Meet the Candidates… Trustee Candidates Answer Questions on Town-Related Topics

Three four-year seats on the Town of Lake City Board of Trustees are up for election on Tuesday, April 7, with the terms of Jeff Heaton, Jud Hollingsworth and Marty Priest expiring. The candidates are incumbent Jud Hollingsworth, and Patrice Palmer, Doug Hamel, Crystal Brown, Jesse Kendall and Michelle Martin. Approximately 380 ballots will be mailed March 20. Prior to each municipal election, SILVER WORLD asks candidates questions on a variety of town-related topics, including information on their backgrounds and reasons for running. WORLD’S questions and the candidate answers are printed below….. Share with readers how and when you came to Lake City, your age, where you grew up, and who the members of your family are. Discuss what you do for work, and boards and organizations with which you have been involved in Lake City and elsewhere. Crystal Brown: I was born at Gunnison Hospital on March 20, 1979. Lake City has been my home all my life. By the time I was two years old, my parents had divorced. When I was in preschool, age four, my brother and I split time between Lake City and the Denver area, where our mother was living. My mother’s name is Debra Longuski, and she currently lives in Buena Vista, Colorado, with my stepfather, Mark Longuski. Her family used to vacation in the Lake City area when she was a child. They camped at Snowden Meadow. My father is William E. Brown, also known as Gene Brown. My father’s mother, Mary Jacobs, had remarried and settled in Lake City when my father was a child. Mary and Bennie Jacobs owned the Matterhorn Motel for a period, and later owned what is now Lake City Auto. My Uncle Allen Brown has a local business, A.B. Construction. My Aunt Joanie Anastasion Brown is the Hinsdale County Clerk of the District Court, and she helps my Uncle Allen run their construction company. My husband is Tory Stephens. He is from Hobbs, New Mexico, and moved to Lake City right before his 10th birthday. He works for my uncle at A.B. Construction as a carpenter. Tory and I have been married for almost 10 years. We have three children. I have a son, John O’Hara, who is 14 years old. Tory has two daughters, Elissa and Shaye Stephens. Elissa is 16 and Shaye is 14. All three children attend Lake City Community School. I have been living in Lake City permanently, most of my adult life. I began working for WEBCO, Inc., in autumn of 1998. WEBCO is my father’s excavation company. I started as a laborer but began learning how to operate equipment from the start. In late 2004, I found out I was pregnant with my son. I put my equipment operating on hold and began doing the bookkeeping at WEBCO. Currently I am both an operator and bookkeeper at WEBCO. My brother, Joshua Brown, also worked at WEBCO up until his death in 2010. He was 2.5 years older than me. He taught me a lot and we had fun when we worked together. I miss him every day. Doug Hamel: “I grew up in Boulder County Colorado….Born in Boulder County Hospital and lived in Boulder, Niwot and Longmont if you are familiar with the area. My father worked at Ball Aerospace in Boulder where he was introduced to exploring the San Juans. We first visited Lake City in the late 1960s in an old Jeep Wagoneer and it included trips over to Silverton and Telluride. I would have been a teenager then. We’ve continued to visit Lake City through the years until we were able to move here full time in 2016. I met my better half, Tammy, at Longmont High School. We have two children Thomas, 25, who works with us at Blue Spruce Building Materials and Zachary, 22, who is a graduating Nursing Student at Colorado Mesa University. Then, there is Roxy the wonder dog and two cats, Izzy and Shawnee that think they are humans, too. In 2018 we purchased Blue Spruce Building Materials from the Hollingsworths. We run the store with Greg and Erika who have been a tremendous help with their many years of experience working the store. We couldn’t do it without them. I have chaired the Hinsdale County/Lake City Marketing committee for the last 15 months and sit on the Planning Commission. I also participated on the OHV community working group in late 2018 and early 2019. With my 30 years with the Air Force I served on many boards and committees. Probably the most important was working for the Secretary for Air Force Installation and Logistics on the Depot Maintenance Repair Team. I headed up the Depot Production Committee. The most interesting experience on this committee is while sitting in a Hotel just south of the Pentagon preparing to brief the Secretary, I was watching CNN when an airplane flew into the World Trade Center. I picked up the phone and called Tammy who was working at Hill AFB and the kids were in Day Care there and I told her she needed to get the kids off base and to their scheduled doctors appointment immediately or she was going to get locked down on base. I headed down the hotel escalator to catch a cab to the Pentagon. About halfway down the escalator we heard a tremendous blast and by the time I got to the cabs, the cabbies already knew through their network that the second plane had struck the Pentagon. We spent the next six days trying to get home. We’d walk down to the parking garage at the Pentagon City Mall which was just across the Freeway from the Pentagon, quite a sobering experience to see the Pentagon burning. To make a long story short, I finally made it home 6 days later at 4:00 in the