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My name is Fred Bartlett, I am running for Buhl City Council. I was born and raised in this town and regardless of the other places I’ve lived, I have always considered Buhl my hometown. Most of my family still lives here and I’m proud of that, we are Buhl folks. I am the Women’s Director for Idaho USA Wrestling. My job is to grow and promote girls wrestling in our state, give our Idaho girls opportunities to compete in national competitions across the nation. I love my job! I love serving our wrestling community.
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I love this community. I think it’s a great place for kids to grow up. With kids of my own, I won’t live anywhere else in the world. Growing up in Buhl is something special. I’d like to preserve that special small town community atmosphere for the next generation.
City Councilman (4 year term)
Fred Bartlett
Service
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How are you currently serving in Buhl? What past or current community activities have shaped your approach to leadership?
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I have been the Wrestling coach here in Buhl for the past 14 years. We are very proud of the program we’ve built over the years. I have also coached other youth & high school sports. Recently we started a youth football program with the same enthusiasm and effort we’ve been running our youth wrestling program. We have grades 4th-6th, 65 players that we have the privilege of introducing to tackle football.
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Transparency
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How do you plan to address the community’s concerns about trust and transparency in local government decisions?
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I love helping solve problems and serving others. I can’t promise that I know all the answers but I can promise that if I don’t know, I won’t pretend I do & and I will work hard to find an answer. I can promise to listen to concerns and do my best to search for possible solutions. I think trust is something you earn.
Division
How will you work to bridge divides in our community, especially among groups with differing views?
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I think it’s important to listen more than talk. Some folks beat to a different drum, and I think that’s awesome. It’s not likely that we will always agree but I hope if we do disagree we can find common ground in the fact that we love this town and we all want it to be a great place for our children and our children’s children to call home. At the end of day, we are all on the same team.
Public Input
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What role do you believe public input should play in your decision-making process if elected?
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I I think public input is vital to making decisions that affect their lives. I would not take that responsibility lightly, and be sure to listen well to other perspectives.​
City of Buhl - urgent needs
What is one specific issue facing the City of Buhl that you believe needs immediate attention, and how would you approach it?
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I’d like to see folks of Buhl be kinder to their neighbors, who might have different opinions than they do. What happened to the golden rule? I think the best way to approach this is to lead by example. I may not always agree with you but, I will respect others' right to disagree and be civil, regardless.
Trailer Parking and the Pool
The city council’s decisions to close the community pool and ban trailer parking on city roads have sparked significant debate. How would you address these concerns and balance community needs with safety and budget restraints?​
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I’m excited to help find solutions that make Buhl a great place to live, work & play. Let’s keep talking about those things that people feel strongly about. Communication is our biggest asset to figuring out these issues. I don’t pretend to know all of the answers but if we can have open respectful dialogue I’m sure there are solutions that can be found.
City Infrastructure
What strategies would you propose to improve Buhl’s infrastructure and services while maintaining fiscal responsibility?
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This is the nuts and bolts of our local government. The city has a responsibility to provide affordable clean water, sewer & trash, as well as maintain parks and roadways. I’m not sure I have the answers to improve these things yet, but I will put these things at the top of the list of things that need my attention.
Economic Development
How would you support economic development in Buhl to attract businesses and jobs while preserving our small-town character?
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I support local Buhl businesses as much as possible, my goal is to not leave Buhl for any of my shopping needs, lol. I would love to see more jobs come to Buhl so others can live and work in Buhl but I also realize that more jobs and services means growth, that makes me nervous. I’d like to see our community grow in a responsible way that preserves our small town way of life. Honestly, I’d like to keep this great place we live in, our little secret ;)