Contributed by Linda Combs
Hi neighbors. I am Linda Combs and I have worked alongside you, the city residents and the business community, for the past 31 years to insure that our community serves all to the best of its abilities.
Palmer's success to date has been built upon previous generations' careful attention to basic services such as roads, water and sewer service, as well as police and fire protection. This has made our town “Alaska at its Best”. I am asking for your vote on October 3rd for Palmer City Council to allow me to continue to serve you and our delightful community.
My involvement in Palmer over the past three decades has included all areas and interests in this beautiful community. I routinely support and attend school programs that enhance our great school district. In particular, I have been very active in the Sister Schools Exchange with our Sister City of 37 years, Saroma, Japan. This past week, I was honored to welcome our current visitors in a ceremony at PJMS. And in the next few days, I will be present to witness a historic signing of official documents between MSBSD and the Saroma School District recognizing this important relationship.
In the past month alone, I have attended a ground breaking for a new medical facility at Mat Su Regional Hospital. Then I attended and testified as well in favor of a new facility consisting of 36 inpatient behavioral health beds for adult substance abuse and mental health services in the Mat-Su Borough.
I have attended the Palmer Greater Chamber of Commerce each week as I have done for the past seven years in order to be available to our business community as a conduit for their concerns for City Hall. Many of our businesses in Palmer are owned and operated by remarkable individuals who do not live in our city limits. I have always advocated that their voices need to be represented and will continue to do so.
Besides attending the regularly-held City Council meeting two weeks ago, I have been in City Hall at least three times a week to follow up on concerns I or some of my constituents have had with the city manager, the mayor and others. I receive regular communications through phone calls, e-mails and being approached when I am out and about. Open and frequent communication is a big part of what I have promoted these past six years and I firmly believe it has paid off.
If you ask around the community, you will be told that I have consistently represented our citizens’ concerns and have unfailingly served to the very best of my abilities. The examples above are just a small sample. I do sincerely believe that Palmer is poised to weather the current recession in a reasonably comfortable manner as long as the visions and plans the Council of the past five years are continued to be implemented. Government processes can certainly be lengthy; however, it provides the means to be organized in a manner in which with deliberate care may be taken in order to best serve the interests of the majority of the community.
Once again, I am asking that you will vote on October 3rd in the City of Palmer Election, and a vote for me will allow me to continue to serve and represent you.
