Four Roosevelt City Council candidates will vie for two open seats on the Nov. 3 ballot. They are Phillip Armstrong, David Labrum, Rachel Morgan, and Lane Yack. All four candidates were asked how they felt about the tax proposal to build new schools, the swimming pool initiative, and about a new master plan for the city.

PHILIP ARMSTRONG

A teacher at Union High School, 41-year-old Armstrong has a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in education. He feels his experience and education give him background concerning the importance of providing infrastructure and services to sustain the community.

Do you support the tax proposal to build new schools?

I would like to see an additional elementary and it would be nice to have a new high school. However, an economic recession is not the time to ask the public to support a tax increase. I would like to see an independent firm look at the possibility of consolidation before moving forward with the building of two new high schools. I also would like to see more detailed and long-range planning at the district level. When I first moved to Roosevelt the school district held public meetings on building a new Union High School and somehow that plan morphed into building a new Roosevelt Junior High School. School building initiatives appear to be haphazard instead of part of a detailed master plan.

Do you support the new swimming pool initiative?

I do support the new swimming pool initiative. However, I am concerned about the tax increase that such an initiative will require, as well as the annual perpetual operating cost that the city will have to subsidize. I would like to explore possible partnerships instead of asking the citizens of Roosevelt to bear the entire tax burden of a pool that will be used and enjoyed by people throughout Duchesne County.

How do you feel about efforts to create a new master plan for the city?

I support and would like to be a part of the creation of a new master plan for Roosevelt. Roosevelt is growing and we need to plan for the city’s continued growth in such a way to accommodate expansion while still keeping the character of the small and friendly community we all enjoy.

What other important issues should we as community be thinking about?

I intend to continue the great work already done by the city regarding our parks and recreational centers. I support additional improvements and even facilities (like the pool initiative, if we can do so with partnerships) that provide the people with health and leisure options and opportunities.

I support increased efforts to improve the safety of our community, particularly at cross walks and school zones. I would like to see curb, cutter, sidewalks and paved streets in new developments and improvements to the same in existing neighborhoods. I believe that additional night street lighting would also improve the safety of our community.

I believe that elected positions are synonymous with service. Accordingly, I will not serve more than two consecutive terms as a City Council member.

DAVID LABRUM

Labrum considers himself “60-years-young.” As a partner in L&L Motor Company he is invested in the community and the success of the area. While serving the community of Roosevelt, Labrum’s priority would be to help preserve the safety of homes and businesses as well as schools and recreational areas.

Do you support the tax proposal to build new schools?

Duchesne County School District has many immediate needs with our school buildings. I have great respect for our School Board members and Superintendent John Aland and his staff. I know they have researched the needs and evaluated the options over and over. I believe the future of our county lies with our youth and we need to invest in their school environment needs. Our school district has always been very conservative and they are still doing so. Consolidation would be super for our academic opportunities, but the citizens of the county have to want it. I do support the bond issue.

Do you support the new swimming pool initiative?

I would also love to have a new swimming pool complex. It needs to be a county sponsored issue. Roosevelt City citizens cannot afford its upkeep and operational costs on their own.

How do you feel about efforts to create a new master plan for the city?

I feel strongly that we do need to address our future master plan and the sooner the better. We need to have goals, we need to make plans to achieve those goals and we need to hold ourselves accountable for its success on a regular basis. I appreciate all the great work that has been done and yet there is much to do.

What other important issues should we as community be thinking about?

As citizens we need to be more involved. We cannot expect the government to provide so much for ourselves and our families. This is a terrific community to live in and we can even make it better. There is much hope for the future and I have faith that we can all make good things happen.

RACHEL MORGAN

At 22, Morgan is the youngest and only female contender for one of the two open seats on the council. She feels that she can provide a unique voice as well as a different perspective.

Do you support the tax proposal to build new schools?

The tax proposal to build new schools is a tough decision to make, especially for Roosevelt residents. As a future mother, I am extremely concerned about our local schools and their progress. I believe the school system is the most important part of our community, and a main point of attraction for potential newcomers. Our schools always need and deserve our enthusiastic support.

As a future homeowner, however, I am also concerned about the tax burden that will be mine if this proposal passes. These are hard financial times, and I’m not sure Roosevelt citizens are well enough informed about the long-term effects this tax would have on their homes and businesses.

I am also not convinced that all the options have been fully explored. At this point, I think there are other – possibly better – options for the school district than raising our taxes so drastically.