morning. Jud Hollingsworth: My wife, Marian, and I, with our two young sons, came to Lake City from Port Arthur, Texas, for the first time in 1979, camping at Wupperman Campground over the 4th of July. During our stay, after a visit to Hall Realty, we discovered that Hegarty Lumber was for sale. We purchased the business, which became Blue Spruce Building Materials, in 1980 in partnership with our friends, Jani and Gary Landry. In 1989, Marian and I purchased their half of the business. I was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012 and 2016, and have served the Town of Lake City from April 2012 to present. I am a past member of the Lake City Area Medical Center Board, Hinsdale County Lodging Tax Board, served as president of the Lake City/Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce two separate times, have been a Town representative to Region 10, and I am currently the Town representative to the Lodging Tax Board’s Lake City/Hinsdale County Marketing Committee. Jesse Kendall: My name is Jesse Kendall, I’m 63 years old and running for Lake City Town Trustee. My beautiful wife, Beth, and I first came to Lake City in the early 1990s looking for a place to retire. We immediately fell in love with the spirit and joy here, not to mention the mountains and weather! We knew we wanted to be in the Colorado Rockies. Beth is from Boulder and my family lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We are smack between both locations. Perfect… close but not too close. The first time we came with our kids, Leslie, who is 35, and Kevin, 33, they were in elementary school. I remember Leslie skipping through the town park gleefully exclaiming that her hair dries so fast here. We both retired here full-time in June of 2016 from the Houston area. Beth was a geophysicist. I was a fireman. I’ve lived in lots of places. Born in Rochester, New York, also lived in Dallas, Texas, Palo Alto, California, Havre DeGrace, Maryland, Puebla, Mexico, Stuttgart, Germany, Lafayelle, Louisiana, with the bulk of it in Dallas (Richardson) and then Houston, Texas, before retiring here. Since moving here I’ve been volunteering at the museum as a docent… (remember last spring, emptying the museum and bringing it all back in. That was fun, also helping bring in historic train car No. 211.) I’ve also volunteered at the visitors’ center, helped set up the Lake City Arts & Crafts Fair in July. I’ve also poured wine at the Uncorked Wine & Music Festival, and do a lot around town as needed, i.e. the snowman contest which just happened and the Moseley Arts Center whenever asked, and I (sort of) act with the Lake City Old West Shooters every Wednesday throughout the summer. Yes, I love being involved. We love this town and would never move back to the big city! So that pretty much cuts out anywhere else, because everywhere else is pretty much bigger! Michelle Martin: I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Michelle Martin, I am 42 years old and have been a Lake City resident for nearly sixteen years. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs. Prior to living in Lake City, I was a resident of Fort Collins where I earned my bachelor’s and master’s in civil engineering from Colorado State University. I began my professional career as a Civil Engineer in Fort Collins in 2002. I relocated to Lake City in 2004 when my husband, Lucas, took a job as a wildlife officer for the state. I have been telecommuting for last sixteen years from Lake City; so, I understand the need for reliable internet and benefit of telecommuters to our local economy. I am currently a Senior Engineer and co-owner of a small water resource civil engineering firm based in Fort Collins. I have over eighteen years of experience working on water resource projects for numerous municipalities and federal agencies. I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to continue my career while living in Lake City. When the Lake City Community School started their athletic program, back in 2010, I jumped at the chance to coach high school basketball. I coached both boys and girls teams for three seasons. Sadly, I had to give up coaching when I became pregnant with my daughter, Elsa. I hope to coach again someday, and I look forward to the first home game next year – Go Fourteeners! For the past five years I have been a member of the Wee Care board of directors and served as Board President the last three years. I am so proud of the Wee Care staff and board members who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our community has access to affordable and quality early childhood education and daycare. I am proud to say that I was part of the BEST School Now bond campaign committee. It is exciting to see that the school expansion project is now a reality. I am also a drummer in the local cover band ‘People Talkin’ – look for us as the opening act at the 2020 Lake City Wine Fest! Patrice Palmer: My husband Craig and I came to Lake City on vacation in 2005 to check it out. We fell in love with the town and bought a little house in the Ball Flats that year. In January 2012 we came to live here full time when I retired from the University of Texas at Austin as a graphics manager. My professional background is in cartography, graphics, and technical illustration. I also contract graphics work on the web. Fast reliable internet is paramount to my business! I’m director of Lake City Friends of the Bears. I’m passionate about keeping bears wild and people