As a small business owner, I manage budgets, negotiate contracts and make daily decisions that affect other families. If I make poor choices, people feel it. There is no hiding from responsibility. You lead well or you fix it. That builds discipline, transparency, and fiscal awareness.
Serving on city council should be no different.
It is not about status. It is not about titles. It is about stewardship. Just like in marriage, you listen and put people first. Just like in parenting, you protect the future and think long term. Just like in business, you manage resources wisely and understand that every dollar belongs to the people, not to you.
A husband serves his wife. A father serves his children. A business owner serves his employees and customers. A council member should serve his community.
Leadership is not about power. It is about responsibility. And the same principles that guide my home and my business are the principles I would bring to serving our city: faith first, families protected, budgets respected, and decisions made with courage and clarity.
I am a follower of Jesus. That foundation shapes how I love, how I lead, and how I serve.
Being a husband for 20 years has taught me that leadership is not about control. It is about sacrifice. It is about listening first. It is about putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own. A strong marriage does not survive on ego. It survives on commitment, honesty, and daily effort.
Being a father to a college student and an elementary aged child has taught me that your decisions today shape someone else’s tomorrow. You cannot be passive. You have to be present. You have to set clear boundaries, protect what matters, and model the values you want your children to carry forward. Fatherhood is long term thinking.