What Kind of City Do We Want?

People can tell when something is off, even before they sit down to look at the numbers. Taxes go up. Utility bills go up. Fees increase quietly in the background. Each decision may be discussed separately at city hall, but residents experience them like a wave, usually at the kitchen table with a stack of envelopes and a growing sense that nobody is asking where the line should be drawn.

I’m running for city council because government should exercise caution and data driven accuracy when they ask the public to foot the bills. Budgets should be reviewed line by line, with clear public priorities instead of the assumption that every department deserves more every year.

Natural resources matter to people here in a way that isn’t abstract or optional, and I understand that. Shorewood is growing, and growth brings its own momentum, but I’m committed to paying attention to what that means on the ground—water, land, the small systems people notice first when something shifts. I also intend to listen to residents who have done the work of studying those effects, because they’re often the first to see what’s changing before it becomes obvious to everyone else.

I will always prioritize residents over bureaucracy, and transparency over convenience, and I will listen seriously to people who bring thoughtful disagreements or better ideas. I may not always agree, but I believe residents should play a meaningful role shaping city decisions through advisory groups, clearer financial reporting, measurable service goals, and regular community surveys that help city leaders understand public concerns before frustration turns into distrust.

A long-term inclination toward public service has been part of my working life for years, including 22 years in the Army National Guard. Overseas, I saw up close how provincial governments can drift from the people they are meant to serve, with essential services degraded and uneven—that stays with you. Corruption isn’t inevitable, but it sometimes finds its way inside when government stops listening.

A city council that listens is a city council that works. In most cases, we have strong city staff, but even strong staff can get mired by routine and established ways of doing things.

I’ll bring a fresh set of eyes—asking questions, testing assumptions, and being cautious about “silver bullet” solutions. In my 14 years in banking, including work detecting financial fraud using advanced algorithms, I’ve seen how important it is to look twice at anything presented as cutting edge or definitive.

Most of all, I make a commitment to listen and engage residents beyond the meeting agenda. There’s a way of doing city government that doesn’t assume people aren’t paying attention when the microphones turn off. Let’s try that version for a while.

Thank you for your consideration, and in the meantime, don’t take any wooden nickels.

Your neighbor,

-Eric Magistad