HAYDEN — Matt Roetter, a longtime small business owner and Hayden resident, is running for public office for the first time and said he is ready to serve his city.

"I’m at a time in my life when I can devote my service to the community of Hayden," Roetter said.

Roetter is challenging incumbent Hayden City Councilman Tim Timmins for Council Seat No. 1 in Tuesday's election.

"I will work hard to keep Hayden a safe place to raise a family and foster a business environment that will allow businesses to grow and create jobs," Roetter said.

Roetter is a fenestration (window and door) expert witness and class action work consultant who has spent 17 years as an expert witness and 15 years in the fenestration business. He provides services nationally and internationally to consumers, attorneys, insurance companies, architects, contractors and manufacturers. His services include expert witness testimony, site inspection, report writing, destructive forensic analysis, fraud investigation, personal injury investigation, products liability investigation and work consulting.

He said he feels his experience researching facts, issues and being a good listener are assets that make for good city councilmen. If elected, he said his goal is to make sure new growth pays for itself.

"The tax burden of new growth should not be placed on the shoulders of existing Hayden residents," Roetter said. "Any additional services provided by the city for new growth should be paid by those requesting them. This is a fair approach and protects residents who are on a fixed incomes. Today’s financial burdens on families and seniors are overwhelming."

One objective for Roetter is to help Hayden's businesses.

"By having a business-friendly climate that is welcoming to new clean business, new jobs will be created," he said. "Government should not be the roadblock to incubating or existing businesses. Government is not the creator of private jobs; however, it has become the destroyer of private jobs."

Traffic is also something Roetter said he will focus on if elected.

"We should be cost-effective and efficient with tax dollars when they are spent for traffic control," he said. "However, private property rights must be honored. The increase in traffic is here to stay and I will work to find solutions."

Hayden's senior population is also at the top of Roetter's list.

"As our population ages, my goal would be to find and locate a bigger Hayden Senior Center with a large kitchen to serve the elderly," he said. "Elderly fixed-income folks have specific needs and I hope to help them. In the winter, we should make sure that elderly folks have their driveways free of snow berms."

Roetter said he intends to have morning coffee sessions at local Hayden coffee shops on a rotating schedule.

"My aim is to be accessible to the public to hear their concerns," he said.