Story Published: Oct 22, 2009 at 1:41 PM PST
Story Updated: Apr 20, 2010 at 11:23 AM PST
Poole moved to the Valley in 1994 and within two years mounted his first campaign for city council. He served eight years on the council, six of those as mayor pro-tem, and chose not to run for a third term when he got a job with the county.
"When I became the Road and Bridge director for Nez Perce County, because of conflict of interest, I chose not to run again the last time," said Poole. "So, that's why I've been out for four years."
Now a project manager at Riedesel Engineering in Lewiston, Poole said he's ready to run again. He said his involvement in transportation issues is what first got him on the council, and criticizes the council's recent decision to run their own transit system.
"They're cutting budgets and laying people off, and yet their spending almost a million dollars to buy new buses to add staff, to buy a new building to take on a public transit system that didn't cost us a fraction of that with someone else running it," said Poole.
But more than money, Poole said public and intergovernmental trust have gotten lost in the politics.
Poole specifically mentioned a lawsuit against the city involving a storm water utility fee.
"that's not a resounding endorsement of a program you're trying to institute," Poole said. "With the lack of trust and respect from our governmental neighbors, the lack of leadership from the city council in directing the city, it definitely helped me make up my mind to try to run again and see if we can't get this thing turned around," said Poole.