safe; it also keeps me in touch with new people in the community. I volunteer for the San Juan Solstice 50 mile run implementing the restaurant voucher program. I’ve volunteered with Phillip Virden for the Lake San Cristobal Race. I also sing and play guitar at the Lake City Brewing Company on Saturdays in the winter, and throughout the summer I head up the band People Talkin’ which plays a couple times a month at Packer’s Saloon and Cannibal Grill. We are excited to be the opening act this year’s Uncork’d Wine and Music Festival! I launched the first Songwriters Alpine Summit, a 3 day and night workshop in Lake City that brings much needed business to Lake City in the dead of winter. Last summer I worked at the Valley View Ranch taking care of their horses, which I love very much. I plan to continue working there this summer. I have taught basic guitar lessons to younger amazing Lake City kids. I also draw animals, and you can usually see me walking (or skijoring) around town with my dog Ajax, he is the real star of the family! What past experiences do you have that you feel will contribute in assisting you in the position of Town Trustee if you are elected? If you are an incumbent candidate, please tell readers when you were first elected and describe your prior experience with the town. Doug Hamel: I’m somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I think running Plant Management for Ogden Air Logistics Center’s Maintenance operations was the closest to running a town. We were responsible for maintaining the infrastructure facilities, roads, water treatment and equipment that several thousand maintenance workers utilized. Michelle Martin: Most importantly, I believe that my ability to listen, question, and know what I don’t know will assist me in serving as an effective Town Trustee. My friendly but professional demeanor developed over many years working with diverse types of people will also be an asset. Wee Care is an essential community service that not only provides care and education to our littlest residents but allows for parents to be employed and businesses to operate. My experience at Wee Care is also directly applicable to the Trustee position. The responsibilities of Wee Care board members are similar in many ways to that of a Town Trustee. The Wee Care Board is responsible for providing support and oversight of the Director and staff, developing and making policy decisions, passing and maintaining a budget, ensuring that the center is current and up to date with state licensing standards, writing and maintaining grants, marketing, fundraising, public outreach, maintaining community relationships, and interacting with the public. My years of experience leading Wee Care has opened my eyes to the struggles local families face in this community. Recruitment and retention of staff is always challenging given Wee Care’s restricted financial resources and limited options for affordable housing. My eighteen years of experience as a civil engineer working with various municipalities is directly applicable to providing input on maintenance and improvement of town infrastructure. My engineering and permitting background would also be valuable when the board is reviewing and considering various permit applications. I also believe that my experience as a long time telecommuter would be helpful in attracting more year round residents. Patrice Palmer: When we first moved here, there was a lot of division over the problems with bears and people. We’ve come a long way, and I’m very proud of Lake City for that. We all worked together and we continue to chip away at problems with bear-smart solutions. I’m a great listener and I get along with different groups of people. Jesse Kendall: I was on the fire department board for nine years as captain. There were 35 firefighters at my station at its peak. There were approximately 80-90 members department-wide. There were four stations — they are building a fifth now — covering roughly 35 square miles and almost 90,000 citizens, and the bulk of the population in my station’s area. So customer service was very important as we entered homes on the very worst day of their families’ lives. The fire department I worked for was much larger -500,000 — and we also gave mutual aid to eight or more departments, with well over one million people in our aid area. The budget was a yearly thing that we had to deal with. It was a much larger budget than Lake City’s. We also had to come up with a five-year plan and update it yearly. Engines can cost up to $1-million and towers can run $1.5-million or more. We usually replaced the engines every seven years. I approved the large fire department budget annually on the board for over a decade. Leadership and helping people is in my DNA! Jud Hollingsworth: I have been honored to serve as a Trustee for the Town of Lake City since 2012, now serving as Mayor Pro-Tem. The excellent training the Town Trustees and Mayor have received from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Municipal League, and History Colorado has facilitated difficult decision-making. This training and my experience on the Board have proved invaluable in understanding the role the Board plays in municipal government and my ability to make unbiased, knowledge-based decisions that best serve the needs of the Town of Lake City and all of its citizens. Crystal Brown: As an equipment operator, I have installed dozens of water meters and sewer lines in the Lake City area. I