Do you support the new swimming pool initiative?

An indoor/outdoor facility would be a great recreational place for the community, and would potentially benefit more of the overall population than even the schools. I think the city has done plenty of research, polling the people and discussing all their options, but I also think there might be an alternative way to get the necessary funding.

More than anything, I want Roosevelt citizens to get informed on these issues, make their own decisions, and vote! They are the ones who will decide the future of the city.

How do you feel about efforts to create a new master plan for the city?

I would definitely support a new master plan for the city, and would be happy to contribute my own efforts toward it. Roosevelt City has undergone many changes over the last few years; growth and recession have put strain on the infrastructure that needs to be worked out before it gets worse. The process may take a while, but I believe it would be worth it.

What other important issues should we as community be thinking about?

As a community, I think we should be focusing our efforts on becoming more efficient: with our time, our money, our resources. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent, and who is accountable for that money. They have a right to know that their tax dollars are going to make the community a better place. Most of us can't afford to let poor planning or poor management slide by.

Roosevelt City has a lot to offer, including wonderful people. I think we are moving in the right direction, and I would love to be a part of these exciting new changes. If I am elected, I will do my best to represent the citizens of Roosevelt and to offer a new perspective on the current issues.

LANE YACK

Yack is a 57-year-old teacher at Roosevelt Junior High who is also the only incumbent on this year’s ballot for Roosevelt City Council. He has chosen to run for re-election because he would like to help the city move in a positive direction.

Do you support the tax proposal to build new schools?

Although no one likes to pay more taxes, I strongly believe in education. Education is the foundation for our youth, and I feel we all need to invest in our youth to strengthen our communities. By taking the vote to the people, the majority of Duchesne County’s citizens will have their say whether the schools should be built or not. I can’t speak for Altamont, but I know we need another elementary school “now” in Roosevelt. Schools are a vital part of all communities, and I have seen what a new junior high has done for our community. It builds pride in the students, faculty and community members. As elected officials, all we can do is let the people decide and work forward from there.

Do you support the new swimming pool initiative?

I feel the swimming pool initiative needs to be addressed honestly and fairly. I can’t just say I am for the latest and greatest. Personally, I feel Duchesne County needs to form a Recreation District, which lets all of its towns have a fair share of money for their recreation needs. By doing this, the Roosevelt citizens would not need an initiative for another tax increase. Recreation facilities such as Vernal and Castle Dale are not owned and operated by cities, they are county owned and operated. Surveys indicate that over half of the people who visit the Roosevelt pool are not Roosevelt citizens, but only Roosevelt citizens will be asked to shoulder the burden of a tax increase for the pool.

Sure it would be nice to have an indoor facility that we all could be proud of. The building of the pool is not my main concern as much as having the ability to pay the maintenance and operation costs of the pool. Without county and school district assistance, I feel it will be a real burden for Roosevelt citizens to keep the pool open.

The city has put the pool on its two-year priority list. If the pool initiative fails, the council will look at building an outdoor pool at half the cost and a third of the maintenance and operation cost. We would hope to do this by going to the CIB for funds or a grant. The new outdoor pool will have a lap pool and some slides for the kids so there will be some nice features.

How do you feel about efforts to create a new master plan for the city?

Roosevelt City is currently in the process of coming up with a new master plan for development. The last one was done in 1982. Times change, priorities change, and I feel it is time for a revision. Time has proven that Roosevelt’s last plan has been followed quite closely through the years but growth is dictating change in some areas. Zoning, growth, increased sizes of water lines, replacing outdated lines, are some examples of what this plan would include. Moon Lake Electric’s new building, Roosevelt Square and the Uintah Basin Medical Center’s care center have required changes. Strategic planning is necessary while at the same time building in flexibility for unforeseen areas of growth.

What other important issues should we as community be thinking about?

Roosevelt City is now in the process of designing a new treatment process at our waste ponds. We currently have one of the oldest waste facilities in the state and it needs to be upgraded. This is second on our priority list. Number one on our list for 2010 is the finishing of 2nd South and then redoing some roads where the secondary water has been installed. Roads are always an issue in our town. I remember running for office four years ago thinking I could have every road in Roosevelt redone. I only wish it were that easy. Roosevelt City spends a lot of money on roads, however it is never enough. I promise to keep working on improvement.

I would like to thank the citizens who have supported me the last four years. I would like to ask you for your vote again as we move into a time where budgets will get tighter and the challenges of City Council will increase.