If you value accurate representation of your community, then keep in mind, the 2010 census will eventually lead to the redrawing of district lines.  That could happen within months or a few years.  Those lines will largely be based on population distribution but also include some other varying demographic factors.  However, those lines MUST be drawn to include the sitting councilperson.

What does that mean for you? If you live in Tartesso, Sun City Festival, or Festival Foothills, and the councilperson lives in SunDance, then District 4 will continue to be represented by a councilperson who lives in a completely different region of our 660 sq. mile town.  If you live in Sun Dance, and your elected official lives in Festival Ranch, are your issues similar to those of an active adult community 45 minutes North?  Is this representation best for you?

Ideally what should happen is for District 4 to be the communities North of I-10 and West of the White Tank mountains.  These communities face similar issues.  Portions of Sun Dance and other areas South of I-10 that are in District 4 would in all probability be included in the other districts neighboring them currently.  These areas face their own distinct issues.  As it is right now, the Sun Dance community is divided among four districts and presently four councilpersons reside within Sun Dance.

Obviously this is a system problem and not one that is directly based on the candidates character or views.  It is a problem and not a fair one at that.  But it is a problem. However, we have this one moment to solve it.  If we choose not to, then it will be ours for many years to come.  In light of the impending situation, keep this in mind when prioritizing your reasons for selecting the candidate THAT WILL BEST REPRESENT YOU and bring YOUR VOICE to the table.

And whatever you decide, please vote!

In this with you,

Ray

Ray Strauss: District 4, Buckeye Town Council candidate

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Arizona Republic candidate questionnaire

Biography

Occupation/main source(s) of income: Senior pastor

Previous occupations: Demographic Specialist, Collegiate Track Coach

Education: Edmond Memorial High School, Edmond OK. Graduated in 1991.Oklahoma Baptist University, Bachelor of Arts, 1996.Graduate Studies: (60 hours) New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1997-1998 Southwestern Theological Seminary, 1998-2001Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2004-2005

Age: 38

Family: Christina Strauss (married 1-3-1998)

How long have you lived in Arizona? 3 years in June.

Previous public offices you’ve sought/held: none

Civic organizations in which you’ve been active? None

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? Do you have any civil judgments outstanding? Please be specific. No
1. What is the best piece of political advice you ever received? Listen to all perspectives objectively before rendering judgement.

2. What character trait best serves a public official? Integrity

3. What character flaw most harms a public official? Dishonesty

4. What is your favorite book (besides a spiritual text)? Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept, by James W. Sire is simply fascinating at the moment as was Malcom Gladwell’s book, Blink before that. As a bibliophile, my favorite book changes almost weekly.

5. What is your favorite place in Arizona? Home with my family in Buckeye though we enjoy short get-a-ways to Sedona and the North Rim in the Summer.

6. Which Arizona political figure past or present do you most admire and why? No one I would claim to admire politically, though I am intrigued by J.D. Hayworth and John McCain’s brewing battle for Senate.

The issues

1. What are your qualifications to serve on the Town Council?
As a pastor, I serve and spend much time with many of the people of the communities in District 4. This allows me to know many of them and their thoughts on issues that affect them. Because of this, I will be able to bring their voice to the table.

2. What makes you a better choice than your opponent or opponents?
Living in Festival Ranch provides a great opportunity to get to meet and connect with a large number of the people in District 4. This is made more so because of our local elementary school, Festival Foothills, where my wife serves as the assistant principal. The school, as well as the church where I serve, are tremendous bridges for the communities of Sun City Festival, Festival Foothills, and Tartesso.

3. What do you see as your district’s top 3 issues?
1. The need for economic development.
2. Infrastructure to compete for businesses looking for new opportunities in the Valley.
3. Stronger representation for District 4.

4. What is your vision for your district in five years? In 10?
In five years: Greatly enhanced communication between the residents, businesses, and town. More entry level businesses (gas stations, professional service providers, smaller restaurants, etc.). The infrastructure and residents in place that provide the foundation for the next five years which will be:
In 10 years: Builders and developers responding to a stabilized economy and increased demand for people moving to the “next great destination” that Buckeye will be. Wisely responding to the growth while being mindful of our past experiences.

5. What has been the current council’s greatest accomplishment?
Surviving. Growing from 5,000 to 50,000 in ten years required considerable energy and resources. Adjusting to that kind of growth demanded much material and personnel to simply keep up. When the economy came to a halt, the emotion, mindset, and energy shifted and required yet another significant adjustment for all of Buckeye. This shift has been challenging for the residents, leadership, and perhaps most of all, the Town employees. I’d say Buckeye has done a fine job knowing when to press the brake and gas pedals on this trip.

