EPHRATA – Incumbent Ephrata Mayor Bruce Reim is running for reelection on the November ballot against challenger Steve Oliver. Both Reim and Oliver were concurrently presented with the questions below and given identical deadlines and word count restrictions for their answers. Reim’s responses are below. Both submitted their responses in a timely manner. 

Q: How should the mayor balance the allocation of Ephrata’s financial resources? What initiatives should be prioritized within the budget? 

A: The rate payers expect due diligence when loaning the City their funds. Safety, accountability and transparency, along with individual department needs, are given equal representation as the budget is developed. Department heads are currently working on next year's and beyond budgets. All requests are analyzed and prioritized by the mayor and staff to ensure availability of needed funds. Final approval and input from Council members prior to finalizing the budget is essential. 

Q: How do you plan to ensure that Ephrata residents are involved in governmental processes and their voices are heard and represented in decisions? 

A: While attending City Council meetings on the first and third Wednesdays at 6 p.m. is one way for community interaction, more is needed to keep the public informed. We are now broadcasting our Council meetings live on the internet. Anyone can listen to the meeting from the comfort of home. For several years the need for better communication has been a priority. Within the next month, we will be rolling out a new and improved ability to communicate and receive feedback from the community. New website, apps and the ability to get more updates and information to the public to promote transparency. I believe this will be a positive upgrade in line with the growth in our community. 

Q: What are your top three goals if elected as the Mayor of Ephrata and how do you plan on accomplishing said goals? 

A: Basin Street, Hwy. 28, needs attention. We are working on (having) the Flood Plain reassessed. We are working on grant funding to finance the project. We have hired two engineers to facilitate the many projects currently in progress.  

We are (applying for) funding to upgrade our downtown corridor. New sidewalks and aesthetically enhance (downtown). We recently (hired) a code enforcement officer and building inspector assistant. Reinforcing code expectations is paramount as the city (grows).  

(Industry) is essential to provide resources to the community such as jobs. I would like to see usage of the Port District increase. The port is administrated by a director (and) elected ... Commissioners. We have (met) to partner with the Port to establish goals for the future. A large runway, a railroad spur and ... land serve as positive attributes. Working together (with) the Port is one of my top goals for the future. 

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing Ephrata and if elected, how do you plan on addressing the issue? 

A: Increasing the tax base as (Ephrata grows) into a city without (burdening taxpayers) is a challenge. Government (Reclamation, PUD, etc.) facilities do not pay property tax. All are an essential part of our community. The need for an increase in the tax base is important. Supply and demand are the driving force when a business (is deciding) to come to Ephrata. We have been in contact with many companies in the past looking to expand to Ephrata. There was a paradigm shift during and after COVID. Shopping online became the norm. We recycle a lot of cardboard thanks to Amazon. The personality of the downtown business district is forever changed. I would like to continue working with the Port of Ephrata looking for options for growth. The reassessment of the Flood Plain and developing a relationship with FEMA, who oversees the issue, is at the top of the list. 

Q: How can people learn more about your campaign? Do you have any upcoming events? 

A: One way to learn more about my campaign is to go to my Elect Mayor Reim Facebook page. For personal information, go to electmayorreim.com. My contact information is on ephrata.org along with all the elected officials. Several members of the community have reached out for conversations. There is a Chamber of Commerce get-together for the candidates scheduled for Oct. 8th at the Pita Pit. I plan to have the Council and Mayor get together to listen to community concerns in the near future. 

Editor’s Note: As reflected in parentheses above, Mayor Reim’s responses have been edited to fit within the word count restriction provided when the questions were distributed.