Jeanie Kuypers makes her case as a candidate for Battle Ground City Council

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

I’m running to continue serving on the Battle Ground City Council, aiming to provide a fresh voice and drive positive change while addressing challenges facing our community.

My experience is in business development and corporate real estate positions. I’ve been a business partner, and I understand the joys and challenges of small business and the importance of community support. Having served on community and professional boards and being involved in my local church, we are always adapting to the evolving nature of the community. We are not the community we were even three years ago, and I will bring fresh experience and approaches to our local government.

I prioritize collaboration, partnerships and transparency, in our financial oversight and how we manage for today and plan for our future. Every city is required by state law to adopt a balanced budget. Comparatively, Battle Ground is in a much better financial position than most other cities, thanks to the work of our council and city staff. We are all concerned about tax increases, and yet there are services and amenities that are important to our citizens and for the overall health of our community that need support. With evolving economic and legislative impacts, there will continue to be tough decisions that will involve your input, especially as funding sources become tighter. We need to remain focused and continue to do the hard work to steward our citizens’ dollars and provide the services necessary for a growing community.

On your behalf, I will support: funding public safety and code enforcement; improvements to parks, Rails to Trails connectivity for tourism, and a future pool and ball fields; road and sidewalk improvements; additional water sources; short and long-term improvements for traffic and pedestrians at Main and Grace; downtown revitalization and connectivity to the Library District; affordable housing; economic development and jobs, specifically along 502 to help spread the tax burden. Although the City and the School District are separate entities, as a citizen I am supportive of our schools and concerned about the challenges they face.

That’s who I am and it’s a tall list of priorities, but with your support and engagement in the topics, we can continue to work for the greater good and the future of our families. Please look for me, Jeanie Kuypers, on your ballot and vote. I appreciate your support.

Jeanie Kuypers
Battle Ground

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