You may have seen my signs around Ankeny with my name, Bobbi Bentz, and the tagline “Common Sense”.

Although I luckily married into a name that rhymes with “sense”, I also think that common sense appropriately describes my outlook on life in general, and my approach to how government should perform.

In order to allow Ankeny residents to get to know me better and to learn where I stand on some of the local issues facing our community, I would like to share my two cents on common sense…

Common Sense is…

…not spending more than you bring in. Live within your means, if you don’t have it, don’t spend it.

Common Sense is not…

…taking on a very large, costly project which will result in increased taxes at a time when the City and the School Board are both working on extremely tight budgets to meet the needs of our citizens while trying to protect their pocketbooks. Although a large, state-of-the art sports complex on the East side of Ankeny sounds wonderful, it is not affordable at this time. The current focus needs to be on responsibly meeting our students’ needs and looking for efficiencies and reductions in city government to avoid the upcoming $.70 tax increase in two years.

Common Sense is…

…planning ahead for future expenses. Many would agree it is common sense to have life insurance, health insurance, and to save for retirement or children’s educations. But local planning for upcoming budget reductions at the federal and state level that will filter down to the local level is very limited. If the state Legislature successfully reduces commercial property tax in the next few years, is the city prepared?

Common Sense is not…

…living on credit and waiting for a windfall to wipe all the debt away at some point in the future.  For too long Ankeny’s budget plan has been “we will grow into it”. This is not planning responsibly for the future and equates to an individual saying, “I will get a raise in two years, so I’ll buy an unaffordable home now”. We know where that mindset led our country in recent years.

Common Sense is…

…getting involved when you have a strong opinion or are passionate about something. There is a saying that everyone has an opinion. However, what we do with that opinion is what really matters. I’m stepping forward to run for City Council because I have both an opinion and the dedication to keeping Ankeny the best community in the Des Moines area. To do that, we need representative leaders with the experience, intelligence, and listening skills to defend the interests of our residents when it comes to reducing costs, finding efficiencies, seeking alternatives to tax increases, and sustainably planning for our future.

I am that individual – I grew up in Ankeny, have a young family, have both private and public work experience, am well-educated, and I like to take on challenges and discuss issues. If you agree, please vote Common Sense on July 17^th with me, Bobbi Bentz.

Please feel free to contact me at bentzforankeny@gmail.com or 515-635-0435. I also appreciate your thoughts and the public discussion on the Patch forums as to how the city could take a common sense approach to the issues facing Ankeny residents.