have experience with road building. I put together estimates and bids at my job, as well. I have worked with the town on many projects throughout the years. Water, sewer, and roads need constant maintenance and attention. My estimating and bidding experience will help with figuring out the cost of future projects. I also must communicate with my customers on a regular basis. In my line of work, problem solving is a required skill. I do my best to solve problems with efficiency and professionalism. Why are you running for a Town Trustee position and, if you are elected, what areas of special interest will you wish to focus on? Jud Hollingsworth: I love Lake City and Hinsdale County. I care. I have been available to comments and concerns from anyone. Real and practical solutions for local issues are the goal, and I want to continue being a part of those solutions. I am running for many reasons: (1) to have continued involvement in the Town’s water and sewer project, (2) to focus on bringing better and more reliable broadband and cell service to the area, (3) to provide continued support to improve the drainage and pedestrian access on 3rd Street, (4) to continue working on and supporting additional education projects and local laws and regulations concerning the use of Off Highway Vehicles in the Town of Lake City, (5) to continue my involvement in standardizing fair but strict enforcement of traffic laws for all motorized vehicles on Town streets, alleys and rights-of-way, (6) to continue to work on affordable housing, (7) to continue supporting the status of the National Historic District, (8) to investigate and support viable projects to improve Town roads and alleys, (9) to review and support projects that maintain and improve our Town trails, (10) to continue to support expanding the Ice Climbing Wall, (11) to continue working with the BLM to expand and improve our Ski Hill, (12) to work for viable Recreation Department enhancements that would benefit the entire community. I believe the majority of these tasks can eventually be realized with cooperation between the Town, Hinsdale County, Region 10, and other partners working in our community. There is so much to be accomplished and I have realized early on that it is not helpful to “kick the can down the road”, nor pigeon-hole ideas. A lesson I’ve learned over the past eight years is that decisions take time, and fact-based public input and unbiased research are incremental in making decisions that aren’t just for that day but for years to come. Patrice Palmer: I’m running for Trustee because I want to help come up with solutions to what lay ahead of us. I’m particularly interested in areas that would benefit our local workforce, and attract younger active families to Lake City while still preserving what makes our area so special without raising taxes. Crystal Brown: I am running for Trustee because I genuinely care about my community. I will bring a fresh perspective to the table. One thing I would like to focus on is how Lake City can be more self-sustainable, rather than relying so heavily on tourism for revenue. Lake City will always be a tourist town, and we will always need our visitors, but I think if we were more self-reliant, we could be in a better position if we have a season with less visitors. Last year is a great example of how our community suffered because tourists were not coming, because of the massive snowfall and avalanches in the area. People cancelled and postponed their visit. I can imagine every business in town felt the effects. Michelle Martin: Just like residents, current trustees, and all candidates, I care deeply about this community and wish to see it thrive. I am running because I hope to strengthen the board by providing the perspective of a working parent and volunteer. I am also running to encourage other residents like me to get involved in serving the community. If elected, areas of special interest to me include supporting town staff, strengthening relationships with local organizations, promoting public process and engagement, strengthening the public’s trust in the town, continuing to pursue infrastructure improvements, high speed internet, and affordable/workforce housing. Jesse Kendall: If elected, I will bring a fresh look to Lake City. I am retired and have the time to bring new ideas. Communication is very important. I talk ALL the time; it’s what I do. Come talk to me any time. I love a good conversation! Most people here know that I have diarrhea of the mouth. I will attempt to bring that in check… during Trustee meetings. But also, I go around town asking people what should be done. And not just the locals. We want new blood to move here and take over businesses that are not selling and run them successfully. Even, hopefully, to selling the lots around the downtown area and developing them into more businesses. Micro hotels, more food options, more shopping… just more! Doug Hamel: I can’t stay on the sidelines. I believe I have a lot of experience that I can call on to work Lake City issues. Top of my list is to maintain the existing tourist base and construction economies. That’s what generates the sales tax that the Town operates on. Then continuing to improve our internet and cell connectivity through fiber optics. This is critical to luring on-line work from home entrepreneurs to Lake City. Also, of particular interest is affordable workforce housing. I know there are ongoing discussions in the community on how to establish affordable housing which is one of the key factors keeping people from moving here. Of course continuing the infrastructure improvement projects, water and sewer is a must. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Lake City at present? What is your long-term vision for Lake City? Jesse Kendall: Probably the most current issue that is looming over Lake City, the country and the world is the coronavirus. We just have to be cautious, prepared, well-supplied, and learn to cover our coughs and fist bump, or elbow touch. I know people are scared. My hands are going to be raw from washing them so much! We, as Lake City folks, just need to be as healthy as possible and if you think you have been exposed, self-separate from everyone until you know that you don’t have it. And then I think GROWTH is also important. I remember coming here in the early 90s, what happened? The town was booming! We would stay in the River Fork Campground in town along the cliffs. What a loss of revenue that campground was to Lake City. People need to be IN town to spend money IN town. We would set up our tent and then walk to town and spend what? Money! Long-term we need to build up options for people to stay while vacationing, campgrounds, motels/hotels close to or in the historic district. There is real estate here that can be utilized. Patrice Palmer: The biggest challenge I see is division among citizens. We need to listen to each other and come together with a common goal for Lake City. Our Infrastructure is another big challenge. Water and sewer line improvements will continue to move slowly ahead, but our failing roads, and lack of proper (or any) drainage and unreliable internet are hot topics that are already being addressed by the Board of Trustees. How can we solve housing for a steady workforce and especially young families? Businesses need to have reliable hard working employees who can find an affordable place to live in. I don’t know how to solve it, but I’m sure this is an issue we should address somehow, again without raising taxes. Crystal Brown: Lake City is in need of reliable, high-speed internet. All of us use it in our homes and at our jobs. This is the world we live in now and it is a high priority. Thankfully, this issue is being addressed currently. I would like to help us reach that goal. Parking is an issue that seems to get little attention. I would like to find some solutions to the parking problems we have when our town is full of visitors. Affordable housing has become very scarce here. Many business owners are having trouble finding and keeping good employees. The biggest reason for this is there is nowhere for them to live. Doug Hamel: We are fortunate to have a new School, Medical Center, Fire District, Sheriff, nonprofits and many volunteers that provide the basic infrastructure for the Town to exist. Ensuring a sustainable economy in Lake City is on the Top of my List of things to do. Being a business owner, I know first hand how hard it is to make a living here. We hope to make a profit during the summer and hang in there for the lean winter. We keep Blue Spruce Building Materials open year round to help keep the construction economy working through out the year, Lake City operates on sales taxes which pays for Town Services and its employees. Sales taxes come in large part during the Tourist season. Tourists are the ones staying in lodging facilities, RV parks, eating out several times a day and spending money in the gift shops. Expanding the tourist season into the shoulder seasons, spring and fall, we could bring tourists into Town during periods when there is plenty of capacity available. We are basically at capacity in the middle of the summer and empty the rest of the year. I’m currently working with a Colorado Tourism Group looking at developing Cycling opportunities that could fill some of this capacity. While I hope the OHV issue is settled for the moment, I think there still is a lot of work to be done to heal the wounds. OHVs are a major part of the tourist economy. Our big draw is the mountains and the Alpine Loop. We don’t have a train or major ski area or hot springs or have high volume through traffic and I don’t think we want that. So we survive on a short tourist season that is highly OHV related. The Western State Alpine Loop Traffic study indicated there were over 300,000 tourists on the Alpine Loop in 2018. Obviously no other tourist activity in the area approaches this. While I totally support OHVs in Town, I think there are several things that could be done to reduce the impact of OHVs on the town. The OHV Citizens Working Group came up with a number of ideas to help mitigate the impact of OHVs that have not been implemented. One of the central ideas was to open Hwy 149 up to at least Ocean Wave Dr. to OHVs. That would help get the OHVs off the unpaved back streets, reducing dust and noise in those areas. And guess what? The Transportation commission has modified the OHV pilot project and now allows OHVs on HWY 149 up to Ocean Wave! Jud Hollingsworth: The preceding question addresses challenges faced by local businesses and, of course, new ones will arise. Having run a small business in this town for 38 years, I understand how difficult it can be. I do see moderate growth and strengthening our year-round business opportunities. Improving infrastructure, enhancing broadband, along with increased marketing of all this community offers, especially the Town of Lake City’s Ski Hill, Ice Climbing