Glen Ellis: Fremont City Council

Answer: Born and raised in Raytown, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. We have lived in Fremont for the past 18 years.

Q: Tell us about your family

A: I married my high school sweetheart and we have been married for 38 years. We have five grown children and two grandchildren.

Q: What do you do now?

A: Business owner/entrepreneur

Q: Why did you decide to run for office?

A: To make our local government more citizen-oriented. Focusing on the people who live in Fremont and making Fremont a better place to live.

Q: How do you get involved in the community?

A: I founded two non-profits: the Fremont Creative Collective and the Fremont Downtown Development Group.

Q: What qualifies you for this position?

A: I am a successful owner of several businesses including Sycamore Education, Milady Coffeehouse and May Brothers Building. I also have four years of experience as a current City Council member representing District 2.

Q: What do you think are the top two issues in Dodge County (if running for city council, the top two issues in Fremont) and how would you address them if elected?

A: Public safety has been neglected for the past 12 years. We need a new police station and a new fire station. We also need to make sure our first responders have the tools they need to do their jobs.

Keep our local government focused on its citizens and improving their lives here in Fremont. I am a businessman and I understand economic development, but I believe the scales have been tipped against the citizens of Fremont and we need to balance the scales.

Q: What do you think the county (or city) could do better? why?

A: Accounting and budgeting. Fremont now uses the general fund for everything. We must classify the income and use these funds for their specific purpose. When the city added a sales tax, those funds were supposed to go to a specific project, and then when that project paid off, eliminate the sales tax and let the voters decide on the next project.

Q: What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

A: At the age of 38, with five children, I left a secure corporate job to start my own company.