With the circumstances surrounding my inclusion on the May ballot, I opted out of the endorsement process last week with the Delaware County Republican Central Committee. Here's the speech I would have given:
My name is Carolyn Kay Riggle and I am here to serve as your next Commissioner of Delaware County because we need to raise the bar. We need to do better. I’ve put 22 years of service into our community and have the qualifications we need in the commissioners office. As the Vice Mayor of Delaware and as a City Council member I have demonstrated my ability to and manage a fiscally sound multi million dollar budget and get the job done without controversy.
I am your best choice for commissioner because I have the experience to hit the ground running. I encourage consensus in my office. I look for a wide range of ideas and opinions and always strive to treat people with respect. I proved that when I worked with our safety forces on a plan to consolidate our 911 emergency services.
Delaware County is ranked as one of the finest communities in America, and yet we have this image of infighting in our local government that does not accurately reflect who we truly are as a community. If we want to continue to grow and lead as an example of a great American hometown, the kind of place that will attract high quality businesses and residents, we need to start right here, with this office, to set a better example. We don’t need to perpetuate an image of petty bickering, or an image that condones questionable ethics, or an image of closed minded censorship, or pay to play politics. We need to send the message that Delaware County is an open, honest, fair, and responsible community, and the best place in the world to call home. As a member of your team of county commissioners, I can make that happen.
In 2005 I rallied our community and raised over 21 thousand dollars to honor our local service men and women. It was an amazing event that illustrates our potential and demonstrates the deep level of caring and support we have here in Delaware County. That’s the kind of cooperation and coordination we need to focus on and foster. That’s the image we want to build. That’s the spirit we need to devote ourselves to.
I was so proud of the people of Delaware when we did that; so proud to be a member of such a caring and patriotic community, and so proud to be a part of an effort that brought us all together for such an important cause, to show these boys how much we care about them, and how much we honor their service to protect our country. That’s the Delaware County I represent, The Delaware County I will highlight as a Commissioner, and the County I am here to serve.
These are the kind of things we need to encourage in the commissioner’s office: actions that will bring our community together, measures that will highlight our values, and make people proud to live here. We need to promote our county as a great place to live and work. We need to reach out to businesses and private groups and help them communicate in ways that effectively serve our citizens.
As Republicans we all stand for small government, personal responsibility and low taxes. I can help us achieve that by using my experience in City Council, The Fair Board, The American Cancer Society, The Chamber of Commerce, The Red Cross, The Women’s City Club, and many other boards and commissions to redirect our focus onto a coordinated plan that will drive economic development, foster private enterprise and cut taxes.
Look at our downtowns. It’s hard to run a small business. How are we going to fill those empty shop spaces and bring dollars into our community? How are we going to work together to make the cities of Powell and Delaware places that will continue to grow and prosper? We do that by attracting residents who are good contributors to our community. We want a pool of working professionals that will attract high quality business, and we do that by creating a thriving dynamic community with lots to offer. Businesses want to take root in communities willing to offer competitive advantages like fiber optic networks. If our commissioners can work as a team to build the consensus necessary to invest in projects like this, we can attract corporations and working professionals to our county which will lower our individual taxes while bringing in substantial revenue dollars. This is the kind of program that will more than pay for itself, and in the long run, will bring new dollars to our county.
I am Carolyn Kay Riggle, and I am asking for your vote for County Commissioner because I believe in our community. I am asking for your vote because I have a proven track record as a winning candidate. I earned more votes in my at-large city race than any other candidate in the history of Delaware County. I am asking for your vote because as a two term vice mayor and city council woman I am known for promoting the team work needed to get the job done. I am Carolyn Kay Riggle and I am running for Commissioner because I have a plan to make Delaware County the national standard of the great American hometown.
Stand with me, and let’s show everyone how great Delaware County can be.
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