Cheryl Hoffman running for council

Cheryl Hoffman is running for a seat on the Electric City Council.

"I chose to run because I disagree with a number of decisions the council has made," Hoffman said in an interview with The Star. "I don't think they're bad people; I don't think they're stupid people; I just disagree with some of the decisions they've made, and I think we need to rethink how we're spending the city's tax dollars and the state's tax dollars."

"I disagree with the decision to close off Western Avenue," Hoffman said as an example. "I agree we need drainage in that area, and other improvements, but I don't think closing off western was the best way to do it."

Hoffman also said she isn't against parks, but feels the cost of the new park being built is excessive.

Hoffman, who is running for position 5 against incumbent Lonna Bussert, also spoke about the challenges she feels city government will face and some possible solutions to those challenges.

"I would say the challenges are that this is such a regulated, legal society that sometimes you get shunted into decisions you don't like to make because you have to, legally," Hoffman said. "I think there's a challenge with most people - I've been guilty of this myself - of not participating until there's a problem. I think the other challenge is to communicate with the voters to get them more interested and get them more involved."

And solutions to these challenges, Hoffman said are "the hard part."

"I think communication is the essential thing," she said, suggesting using social media more, and webcasting council meetings for busy citizens to listen to or even watch from home or at a later time.

"I don't think it would have to be particularly expensive or high tech," she said. "It's not high tech anymore to broadcast your meetings."

City streets and the water system are other areas she feels need more attention. "I think the streets are in pretty bad shape," she said, further noting drainage issues.

Hoffman first moved to Electric City in 1997 with her husband Roy Myers. She worked at VJ's Video for about 10 years and has been the president of the senior center in Grand Coulee for three years.

She feels that prior experience in fast food management has given her essential communications skills that would come in handy in a political office, and also spoke to what citizens' issues in the city are, such as cleaning up the appearance of things, concerns about a walking trail, and more.

She also said that most citizens seem to have a negative view of the city government, but a positive view of the city itself.

"I try to keep abreast of what's going on, politically, the small stuff as well, and try to understand why things happen and why decisions are made," Hoffman said. "And I think I'm pretty open minded: if I'm wrong about something, my ego is big enough to handle it. I would try to make my decisions based on the facts and the evidence."