My name is Neale Rawlings and I am running for city council. I have lived in Centerville since 1990. I grew up on the East side of St. Paul and like many who have moved here, I wanted to "stretch out" and get closer to the beauty this area has to offer. I also have a family here; 20 month old twin boys and a wonderful wife. I have worked for my current employer for nearly 20 years.
Over the years I have seen many changes in Centerville, many of them have been welcome changes and I appreciate the work the city has done there. We all want a viable Downtown and a thriving community. We need to attract new commercial business and continue with the downtown redevelopment plan. However, we also need to make sure we are not using our tax dollars to the benefit of a developer or private business owners.
To that end, I stand for:
*A city government deriving it's just powers from the consent of the governed.
*A city with a less intrusive government that trusts it's citizens to decide what is best for them.
*Central planning is a recipe for failure. Businesses will locate here but they must provide a needed product or service in order to be successful, not a city planned one.
*Most importantly; Spend less and Tax less. Responsible management of taxpayer money. The family budget is more important than the city budget.
*I would like the citizens of Centerville to be proud of their city and I would help build its reputation as being both business and citizen friendly.
I appreciate this opportunity to serve the citizens of Centerville and I encourage you to vote for me on Nov. 4th. Please e-mail me at neale@bitstream.net with any questions or comments and/or to offer support for my campaign.
Thank you.
Neale Rawlings
