BATTLE GROUND - In the past four years, 55-year-old Battle Ground City Council Member and Deputy Mayor Philip Johnson said he believes that he and others on the council have asked out loud, and (in his case) voted on the fact of how a specific vote affects the citizens of Battle Ground and the city.
Johnson decided to run for re-election to Battle Ground City Council Position No. 7 during the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election because he said he thinks there are some things that they need to do to make the city a better place for everyone.
“We need to make the city a place where you can live and work, not just a place to sleep at night,” Johnson said. “We need to start making outreach to all types of businesses, large and small, to increase the livability of the city. As with every city, we need to keep an eye on costs of running the city, and making it as friendly as possible with its citizens, and with those whom we hope become community members.”
When Johnson first decided to run for a city council position back in 2011, he had been attended council meetings since 2007, and said it seemed to him that the current council(s), with the exception of a few members, were more interested in developers and business interests than they were in the citizens.
Johnson said transportation is one of the biggest issues that the city is currently dealing with. He said it doesn’t take long living in the area to realize that Battle Ground has outgrown its road system. With the repair of South Parkway starting in the spring of 2016, along with the multi-year project on fixing SR-502/503 starting as well in 2016, he said they will be starting the meet the city’s current need.
“The sad thing about road repair/construction, beyond the disruption it brings, is the fact of when you finish one project, there is demand for another,” Johnson said. “Of course we just started our neighborhood preservation projects this past summer, slurry sealing and doing basic maintenance trying to lengthen the life of the neighborhood streets. In the long run this is the most important thing we do, and the one that will save us the most money in the long run.”
Another issue Johnson said is facing the city is water and sewer. He said there will be a day in the not-too-distant future that they will start discussing how far they will go to get water to the city. Johnson said there has been talk of having to go out to Paradise Point out by Interstate 5. If they have to do that, that will cost the city quite a bit of money. Of course, bringing in more water also means the sewer system would need to be updated, which would also be spendy.
Public safety is also a concern of Johnson’s.
“As we add residents the calls for service increase, therefore we will need more police, and all the things that they need,” he said. “Also we will need more fire service assets, all costing a good deal.”
If re-elected to the council, Johnson said is first objective is that they get every penny’s worth of every dime they spend.
“I think the re-negotiation of the fire contract, saving us $100-$125 thousand a year, plus getting better service is indicative of that,” Johnson said. “I like to think I am the guy who asks those who are presenting a project, what benefit is it to all 19,000 of us.”
Other than the recent debate put on by the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters, Johnson said he and his opponent, Candy Bonneville, haven’t really talked much. He said they both come from different political perspectives, and would think that because of that they probably disagree on some budget issues and some other issues that might come before them.
Johnson has lived in Battle Ground since 2004 and has been married to his wife, Delores, for 33 years. He is a retired soldier and home renovator. During his free time, he enjoys old Volkswagens, tinkering, reading and exercising.
Contact Johnson at plj7473@yahoo.com.