Wall, and recreation programs and parks, will encourage and attract expansion of our shoulder and winter seasons. Michelle Martin: Just like many other small, rural communities, Lake City will always face challenges. I am confident that our community is capable of overcoming adversity. Challenges that currently stand out to me are community division, outdated infrastructure, and stagnant economic growth. I believe that there is work to be done on the OHV issue to find a long term solution that keeps the public safe, meets recreational and economic needs, allows for other recreational and economic opportunities to thrive, and is accepted by the community as a whole. What do you think the Town of Lake City can do to help strengthen the local economy, help existing business, and attract new businesses? Michelle Martin: The primary role of the Town is to provide public services and functional infrastructure. The local economy will not be sustained or stimulated to grow without high quality public services (sanitation, water, recreation, etc.) and infrastructure that is both safe, functional, and attractive (roads, sidewalks, parks, reliable high speed internet etc.). If the Town is accomplishing these things, and doing it well, it lays a solid foundation for the local economy to improve and attract new people. Studies show that successful towns invest in community services and infrastructure. There are several public and private sector groups and local organizations that are working on ways to strengthen the local economy, promote existing businesses, and attract new businesses. The Town is already engaged with those organizations (Hinsdale County Marketing Committee and DIRT) to promote the local economy and should continue to do so. I am delighted to see a notable increase in winter tourism in recent years, thanks to efforts by the Town and others. I would like to see additional focus from the Town on attracting off-season visitors and most importantly new year round residents. Increased year round population would provide additional support to local businesses that in turn would attract more visitors. This includes, but is not limited to, marketing to telecommuters. Addressing the issue of community division would go a long way in attracting visitors and residents. Visitors and prospective residents are turned off by a divisive atmosphere. A healthy, happy, and functional community will naturally attract visitors and potential transplants. Patrice Palmer: Reliable fast internet & a steady workforce is important to strengthen the economy that we have. I believe we need to protect the things that make Lake City an amazing gem in the San Juans. Sales taxes are being collected through internet sales not just physical businesses, so again fast reliable internet for these types of businesses is so important. Mandatory CML training in Denver will give Town Trustees opportunities to network with other Trustees, come up with ideas and brainstorm for solutions and a clear vision without raising taxes. Doug Hamel: Lake City’s economies are Tourism, Construction and the Public Sector. Of course the Public Sector is supported by sales taxes generated from the first two. Expanding the tourist seasons into the shoulder seasons would take advantage of existing tourist capacity. We need to find other events to help draw visitors into the shoulder seasons. Several ideas that we are discussing in the Marketing Committee include a quilt show in the alternate years when Creede is not having theirs, car shows and Cycling opportunities. In the construction arena it appears there are plenty of customers looking for builders that could support additional construction crews. A major limiting factor is the lack of a sufficient construction workforce which is influenced by the high cost of living in Lake City. So affordable workforce housing should be a high priority. We need to look for state and federal grants to help develop workforce housing.  Jesse Kendall: Faster internet (broadband) and better cell phone coverage! Getting people moving here full-time to support people’s businesses year-round is critical. Key phrase “location neutral workers” will be the shot in the arm this town needs. I would like to expand broadband to the Ball Flats and Lake City Heights sooner rather than later. Look at what Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has done. If we could just get a fraction of what they have garnered, we would be over the moon happy! Graphic and website designers, financial advisors, software developers, freelance writers, etc., could live here full-time… the sky’s the limit! And we have a lot of great sky in the San Juans! Crystal Brown: Job creation is one of the best ways to strengthen any economy. We will have to address our affordable housing issue before any meaningful job creation will happen. We need to make sure our regulations are evolving with the rest of our state. Another way to create jobs here and keep more money in our economy is to spend our money right here. Spending money locally keeps more money in circulation here. The Town of Lake City should use local contractors whenever possible. Jud Hollingsworth: A strong local economy is essential for the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Sales tax provides most of the revenue for the Town of Lake City general fund. Please Shop Local to help us all. By addressing or continuing to address the 12 items that I have listed in question 3, local government w