MOSES LAKE — Candidate Jason McCreary is running for Moses Lake City Council position 1 because he believes there is a large portion of citizens with concerns that are not being addressed by the current council.

“A city council should be representative of the population that it serves and as it stands, the Moses Lake City Council does not reflect the people they serve and their ideals,” he explained. “I will be able to offer a different perspective and innovative ideas to help move Moses Lake forward in a sustainable way.”

McCreary stated his experience working with the public and learning about their concerns will help him with the position.

“I pride myself on being approachable and understanding,” he stated. “I believe my willingness to listen to their concerns will make me an effective councilmember. I know the everyday challenges of life and the struggles that a lot of people are going through during this trying time.”

His goals for the position include reducing crime and addressing the sustainability of Moses Lake.

“It is impossible to open the newspaper and not read about a shooting, burglary, home invasion or worse,” McCreary explained. “People deserve to feel safe in their homes and on the streets of the city we call home. The crime rate is growing out of control and there is no end in sight. Together we need to face this epidemic head on. We also need to focus on the sustainability of our city. With our reasonable land prices, abundance of water, cheap power and our ideal location along the Interstate 90 corridor, there is no reason we should not be an attractive place for many companies to bring good jobs to Moses Lake.”

He views addressing crimes as a challenge of the position.

“We have a huge crime problem to address and that is no easy task,” he stated. “Working together with our city and county police we should be able to find a solution to our current problems with gang violence, vandalism and burglary. We also have to stay focused on getting sustainable industry.”

McCreary asks citizens to vote for him because he wants to make Moses Lake a better place to live by working with the community.

“I pride myself in honesty, integrity and approachability,” he stated. “I encourage people to come to me with their concerns and ideas and I have found that the concerns and fears of many are the same as my own and that together, there is no reason we cannot move forward and make Moses Lake an ideal place to live and raise a family.”

He shared his stance on several city issues including the placement of signs on city property.

“With regards to (signs) on city property, this is a delicate topic where we have to balance the rights of people and their free speech but we must walk a thin line where we do not allow our city to be cluttered with (signs),” McCreary stated. “We must have clear, fair and consistent rules regarding signs.”

He does not support the city ordinance regulating certain dog breeds.

“While we need to have very strict rules regarding vicious animals and enforcement of those rules, I believe this law as it stands, is very unfair and excludes people from owning certain dog breeds based on their economic status,” McCreary explained. “What the current policy basically says is that, if you do not have the money to abide by the city’s rules for certain breeds, you have to get rid of your pet.”

He supports photo enforcement to regulate speeding and drivers failing to stop at stop lights.

“I believe that the rules regarding speeding are in place to help protect people,” McCreary explained. “We all need to abide by the law whether we think somebody is watching or not. I think the cameras are a very revolutionary idea to help protect people and keep the cost of extra police patrols down.”

He supports the use of code enforcement on private property concerning weeds, excess vehicles and pets.

“I believe that these rules are in place for a reason and need to be followed and enforced,” McCreary stated. “Allowing one’s property to be overrun with obnoxious weeds and an exorbitant amount of non-running cars not only effects your own property value but it also effects all of those within view of your property and can substantially lower property values. People put their heart and soul into their homes and it is unfair and unacceptable that people think they can do whatever they want on their property with no regard for others. We must have reasonable rules in place to help maintain neighborhoods and keep Moses Lake a place where people want to come and make their home.”

McCreary supports the city funding the federally mandated stormwater treatment plan.

“I believe in the long term, that the stormwater program will be a beneficial system for our city and help preserve Moses Lake for future use and future generation,” he stated. “Having a sophisticated and environmentally friendly system will not only help preserve our lake and wetlands, but it will also make the city of Moses Lake a more attractive place to live and work, attract tourists and promote an environmentally friendly image of our area.”