Meet the candidates: Foley City Council

The Foley City Council consists of five members, which includes a seat for the Foley mayor. Two four-year council member terms are open this election cycle. Heather Brademan, incumbent Gary Swanson and Shelby Wurtz are running for those seats.  

To ensure fairness, all candidates were given the same word limit per question and the same submission deadline. Responses that exceeded the length constraint were cut off at the limit using ellipses.

Gary Swanson 

Age: Not disclosed. 

Describe your current involvement in the Foley community. I am currently on the city council and have been active on the council for approximately 16 years, off and on. I owned my own trucking business for 40 years, retiring from that in October 2015.

What traits or qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate to serve Foley residents? I worked with many to establish a car show in Foley — we just had our sixth annual show. I was on a committee for planning and completing our veterans memorial in Foley. A big thank you to the many donors that made that possible. I am a 60-year continuous member of the Foley American Legion and 25-year continuous member of the Sons of the American Legion.

Are you generally encouraged by the current direction of Foley City Council? Why or why not? After many times of discussing the annual budget each year, I am very pleased of the council’s agreement of what has to be done and what we can get done within our budget, keeping our tax levy well intact and below most other cities. We have good leadership and good relations with our county, open door policy with our elected legislators, and common-sense discussions with each other.

What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the city of Foley, and how do you plan to address those concerns during your term? Our to-do list for future growth and issues of our city includes many; but most important is updating our water supply and adding a water purification system. We, as a council, have to work and come to an agreement with staff to budget for everyday expenses and work with our state legislators to acquire grants and low interest loans to complete the most costly issues we face.

Growth appears imminent for the city of Foley. What steps do you believe the council should take to properly prepare for increased population and wear and tear on city infrastructure? I believe our city has already taken big steps to establish continuous growth for our city. No. 1, completion and updating our wastewater project — this had to be done before any housing expansion or industry could continue in our city. Completion of the wastewater expansion opened up opportunity for both. We presently are nearing completion of Fairway Estates and will soon be able for contractors to start building. These two options will allow a better tax base for our city, increase the economy for city cost in its daily operation and make things a little less costly for the present taxpayers. 

If elected, what efforts would you make to be transparent about your actions and the council’s actions with residents? Transparency is most important when working with the general public — those paying taxes, supporting the economic growth of our city. I am an individual who will listen, answer any questions and ask or get an answer for you. I am a very concerned person, as I am a taxpayer, too. ….

Heather Brademan

Age: 35

Describe your current involvement in the Foley community. My current involvement in the Foley community includes mostly just raising our five children in town and walking to the parks, events like Foley Fun Days, and also being a part of a fun homeschool co-op just down the road!

What traits or qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate to serve Foley residents? My family and I have been benefiting from the perks of Foley for some years, and, now that our kids are getting older, I would like to be more involved in helping shape the future of Foley with my dedication, care and attention to growth for my community. I also believe my experience staying organized and problem solving as a homeschool mother of five is essential in keeping in step with our community needs.

Are you generally encouraged by the current direction of Foley City Council? Why or why not? From what I have observed of the city council meetings so far, I am generally encouraged by the direction of Foley City Council. I believe the current members are all trying their very best to make hard decisions that would benefit the community; they do so with deep respect for the use of taxpayer money being allocated in the most beneficial ways, and I’d love to help!

What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the city of Foley, and how do you plan to address those concerns during your term? From my understanding, the biggest issues Foley faces today include water quality and storage, lack of affordable/senior housing, and accommodating the growth we’ve been seeing. I would love to address the water issues and be a part of finding the best and cost-effective solutions for our residents to have clean and safe drinking water in every home. I would also love to be a part of the discussion on how to bring more housing to the area for those who have lived in Foley their whole life and for newcomers as well. I really hope we can continue to find more new small businesses and opportunities that would help offset the current and future tax base for the residents of Foley.

Growth appears imminent for the city of Foley. What steps do you believe the council should take to properly prepare for increased population and wear and tear on city infrastructure? I believe Foley City Council has already been thinking forward to the future growth of Foley, and it’s so exciting to see the results thus far. When talking about water treatment and storage, we should account for long-term solutions and not just cheap quick fixes to get by. The amount of water stored must be increased quite a bit with a secondary tower or tank and more clean wells, and I believe the best solution will be found together. Roads, homes and business spaces are being renovated all the time, but I would like to see more adequate housing and to allow more residents to stay here and shop at these growing and changing businesses in town. 

If elected, what efforts would you make to be transparent about your actions and the council’s actions with residents? I’m an open book, really. I take pride in always telling the truth. It’s one of the many values I’m instilling in my children. If we ever have the pleasure of meeting, please ask me anything! Also, I love that the city council meetings are online for anyone to see.

Shelby Wurtz

Age: 36

Describe your current involvement in the Foley community. I am a Foley resident, parent and registered nurse, who has always had an interest in being involved in my community. I enjoy supporting local businesses/community organizations and attending local events. More recently, I have been attending city council meetings to better understand how our city operates and the issues ….

What traits or qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate to serve Foley residents? I bring a willingness to listen, learn and work with people who may have different opinions. My nursing career has taught me the importance of communication, staying calm under pressure, asking questions and making thoughtful decisions based on available information. I am not running because I have all the answers; I am running because I care about Foley and am willing to put in time to understand the issues and represent residents thoughtfully and respectfully.

Are you generally encouraged by the current direction of Foley City Council? Why or why not? I am encouraged by the work being done to plan for Foley’s future, particularly the attention given to infrastructure and growth. I also recognize there are difficult decisions involved in balancing growth, costs, services and needs of current residents. As someone new to city government, I want to learn more before forming strong opinions about every issue. There is value in recognizing what is working while remaining open to different ideas and opportunities for improvement.

What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the city of Foley, and how do you plan to address those concerns during your term? I think one of the biggest challenges facing Foley is finding the right balance between growth and maintaining what makes our community special. As Foley grows, I want to see us continue supporting the small local businesses, organizations, charities and community members that make Foley feel like home. I also think responsible spending, infrastructure, and protecting our parks and natural spaces will become increasingly important. I don’t believe one council member can solve these issues alone.
If elected, I would focus on listening to residents, learning the facts behind each issue, asking questions, and working with the other council members and city staff to make thoughtful decisions. My goal would be to support responsible growth while making sure we don’t lose the sense of community …. 

Growth appears imminent for the city of Foley. What steps do you believe the council should take to properly prepare for increased population and wear and tear on city infrastructure? I believe preparation needs to happen before growth puts additional strain on the city. The council should continue looking at long-term infrastructure needs — including roads, water, sewer, stormwater, parks and public facilities — while considering the cost of maintaining those improvements over time. New development should be evaluated carefully so that the city understands both the immediate and long-term financial and infrastructure impacts. I would also like to see the council continue planning ahead rather than reacting after problems occur. Growth can bring opportunities for Foley, including new residents, businesses and services, but it needs to be managed responsibly. I would want to review available data, listen to residents and city staff, and work with the council to balance growth with affordability, infrastructure capacity, responsible budgeting, …. 

If elected, what efforts would you make to be transparent about your actions and the council’s actions with residents? I would make an effort to be approachable and available to residents, listen to their concerns and communicate what I can about council decisions. I would encourage residents to attend meetings, review meeting information and ask questions. I also believe transparency means being honest when I don’t know an answer and taking the time to find out.