CHUBBUCK — One opponent is challenging Kevin England for the Chubbuck mayoral position and one other is challenging Josh Ellis for the City Council seat 2 in the upcoming elections on Nov. 7.

Henri “Hank” Gardiner is vying to surpass England as mayor, and Roger Hernandez hopes to replace Ellis on the City Council. Incumbent councilman Ryan Lewis — who occupies seat 4 — is running unopposed.

England is seeking his second term as Chubbuck’s top government official. He is a Pocatello native who, with his father and two brothers, successfully operated a paint contracting business for 20 years. He served one term on the Chubbuck City Council before becoming the mayor in 2014.

“I’m not only plugging in what I brought with me through business, but over the last four years I have received invaluable training as I’ve worked with the Association of Idaho Cities, the local Chamber of Commerce and our local economic development folks,” England said. “And I have taken courses on my own to ensure I know and understand the kinds of things it takes for a community that’s turning that corner from small to large.”

England said he is committed to ensuring the city is prepared for the growth and development in the future, especially when considering how the Northgate Interchange is something he called a “game-changer” for the area.

England wants to unite the community to work towards beatification efforts city-wide and not just in areas where the Northgate project will have the biggest economic footprint.

“My vision is to make sure that we are ready for that growth,” England said. “We have had legitimate concerns internally and externally about beautification of our community. And one of our mantras has been ‘Choose Chubbuck.’ We want to keep that going.”

England continued, “This is a huge time for change in this city, but not a time for change of leadership in this city.”

Gardiner has lived most of his life in Chubbuck, but he moved to Salt Lake City for a few years to earn a business degree. He returned to manage several businesses before spending more than three years with the Chubbuck Police Department. Gardiner says his business experience and inside perspective of the city motivated his decision to run for mayor.

“There are some things that are being neglected,” Gardiner said. “The Chubbuck Police doesn’t have a SWAT Team or a drug dog anymore and went away from programs that help curb violent crimes and drug crimes in the area.”

Gardiner added that he attempted to speak to elected officials about his concerns during his tenure with the police department, and he said it became clear to him that if changes were to come about, he would have to do it himself.

“There are two main issues for me,” Gardiner said. “The one is certainly the crime rate in the area and that we need to be proactive instead of reactive. And the other one is the much talked about Northgate Interchange expansion.”

Gardiner continued, “The government needs to be careful because its role is not to speculate and play developer. I think their job is to manage the tools they have, and as growth happens, they need to incorporate new growth. The utility rates in Chubbuck are way higher than anybody else’s and the current mayor has publicly stated that he doesn’t see any way to lower those costs, but I disagree.”

Gardiner said he has run a small business for the last seven years, and if he were to become the next Chubbuck mayor, he would run the city more like a small business rather than a typical government.

“We owe it to the citizens to be responsible and get our debt taken care of,” Gardiner said.

Ryan Lewis who is running unopposed for Seat 4, was born and raised in the Pocatello-Chubbuck area. He said he is married with five children, graduated from Idaho State University with a degree in finance and has been a Chubbuck City Council member for the last four years.

“I have appreciated the trust that the citizens have placed in me and I look forward to honoring that trust as the city moves forward with some really exciting things that are coming our way,” Lewis said. “This isn’t directly related to Northgate, but the city has some tremendous growth opportunities and it’s our challenge and focus to maintain our incredible hometown feel while at the same time beginning to offer the amenities that we haven’t been able to offer in the past.”

He continued, “Finding that balance is where the real work is going to be.”

Hernandez who is challenging Josh Ellis for seat 2 on the city council, is a retired United States Army veteran with 30 years of service. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from American Military University and is working on his teacher certification through the state of Idaho.

Currently a substitute teacher for Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25, Hernandez said he has more than 20 years of budget, finance and management experience.

“I will bring a fresh new approach to a great city,” Hernandez said. “I can bring a level of expertise and professional experience to the council, and my background will allow me to make good choices about where we need to go in the future.”

Hernandez is also concerned about future growth as it relates to the Northgate project, and said he is a big fan for creating a smart city foundation.

“I think we need to lay down the groundwork for that right now,” he said. “The details of that Northgate Interchange are important and the Bannock County Commission deserves a ton of credit for the project.”

And incumbent Josh Ellis, who was born in Downey, has spent most of his life in the Portneuf Valley. After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from ISU, Ellis served as a medic in the Idaho National Guard and is currently the Council President on the Chubbuck City Council.

“I am passionate about Chubbuck and this valley,” Ellis said. “If you look at Chubbuck over the last four years, it has been growing and improving itself without the Northgate Interchange. We have been improving the city and the services that we offer to our citizens. We have also been looking forward to the expected growth.”

Ellis’s largest concern for Chubbuck is to ensure that the city can recruit high-quality talent and businesses when the Northgate project ramps up.

“The ability to advocate and ask businesses to look at what Chubbuck has done is what I bring to the table,” Ellis said. “Also, the city of Chubbuck only has one major access to Highway 86 and Interstate 15, with certain areas starting to struggle.”

Ellis continued, “We need additional outlets and avenues for people to enter and leave the city. Really, I am just asking to continue the transformation that we have been seeing over the last four years.”