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Dear Editor:
First things first. Mayor Gard is my friend. However, I am also a businessperson. In business, performance reviews are common, and friendships do not enter into the performance review. Various metrics are utilized in such a review. One of them might be “task completion.” And another “prioritizing one’s time.”
And Time is the subject of this editorial. Over the course of his mayoral tenure, Mayor Gard has demonstrated that he will devote whatever time is necessary to see a City or civic project through. Riverton citizens are fortunate to have a mayor that can dedicate the time to get the job done. It is not uncommon for Mayor Gard to work 20 hours or more a week on City projects. The City is his priority.
However, there are concerns that his challenger, Tim Hancock, will NOT be able to devote the necessary time to run the City of Riverton as he already has a full-time job as the Chief Deputy Fremont County as well as Prosecuting Attorney. I assume that as Prosecuting Attorney he is already quite busy in this important role. So how can one expect that Mr. Hancock will be able to allocate the time necessary to run a business called the City of Riverton? A business with a $30 million annual budget.
As a lawyer, Mr. Hancock is probably quite competent as a prosecuting attorney. Isn’t the position of prosecuting attorney too important to this County to dilute those activities with yet another job as Mayor of Riverton? Further, the citizens of Riverton deserve a mayor that has the flexibility to devote the time it takes to get the job done.
There is no question that Mayor Gard has accomplished much to better Riverton in his first term. He has the time to run the City as a business. Further, how many elected officials do you know provide and answer their personal cell phones when a citizen has a concern or suggestion? Again, it’s a time thing. And Mayor Gard has a proven record of prioritizing his time to serve YOU, the citizens of Riverton.
My vote’s with Mayor Gard.
Sincerely,
Hal Herron
Riverton