RE – ELECT
REID WEST
SWEETWATER COUNTY COMMISSIONER
LEADERSHIP – WHERE IT COUNTS MOST
FISCAL CONSERVATIVE
We have more than tripled our reserves in the last eight years. Even after building the new $20M Justice Center they are more than twice what they were when I took office.
NON-PARTISAN APPROACH TO GOVERNING
Once elected we represent everyone in the county, regardless party affiliation. I am a product of my upbringing, my knowledge, and my experience. My conscience is my guide, not the party line.
HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY
I do not play games, and there are no hidden agendas. What you see is what you get. I am as open and approachable as you can be. I can be direct, but I am fair. We are the guardians of your County Treasury, which sometimes requires tough questions. A question is not a statement or a position. The public has a right to know that their tax dollars are being spent appropriately.
BUILDER
By being financially prudent, we are in a position to invest tax dollars back into the county to improve our quality of life. We have remodeled the old RSNB Bank into the County Health and Human Services Building, built a new Justice Center, funded numerous improvements to the Events Complex, re-paved Ciner, Genesis Granger, and Little America roads, built sand/salt storage structures for Road and Bridge, sponsored 6th cent projects for the MOB/Cancer Center at MHSC; Ambulances and improvements to Castle Rock Hospital District; and given other financial support to CRHD to divest of the Convalescent Center and Villa (to Mission Health Services), which has resulted in a strong financial position for CRHD.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION
Since I was a young man, every election year begins the diversification mantra. But let’s give ourselves some credit, because we are probably the most economically diverse county in the state. Some counties have more
Oil & Gas, but we have a lot. Some counties have more Coal/Power, but we have that too. No other counties have Trona, and we have more than the rest of the nation. Add to that Phosphate Fertilizer, Anhydrous Ammonia, Uranium, a robust service sector for each, and Tourism, and we are in pretty good shape. In truth, the cyclical nature of the Oil & Gas Industry is what most contributes to economic swings, and there is little we can do about that, as Global supply and demand drive it. No matter how diversified we are, there will always be cycles and losses of jobs and tax dollars in that sector. I fully support Oil & Gas, and we are much better off with them than without them. Regardless the downturns, they are still producing gas, the gas plants are processing, the pipelines are flowing, and many of our residents are employed. Otherwise our economy is fairly stable. We can never be complacent and need to do what we can to take advantage of opportunities, but we don’t need to sell the farm. Continue to improve infrastructure, take advantage of opportunities, and be prepared for growth. In the meantime, if nothing else it improves our services. Lending support to existing industries is the easiest, most cost effective and productive way to keep our workers employed and families secure. Celebrate our victories…. we are doing okay.
WHAT’S AHEAD?
We need to live within our means, in both good years and bad. Your Treasury is sound, and our reserves adequate. The needs of the county are many and ever changing. We are undertaking a study of employee compensation to ensure we are treating our employees fairly and compensating them accordingly. If we ask them to pick up the slack as we downsize, and forego raises during downturns, then we ought to reward them as we prosper.
We live in a harsh environment, and therefore need to consider amenities to improve our quality of life. Whether we work in concert with communities to help them fund projects or undertake them ourselves, we need to give more consideration to projects that enrich our lives. Infrastructure takes priority, but it doesn’t always have to be about infrastructure. What about concert halls, large community gathering facilities for weddings, funerals, conventions, indoor sporting venues, etc. They are your tax dollars, and you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Because of your generous support of the Specific Purpose Tax over the years, it has lessened the burden on infrastructure investment. It’s time we give back. I would appreciate your support on November 6th.
(Paid for by the Candidate)
