Christy Warner follows mother's footsteps in serving on city council

One of the newest members of City Council is Christy Warner. She was elected to the position in November.

Warner was born and raised in Kimball and her family owns OFP Services. She did leave when she was 18 and travelled a lot while being "married to the military." She has lived in places such as Washington and Hawaii. Warner said her time in large cities has led her to appreciate small town nuances that others might take for granted. Warner has three children - one in college, one in high school and one in elementary school.

"When you spend time in a larger city you notice things about small town life that are different and better, in my opinion. For example, schools in the city often have 30 kids in a class and the teachers don't know you unless they have a file to reference. Here, you know your kids' teachers and they are more involved," Warner said.

Warner's family lives in Kimball. Her mother, Ann Warner, recently completed her service on the council. However, Christy Warner said she did not have any intention of running for city council until she saw the need.

"It's important to any government body to try not to have elected positions appointed especially in a small community. When I found out no one would be running for the second vacant seat and there was potential for a third vacant seat, I decided to run. I believe my ability to listen, communicate, weigh both sides, see potential and make a hard decision made me a good candidate," Warner said.

Warner has nothing against those who gain their position on boards and committees by appointment, but added she knows the kind of rumors that can surround appointment.

"I think sometimes that when people are appointed, even if they are the most qualified for a position, the connotation is that they were appointed because they're friends with someone who is in a higher position. I didn't want that to be the case with the open city council chair," Warner said.

Warner then decided to run and looked to collect signatures to get on the ballot. She was not able to do that, however, due to state law. Warner then decided to run as a write-in candidate.

"I was lucky to not have competition this year. I talked with the county clerk's office to see if I could collect enough signatures to have my name on the ballot. However, after they confirmed with the state, I was not allowed that process under state statue since there was a person already running - even though there were two seats. I have to give credit to all the people who helped spread the word about me being a write in candidate," Warner said.

Warner ran as a write in and as a result her campaigning was frugal in a good sense.

"I was fortunate to not be dealing with a contested race. As a result I limited the amount that I spent on campaigning and tried to be strategic, rather than overcompensate by spending way too much money," Warner said.

Warner feels her way of handling funds during her campaign reflects her view on spending money in life and how she will view budgeting when it comes to city matters. She has high hopes for Kimball and wishes to see its population increase while also being loyal to the residents and making decisions that are the best for the community.

"I'm like most; I would like to see our population increase. I would be thrilled to increase our total population by five people every year. Although it's not the city council's direct job, our decisions on policies, ordinances, etc., do affect our local community and potential new residents and employers," she said.

Warner is one of the younger members on the city council and she sees this as an opportunity to set an example for others in her age group and those who are even younger.

"I want to respect the generations before me who worked hard to earn their money and make the town what it is today, in addition to looking out for future generations continuing to thrive. I would like to see a good balance and to use our tax dollars in the most efficient way. I would like to see younger people working to get involved on different boards as well because that's the only way we'll continue to thrive as a community," Warner said.

While Warner does not have any major plans for her time on city council, she is a fan of doing the little things right.

"I don't have a grand fix-all idea or plan. In my experience it's all the little things you do or change that ultimately paint a bigger picture. I can, however, see potential should a situation arise that would lead to growth for the city," Warner said.

Warner has served on other boards in the past and feels this has provided her with experience necessary to objectively and weigh the options presented to her and make a decision based on what is best for the community.

"Locally I was appointed to serve on the economic development committee. I served on two Washington State boards whose goals were to change or implement policies affecting a wide diversity of people," she said. "On one board the participants had a tendency to be territorial about their roles and positions. On the other I was able to experience government entities that are normally perceived as territorial come together. This difference showed me how working together can make a dramatic impact.

"I gained a better knowledge of working with a government budget, state statutes and constraints, and how the ripple effect from change, good or bad, touches all demographics of people. I also learned one of the most important aspects to serving the public is to take the time to listen, communicate and if necessary educate people on what's happening,"

Warner expressed a deep desire to try her best to make decisions that will benefit the community for the better. She is also very aware that there are multiple facets to every situation and feels she is a person who can take a step back and examine a situation from every angle.

"I have worked in different forms of real estate my entire life and that has provided me with an insight to how people from different walks of life think and live. Before I make a decision, I like to know every side. There is nothing I would hate more than to make a decision and then to be asked if I took 'this' or 'that' into account and realize I didn't even contemplate a point brought to my attention," Warner said.

With her family here and her children in the schools, Warner is involved in many areas of the community and hopes to bring a fresh sense of what is going on to the city council and Kimball.