Jonathan Hall

Age: 43

Length of residency: Moved to farm in Spirit Lake June 2013

Family: Married with three children

Highest level of education completed: High school and technical student for commercial electric work

Profession: Private sector project manager for the Spokane Valley office of Cochran Technologies

Civic/community service: Volunteer firefighter and EMT in the Spirit Lake Fire District

Previous political experience: None

What prompted you to seek election to this position?

I joined the race at the direct request of the Spirit Lake Professional Firefighters and received their endorsement.

What are three things you will work to change or improve if elected?

1. Return to open government and regain public trust by adjusting meeting times to evening, sticking to the schedule, refusing short notice changes that limit involvement, and crack down on the current abuse of executive session. I will end the good old boy backroom feel responsible for the loss of trust in our current leadership.

2. Bring back accessible government by welcoming public involvement (including active firefighters) in budgeting issues and priority discussions. It is public money. They deserve a say in how it’s spent. We should never be excluded.

3. Reignite investment and fresh appreciation of the volunteer program, which is currently on life support. We can ill afford to turn away the men and women who have given so many years to our district at little direct cost. We cannot afford to turn away new volunteers ready and willing to serve their community, and stand beside our full-time firefighters. The cost of volunteers is so low compared to the value of precious time they so generously donate to the District.

What makes you the best candidate?

I am not a politician. I served beside the brave men and women of Sprit Lake Fire as an active volunteer firefighter and EMT, and I am running at their request. The current leadership has gotten stale, lazy, and too comfortable after 18 years in office. Hard work built this fine nation, and that same attitude should be present every day in our elected officials. I bring a new direction, and a fresh attitude to the Spirit Lake Fire Protection District. I am eager and willing to buck consensus, open to listening to every idea. We must do our best to protect all our firefighters as they risk their lives to protect us every day and night. I am ready to get to work!