Greg Blacker is a candidate for a seat on the Rexburg City Council. Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 2.

I was born in Rupert to a dairy farmer who taught me the benefit of hard work. I was taught at an early age to always be of service. We learned to be “heads up” meaning to look around and see what needs to be done and do it. I attended Ricks College then served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hartford, Connecticut. I married Jolene in 1985 and raised four great children on Rexburg values. In 1989 I started Affordable Pest Control and have operated it ever since. I was appointed by multiple mayors to serve on Parks and Recreation for six years, Traffic and Safety for two years, and going on six years on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

I attended Ricks College before and after my mission. After we got married we looked for opportunities to further educate or start a business. Growing up with my father being self-employed, I saw the benefits of being able to make my own decisions. We have lived here since 1985.

I love Rexburg for who we used to be. Warm, inviting and pleasant to each other in public and private settings. I still maintain that this is the best place to live but we need to learn again how to be tolerant and respect others.

I have served on the Parks and Rec committee and the Traffic and safety committee and am currently on the Planning and Zoning Commission. I have shared lots of ideas and solutions to those groups, the response has always been good but nothing has been carried out. For example on the Traffic and safety we were tasked with finding areas of the city that were dark and needed some light. Along with the Police Officers we identified pages of areas and nothing was produced from that. I have learned that unless it is the brainchild of someone who has the power it usually doesn’t get done.

I would like the opportunity to not just volunteer my time but to show that I can make a difference.
My experience being self-employed and having to get things done or go without. I have learned to listen, be tolerant of other opinions and find ways to work things out.

Growth is tough. Fortunately most people now realize that it is inevitable. After the announcement of BYU-I becoming a University we sadly lost some of our lifelong residents to the county or other cities. The growth we will see in the next few years will be such that we will have big box stores and manufacturing companies. I was in a meeting not long ago where the statistic was given that 25 percent of the student population wanted jobs but couldn’t find one. That should be enticing to employers who want a great workforce.

There are many models to pattern growth. One I like is the way Meridian has developed in the new areas. Businesses in front on the major roads with housing developments behind. That meets the demand of shop and work in your area and lessens the traffic to major shopping areas. That wont work for everywhere but if a whole new section is built that way, you will be fully aware of the area that you choose to live in and stores wont just pop up in existing neighborhoods. I believe we can reach a common ground on growth needs.