Dear Citizens of Sheridan,

In these challenging times for our City, we need representation on City Council that will bring stability, creativity, and educated financial guidance. I hope that when you consider my credentials, you will elect me to continue to represent Ward III of Sheridan.

Education: BA German Studies/International Studies, Ohio Wesleyan University
MA International Politics with Security Focus, University of Denver
MA Accounting and MBA, University of Colorado Denver

Experience: Two years as your appointed City Councilwoman. Service on the Sheridan Redevelopment Agency board and the Sheridan Housing Authority board.

Occupation: Staff tax analyst at Qwest Corporation, 10 years

In the two years I have represented our ward, I've seen remarkable improvements at City Hall. We now have consistent and credible financial reporting, allowing Council to monitor the city's finances and plan for the future based on accurate data. Without this improvement, the current financial crisis would have been unmanageable by Council and city staff. Though no one likes where the City stands today financially, at least we are fully aware of where we stand.

We are also proud of the excellent core of new businesses open in Sheridan. While the redevelopment process has been painful at times, we are able to enjoy a higher quality of life with these new services on our doorstep and look forward to even more progress in this area.

You may not be aware of how hard the City has been working to meet today's financial challenges. Your City government has cut almost $1.4 million from a $6.7 million budgetfor 2009 – representing a 21% reduction in expenditures – and plans to keep those cuts in place for 2010. The remaining deficit between our lagging tax revenues and the budget cuts must still be addressed, and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the quality of services you receive from the City of Sheridan does not diminish as a result.

Fellow council members and city staff have told me they appreciate my smarts, creative thinking, financial background, and logical approach to the difficult issues we face. I hope these same qualities will encourage you to entrust your representation to me in November.

Warmest regards,
Tara Beiter-Fluhr

You can follow my campaign online, or check in on city events and municipal issues, at ward3tara.blogspot.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Beiter-Fluhr-for-City-Council-Sheridan-Ward-III/126904944573