PLATFORM
As with any community, the Berea City Council has the responsibility to legislate in the best interests of the community while being responsible overseers of the city's finances.
Maintaining and improving infrastructure is a top priority. Without good roads, well maintained utility services, sidewalks, proper signage, etc, our community cannot function well. By anticipating the needs of our growing community and acting upon them, we are far more attractive to new businesses, tourism and residents.
Our public services are extremely important. Our police, fire, public works and other city departments are indispensable to the function of our city. We must continue to ensure that they have the tools to do their jobs effectively.
We must continue to encourage and seek out new factories and other businesses for our community. In addition to our infrastructure work, our city's policies must be attractive to these job creators.
We must encourage communication and partnerships between our city government and our citizens. Our greatest resource has always been the people of Berea. Berea became a trail town due to citizen effort. Neighborhood watches bring community members closer while deterring criminal activity. I've been amazed how many events begin with the effort of a few individuals and quickly gather momentum, especially when they can be directed to another group with similar goals.
It is important to look to other communities for ideas. During my 24 years with the public library, we have incorporated successful and creative solutions from other libraries. Often, we have taken great concepts and modified them into an even more successful direction. We must always be on the lookout for the best ways to serve our community.
As our city grows, we must plan for the need of our residents. Berea must be more than the city where we live. It should be the city where we work, shop, dine and find activities. Every dollar kept in Berea is money invested in its residents and public spaces.
