I've known Chris for about 5 years, and I've found her to be an exceptional person in many ways. Chris is not your normal politician. Many if not most politicians are big on happy talk - everything's fine, we're doing a great job, vote for me again. That's not Chris. Everything she does is focused on improvement. How do we make things better. Whether it's improving the water quality in the Pocatello Valley, improving the Portneuf River, improving the county roads that access public lands, or improving the City of Pocatello.

Chris challenges employees to do better, but does it in a respectful and honest manner. Government entities are resistant to change. Many long-term employees are comfortable doing the same things they've always done, in the same ways. Chris knows that if you are improving, you have to change. The greatest challenge for government is being both efficient and effective. Too many government entities grow only by adding more people and cost, and not by adapting to the changes required in a constantly changing world.

Pocatello lacks a long-term detailed plan with a timeline for improvements. There is no long-term plan for how to deal with increasing traffic congestion on Yellowstone Avenue. There is no long-term plan for dealing with the water quality issues as more septic tanks are added to the valley. There is no long-term plan for transitioning to renewable energy and improving the air quality in the valley. There is no long-term detailed plan for how to fund the River Vision. Chris knows that long-term detailed planning is a requirement for constant improvement. Pocatello currently jumps from one budget crisis to the next, with no real accountability to the taxpayer.

If you would like to see Pocatello improve, vote for Chris Stevens for Mayor.

Mike Larkin,

Pocatello