Where Angela Stands On the Issues

Citizen engagement

In the last 8 years, I’ve learned from city council meetings, planning commission meetings, and talked to and written to city leaders in an effort to stay informed and learn what kinds of decisions are happening on a city level. From the RAP tax, to zone changes and planned development, MCN, city sewer issue, budgets, and public safety needs, I’ve studied, written letters, talked to stakeholders and paid attention. 

  • The city council needs to listen to various voices, ask questions, and work to understand issues from multiple angles. 
  • Officials work for you. 
  • There are dozens of ways to volunteer in Mapleton from coaching youth sports teams, to showing interest in various commissions, to the town square. 
  • Volunteerism exemplifies Mapleton charm.

Development

When land near me was partially rezoned and then developed, I realized I needed to pay attention.  That got me involved in a citizen advocacy group, the general plan update and helping to amend the city code regarding conditional uses in the A2 zone.

  • Development should never go unchecked. The process should be transparent. 
  • We need to balance personal property rights, expectations from the state like affordable housing, and current development approvals against city wide impacts on limited public resources and infrastructure like roads, water, sewer, public safety, and parks.
  • Residents have worked to develop a specific vision of Mapleton as a small town with a big heart.  Understanding the general plan will align decisions with the community’s vision and avoid messy zone changes that are unsupported by the recent updates.
  • Regularly clarifying existing regulations and addressing current issues is a must. 
  • We should create internal administrative processes that would inform current residents of applications for development well before mandatory notification deadlines so that neighbors won’t be surprised. 

Conflicts of Interest

I love this section of the Mapleton code. The fact that I’ve studied this, should tell you how seriously I feel about following it.

Public office is a public trust. The trust of the public is essential for government to function effectively. A government’s legitimacy is linked to the integrity of its public officers. Public policy must be based on honest and fair deliberations and decisions. This process must be free from threats, favoritism, undue influence, and any other form of impropriety so that the confidence of the public is not eroded. The interest of a public officer should not be preferred over the public interest. Public officers should resist opportunities to benefit themselves over the citizens they were elected or appointed to serve. Mapleton City is its people; its residents, its taxpayers. 

  • City government should be free of perceived conflicts of interest, so that citizens can feel confident that decisions are made with their interests in mind. 
  • No one should ever wonder if city decisions benefitted any particular person. 
  • A public official’s job is to serve the public interest over personal interests.
  • I don’t own any businesses. I’m not a developer or a real estate agent. I don’t have any personal agenda. I am a resident like you.

Increasing Revenue

Growth and inflation bring higher costs. You can see that by looking at the budget, which has tripled in size in the last 10 years. Let’s be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that in order to meet demands we need to either raise property taxes or develop commercially.

  • Only 15% of individual property tax bills contribute to city revenues. The city has shown their commitment to citizens by not raising taxes since 2017.
  • Commercial Development is not a silver bullet. Chasing sales tax revenue from businesses when we don’t have the population to support it may not save Mapleton residents money in the long run. 
  • Using smart commercial zoning and welcoming well-planned businesses can help create win-win success and convenience for business owners and residents alike.
  • We should give a shoutout to Department heads who are fiscally responsible while also looking for ways to maintain and improve our way of life.
  • Let’s follow the example of our frugal pioneer roots and maintain a balanced budget that prioritizes needs vs. wants and finds creative solutions for both generating revenue and spending responsibly.

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