Why I am running for mayor...

I feel it’s time for new leadership in the city and I believe it is my civil duty to serve my community to help insure its future. In my many years as a business owner and as a citizen, I’ve seen firsthand how this once thriving, beautiful city has become an unrecognizable, worn down, struggling shadow of its former self. Too many businesses have come and gone, and too many businesses haven’t been given the opportunity to break ground and establish roots for a more prosperous community. We have an abundance of inexpensive power and a very generous amount of land we CAN and SHOULD develop to ensure our children’s futures and that their successes can happen in their hometown. I don’t come to the table just to address the problems Ephrata has, rather I have identified many problems and solutions to those problems that I CAN achieve with the position of Mayor.

I would love to have Ephrata be the place to raise a family and to keep families here thriving, rather than to have to leave just to make a living. We have endless possibilities with our resources and our community spirit to make Ephrata a desired destination for vacations, businesses and proud home ownership. I will enthusiastically lead this exciting campaign to better Ephrata and its citizens with your help and trust.



What experience does Steve Oliver have that makes him a good candidate for the job?


I am a father to my children, a loving partner to my future spouse, and a very competent local business owner/operator for the past 25 years. I am not a politician, nor will I ever claim to be, nor will I ever act as one. I am a realist that knows how irresponsible bureaucracy and politicking can derail the smallest of tasks and how deflating it can be to the people that suffer from its malignancy.

As a business owner in town for over a quarter of a century, I have seen many businesses come and go as well as many future businesses being turned away for nonsensical and petty reasoning that has only hurt our local economy. I have also watched crime steadily increase and heard the local frustration at the seemingly nonchalant and menial actions taken to curtail it. I have heard from the public and how they are frustrated by the decline in the quality of life in Ephrata. Why do we have some many vacant buildings? Why are we building more housing when there aren’t any well-paying jobs to be had? Why isn’t our port bustling with new businesses vying for a space to set up shop? I can go on, but clearly, I’m just stating what everyone has been voicing concerns about for the longest time. It’s time for a change and it’s time to put the citizens and businesses first. Enough with the ‘someday it’ll change’ or ‘hopefully it’ll change’ aphorism; change is available, and it should be welcomed with open arms. I am willing to make promises to help Ephrata become an enviable, desired, clean, safe, and prosperous city, but I will need your help to do so. To make a promise as a city leader is as rare as one keeping said promise. I am willing to be accountable to my constituents and follow through with all my mayoral decisions which will be honest, transparent, and absolutely without any politics.




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ISSUES


We have an endless supply of issues in Ephrata, both as homeowners, business owners, policy makers, and as a community in general. No town is perfect, but one can’t strive to meet even the closest measures of perfection without first identifying, discussing, and addressing any and all problems immediately. Like all governments, we have excess spending and not enough money to improve anything. We have apathy and ignorance towards these problems as the most often heard reply is, ‘it’s always been that way’ or ‘that’s just how it goes.’ Both are pathetic responses to issues that are critical to facing the topic head on and finding solutions, rather than wishing them away. I will be outlining some issues that I see both through the ISSUES tab and the SURVEYS tab. I will always ask the public’s opinion of matters that I feel are important to discuss. From our dilapidated sidewalks, which are a massive liability, to our vacant buildings, to our outdated storm drain system to the crippling mandatory flood insurance, there ARE solutions AND resources available to fix them all.

MY VISION


My vision for Ephrata is very simple and very complex. The simplicity is that everyone should be happy, prosperous, safe and proud of their city. The process of achieving these qualities is where it gets complex. I’ll explain. When I visited a friend here in the late 1990’s, I couldn’t grasp the idea of living in such a small town. Of course, I had been raised in much larger cities and the idea of a 45–60-minute work commute wasn’t a foreign concept to me. I explored the town and discovered a very friendly, happy, and slower pace of life that I hoped would welcome me if I ever decided to move here. When I did make the decision to move here in the late 1990s, I was pleasantly relieved that the small-town Ephrata magic was still alive and well and I was able to become a part of this amazing community. When I decided to have children, I also made the choice to become involved in the PTA, sports, coaching, patronizing local establishments, and becoming a well-respected business owner and person. I worked very hard for many years to establish myself as a multiple award-winning artist and a reputable representative of my profession. I also made countless personal connections with the amazing people of this city and surrounding areas. When I was faced with a heart transplant in 2007, my clients, my friends, and my community all helped me recover and flourish as my slow and painful recuperation progressed. I was astounded at the help, love, and support I received from my faction of friends and associates. As I became stronger and discovered a sense of giving back, I immediately became consumed with finding out what I could do to make my environment and community better.

Now that I’m fully healed and healthy, I’m able to focus on how to improve my children’s lives for the better. As a parent I want them to have the best education, enjoy sports, experience the outdoors, and for them to have a group of close friends to make all their early memories as good as possible. Knowing that curiosity and extended education are imminent, I can only hope that they present themselves as ideal citizens and proud ambassadors of their hometown while they explore the world outside of Grant County. Sadly, I know that many of them will not return home to plant roots and start a family or a business as the dismal state of Ephrata continues to dissuade the optimism of most of them. We can change that with a focused, concerted effort to ensure future generations of Ephratans can live, work, relax, and prosper back home. We can provide endless amounts of activities, jobs, and year-round events that would challenge the biggest of cities. Growth in our children is inevitable, but growth as a city is sadly not available in its current state. As it is now, if a family wants to do any sort of activity or entertainment they must travel out of town as there is virtually nothing for them to do here. We have no natural attractions, no clean or updated parks, no weekly events, no winter sport activities, an unaffordable community pool, etc. We SHOULD and COULD have endless features for families in town all year long to keep our community strong, our money local, and our businesses thriving. I will outline many, many ideas and how to implement them WITHOUT adding any taxes, levies, or any financial burdens to the well-deserving citizens of Ephrata. As a leader I will make many difficult decisions to improve and install much needed changes that will benefit all Ephratans without expanding local government or squandering opportunities.

Would you be opposed to or in favor of more visible and enforced speed limit signs in town?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of improving our city parks and keeping them free of dog waste, garbage and graffiti?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of more year-round activities for children and adults?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of safer sidewalks and repaired streets?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of having actual tourist attractions so local businesses can make more money?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of more transparency in local government?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of less regulations and permits on home and business improvement regulations?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of repealing and/or eliminating the mandatory flood insurance?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of new after school programs that teach arts and music?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of higher fines and/or jail time for graffiti and vandalism?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of more amenities in our parks?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of bringing in new industries that would provide competitive, well-paying jobs and complementary daycare?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of a city beautification project?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of more car shows, farmer’s markets, vendors, etc., in the summer?


Would you be opposed to or in favor of courting more businesses to take residence at the port?


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DISCLAIMER** All campaign banners, yard signs, T-shirts, and stickers paid for by Steve Oliver himself. No contributions have been accepted for this campaign in any shape, form, or manner. Receipts upon request.

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