6. What has been the current council’s greatest shortcoming, and how would you address it?The turn over in senior staff and financial resources incurred as a result are generally not things tax payers plan to spend money on. Hiring (and electing) people with the integrity, maturity, and leadership skills necessary for a growing Buckeye will prevent that from occurring as often in the future. That’s how I’d address it. After all, ideas have consequences and everyone we hire or elect will have ideas.

7. How long have you lived in Buckeye? 2 years.

8. How long have you lived in the district? 2 years.

Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 04:11 PM

Time to begin a new age in Buckeye

Buckeye voters have an opportunity to change the direction of their city and set it on a course toward a future of visionary leadership and professional management.

Ballots have been sent out and the voting has begun in this election by mail.

What’s different about this race from all of the Buckeye council elections in the past is that all of the challengers are relatively new residents – transplants from other parts of the state or country. In previous elections most, if not all, of the candidates were born or raised in or near Buckeye. It’s partly because of those close family ties that Buckeye’s government has a reputation for being a “good ol’ boy” town. In most cases, the reputation is richly deserved.

But big changes have come to Buckeye over the past decade. Previous town councils voted to annex huge swaths of land, bringing the town’s planning area to some 650 square miles. New residential developments have sprung up in those far-flung areas and people have moved into those new homes – people who weren’t born and raised in Buckeye. Now they want to have a say in how the town is run.

Over the past 10 years, Buckeye’s government has stumbled around like Keystone Kops. The Town Council’s track record in hiring town managers has been dismal. Town managers were hired and disposed of with wild abandon – and at exorbitant cost to the town’s taxpayers.

Poor management led to one embarrassing fiasco after another (remember the water bill boondoggle?). The town is in desperate need of new faces and new ideas on the council.

That’s why Buckeye voters should use this election to begin a clean sweep of the Town Council.

In District 4, we recommend Ray Strauss. He’s bright, energetic and has already demonstrated a deep commitment to community affairs. As a church pastor and resident of Festival Foothills, he’d bring the communities in the far northern reaches of Buckeye the representation on the council they haven’t had thus far.

In District 5, we recommend Craig Heustis. A resident of the Sundance community, Heustis has been a community activist (far more so than his opponent) and has served on the town Planning and Zoning Board.

In District 6, we recommend Eric Orsborn, who lives in the Verrado community. Osborn is another young, bright, energetic candidate. The only yellow flag is that he has worked for developers, including DMB, the company that is developing Verrado, so if he’s elected, we hope that he would abstain from any votes that might involve a potential conflict of interest.

His opponent, incumbent Dave Rioux, has recently been embroiled in a couple of embarrassing personal scandals involving allegations of sexual harassment and the discovery that 14 years ago he fathered a child he didn’t know about until recently. The issues raise questions about personal character. Voters will always have to wonder if the character he demonstrated in his personal life might carry over into his public life.

Several years ago, three young men in Seattle thought it would be fun to streak a popular local restaurant.  They pulled up in front of the diner, left their car running for a quick get-a-way, and proceeded to run inside.  Once inside, they were stunned to see their car being driven away by a thief, along with their clothes.  Their idea “of fun” yielded them unfortunate consequences.

When it comes to the role of a town’s councilperson, I’m often asked, “What does a councilperson do?” While a good question, a more important one is, “What are the qualities of a good candidate?” As it is with any leadership position, strong personal characteristics are essential.  Among these should be:

*Character: This is the most important quality for any leader or public official.  Character is vital for both personal conduct and  decision making.

*Honesty: Tied to character is honesty. A candidate should be honest when speaking to the public. Equally important is listening honestly and considering all issues thoroughly before making any decisions.

*Motivation: Motivation can come from many sources, but as a public servant, the public interest should be primary. Those seeking election only to represent a special interest group or a personal agenda will struggle to perform their duties with integrity for the broader vision for Buckeye, both present and future.

*Balance: As a representative of their District and Town, as a whole, a council person should demonstrate a balanced approach. A good candidate will value public safety as well as sound fiscal management. A good candidate should think critically about issues. An effective elected official will be able to work well with the existing Town Staff, without automatically deferring to their judgement. Additionally, they will seek a healthy balance for their families and other work responsibilities.

*Commitment: Most Councilpersons have a full time job, as well as a family. In order to serve effectively, the candidate must demonstrate dedication to serving the public. Self discipline in the area of time management is essential to any good candidate. Preparation for meetings as well as community relations are also expected. The effective candidate will understand how to work within the tension of expectations and be able to balance various commitments.

Like the youth who discovered the painful truth that ideas have consequences, the elected Councilperson will have ideas. When considering who to vote for, be sure to consider the character of the candidate. Based on your evaluation you will be in a great place to answer all other questions. Not the least of which is, “Is this person electable?”

Additionally, tonight, The Town of Buckeye’s Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a forum at Festival Foothills Elementary School.  This is an excellent opportunity for the residents of District 4 to meet and hear from the candidates running for Town Council, District 4.

Hope to see you there!  Ray would love to meet you.