stop at noon for a lunch break, nor will the rain stop falling after 5pm. My passion for not only service, but our community and its well being is what will make me a great mayor.
Lastly, Leadership is probably the most important quality of the three. The Mayor of the City must be someone who is committed to the highest integrity and fairness. They should be someone who has the confidence of not just local leaders, but also the confidence of the citizens. The individual should come into office ready to lead on day one. They should surround themselves with great leaders who show and take initiative. They should have a track record of being a leader in the community as well as in their own home. I've been on the front lines with mayors of both good and bad leadership styles. The mayors with integrity and initiative usually help make the community more prosperous, whereas the mayors without a strong leadership style tend to have dying communities. Being the Night Manager at Morsches Park, Student Body President at Anderson University, and the Northeast Community Liaison at OCRA has taught me the value of leadership. I promise that as Mayor, I will lead the City in a strong way; not with an iron fist, but rather with an open ear.
What are some key issues you want to focus on?
When talking to residents, I have found that the biggest issues facing residents right now is the lack of jobs and growing utility rates. These are both quality of life and economic development issues. While the Mayor can't just take office and magically make 50 to 100 jobs appear, they can go out and aggressively recruit (along side EDC director Alan Tio) good jobs that won't move away to another state or region. These two issues, jobs and utility rates, actually go hand in hand regarding economic development. If utility rates are too high for businesses and residents, then new companies will choose not to locate here. So, we must keep rates as low as possible to maintain and grow the quality of life in Columbia City.
The full Daniel Plan is available here.
Paid for by the Ryan Daniel for Mayor Committee
The first is Experience. The Mayor of the City must be someone who has the experience to understand what major problems threaten a small rural community like ours. They must have an intricate understanding of many issues ranging from the sewer and water lines that run under our feet, to the economic structure of the downtown corridor. They also must have a good understanding of how utility rates and property taxes work in regards to the collection and dispersement of these dollars. Someone who doesn't know how local government is being funded is likely to misspend your tax dollars. I have worked with small communities (including ours) and helped solve major issues in these key areas. I have more experience in community and economic development than any of the other candidates.
Secondly, Passion was a prime quality of successful mayors. The Mayor of the City must be someone who has the best interest of his/her citizens in mind. They must understand that when they are at conferences and meetings that they may be the only "Columbia City" someone will ever see. The Mayor is always the ambassador for the City and its residents. Furthermore, they must have a deep desire for serving the residents of the community. The job of Mayor is a full time job. I will treat it that way because my desire is to serve the citizens of our community. The City needs someone who will be available at all hours of the day or night to make the hard decisions and attend meetings with potential business investors. Snow will not stop at noon for a lunch break, nor will the rain stop falling after 5pm. My passion for not only service, but our community and its well being is what will make me a great mayor.
Lastly, Leadership is probably the most important quality of the three. The Mayor of the City must be someone who is committed to the highest integrity and fairness. They should be someone who has the confidence of not just local leaders, but also the confidence of the citizens. The individual should come into office ready to lead on day one. They should surround themselves with great leaders who show and take initiative. They should have a track record of being a leader in the community as well as in their own home. I've been on the front lines with mayors of both good and bad leadership styles. The mayors with integrity and initiative usually help make the community more prosperous, whereas the mayors without a strong leadership style tend to have dying communities. Being the Night Manager at Morsches Park, Student Body President at Anderson University, and the Northeast Community Liaison at OCRA has taught me the value of leadership. I promise that as Mayor, I will lead the City in a strong way; not with an iron fist, but rather with an open ear.
What are some key issues you want to focus on?
When talking to residents, I have found that the biggest issues facing residents right now is the lack of jobs and growing utility rates. These are both quality of life and economic development issues. While the Mayor can't just take office and magically make 50 to 100 jobs appear, they can go out and aggressively recruit (along side EDC director Alan Tio) good jobs that won't move away to another state or region. These two issues, jobs and utility rates, actually go hand in hand regarding economic development. If utility rates are too high for businesses and residents, then new companies will choose not to locate here. So, we must keep rates as low as possible to maintain and grow the quality of life in Columbia City.
The full Daniel Plan is available here.
Paid for by the Ryan Daniel for Mayor Committee
