Republican Women Luncheon Speech

Many thanks to the Kootenai County Repubican Women Federated ladies for allowing me to speek at their luncheon in September. Each of the four candidates for Hayden City Council spoke for about 8 minutes. Here are the notes from my speech:

Good afternoon. My name is Sandy White, and it’s truly an honor to be here with you today.

A little about me: I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Hayden City Council for one term and as Precinct 318 Republican Committeeman for two terms. I am also a proud member of Kootenai County Republican Women Federated.

I attended Christian Heritage College where I met my husband, Alan. My faith has been a guiding force throughout my life. My husband and I have been married for 44 years. Together we raised our children—two of whom were born overseas while we were living in the Middle East where we were doing translation and Bible teaching. Today, we are blessed with nine wonderful grandchildren.

Just a side note: “When my youngest was born overseas, I had a C-section in a hospital with no elevator — just a spiral staircase. Their solution? Wrestlers to carry patients up and down. When I woke up from the anesthesia my doctor told me congratulations, you have a son! Then he said, "Hold on to the stretcher tight. We are going to take you down the stairs now. I’ll stay up here until I know you made it safely down." So yes, I can handle tough situations.

We moved to Hayden about eleven years ago to join a Christian ministry, and having family up here was a big plus. This community quickly became our home. I love Hayden. I love our people. And I believe deeply in serving with honesty, transparency, and respect and I proudly stand by the Republican values of faith, family, and freedom.

Transparency in government has always been one of my top priorities.

When I joined the council, I immediately began advocating for our meetings to be videotaped. Citizens deserve to see how decisions are made. Today, about half of our meetings are recorded—and I will continue pushing until every single meeting is available to the public.

Another area where I fought for openness was the consent agenda. For years, important items were being bundled together, making it nearly impossible for a single council member to request a separate vote. Based on extensive research, I believed that to be wrong. After a three-year battle, I worked with some of our outstanding state legislators and together we helped pass House Bill 172. That bill now ensures that any council member, in any city in Idaho, can move an item off the consent agenda for separate discussion. Hayden wasn’t the only city struggling with this problem, and this law was badly needed.

Most recently, I’ve raised concerns about transparency after years of official city records were removed from the city website. They’ve now been replaced with an unofficial summary of votes prepared by the mayor. That’s not good enough. Citizens deserve access to the real record, not a summary. I am actively working to have those records restored.

The second pillar of my service is accountability.

Government must always be accountable to the people it serves, and that means protecting private property rights. Right now, Hayden is going through a major comprehensive plan revision with our planning and zoning commission. This is important work, but it’s also where property rights can be quietly eroded if we’re not careful.

I have been the only council member consistently asking that the city make a firm commitment: that we will never again forcefully rezone private property against the wishes of landowners, as was attempted four years ago using the future land use map. Hayden residents deserve the confidence that their property rights will be respected, period.

The third area I focus on is good governance.

To me, good governance means clear rules, respectful treatment, and wise budgeting.

I have advocated for a procedures manual so that council members, staff, and the public all know the rules and expectations. A fair process benefits everyone.

I also believe strongly that council members must treat one another with courtesy and respect. We can disagree—sometimes passionately—but we must never allow debate to slide into personal attacks. Civility matters.

And finally, our budget. A city budget should protect essential services and plan responsibly for the future. I will never support a budget that cuts law enforcement services provided by our sheriff. Public safety is not something we can afford to gamble with. Nor would I ever support a budget that sets us up for failure—cutting too deeply now only to force massive tax increases later. That is not sound financial stewardship. Every year I’ve asked for a modest 2% raise to keep our budget balanced. Promising a 0% increase now with the plan to hit taxpayers with a bigger hike later isn’t responsible budgeting — it’s kicking the can down the road.

Regarding HURA:

The Hayden Urban Renewal Agency is set to close this term, and I’ll make sure that happens. We don’t need new unelected boards popping up to collect and spend your property taxes without being accountable to you.

Friends, thank you again for being here today and for being involved. Your participation makes our community stronger.

Regarding civility:

Just remember, when someone criticizes someone for an opinion, remember:

• It's ok to not agree.

• Don't believe the first thing you hear.

• If we always agreed then we would be rubber stampers!

If you’d like to talk with me further, please stop by my table in the back. I have a sign-up sheet, stickers, business cards, and donor envelopes. My daughter In law and I made some earrings that are a gift for a donation to my campaign of any size.

I’m also having a Meet and Greet on September 15, and I’ll be at the Country Fair at Candlelight on October 4. I would love to see you there, answer your questions, and hear your concerns.

My website Sandy4Hayden.com will have information about upcoming events.

I believe Hayden needs leaders who will be a voice of reason, who will stand up for transparency, accountability, and good governance, and who will protect both public safety and private property rights.

It has been an honor to serve this community for the past term, and I am asking for your vote so I can continue serving you for another.

Thank you, and God bless.

Sandy White

Sandy4Hayden@gmail.com