Rognstad offers the leadership Sandpoint needs

Change is constant in life, yet most of us wrestle with it. The key is to find stability so that change doesn’t evolve into chaos. Good leadership is essential to that process. It is why I believe reelecting Mayor Shelby Rognstad is important to the future of Sandpoint.

Having lived in the Sandpoint area for 40 years, I realize that the pressures to maintain our quality of life have never been greater. There’s been a lot of community-driven planning and implementation, focused mainly on infrastructure. But my support of Mayor Rognstad goes beyond the flap over turf, trash cans and torn up streets.

I support him because of his responsiveness to people’s needs, like affordable housing and demanding respect for our differences. He consistently takes stands for social justice, joining so many other residents that believe “Love Lives Here.” It doesn’t live everywhere, because we’ve had to deal with overt, and institutionalized racism, prejudice and disrespect. The Mayor has even been the target of such hate. Having worked with Native peoples for 30 years, I can attest that Sandpoint’s first residents haven’t always felt welcome here. Kalispel Tribal Chairman Glen Nenema, said so a year ago at an Idaho Mythweaver event here. I am impressed whenever Mayor Rognstad acknowledges the Kalispel, since we live on their aboriginal lands. No other city leader does that.

He is also the only leader that has responded to those of us opposed to solving “the goose poop problem” at City Beach with Council’s plan to kill them. He is open to discussing more humane alternatives.

I believe Mayor Rognstad is the best stability/change candidate we have.

JANE FRITZ

Sandpoint