EAGLE, Idaho — With the Eagle mayoral runoff election set for Dec. 5, incumbent Mayor Jason Pierce sat down with KTVB for an interview Tuesday to discuss some of the key issues facing the city and to highlight his accomplishments over the past four years.
Pierce spoke about the police contract between the City of Eagle and the Ada County Sheriff's Office that was heavily debated in city council earlier this year. Pierce defended the contract, noting that during his tenure, the city has raised the police budget by 24%, added four new officers and a community officer.
He also said the relationship with the sheriff's office "is incredible," and provides significant advantages for Eagle residents when it comes public safety.
When asked about balancing investing in law enforcement versus fiscal responsibility, Pierce acknowledged it can be difficult, but emphasized "safety is always going to be the number one thing."
On the issue of Eagle's rapid growth over the past four years, Pierce said he wished the city could limit some of the new development, but acknowledged the importance of private property rights in Idaho.
Instead, he said the city has stuck closely to its comprehensive plan by requiring new housing developments to build at the lowest approved density levels.
As for his biggest accomplishment as mayor, Pierce pointed to the controversial Avimor property annexation and development deal. While it generated backlash, Pierce believes setting strict density requirements will benefit Eagle for the next 50-60 years. Ultimately, he said "nobody does it as well as Eagle" when it comes to smart, managed growth.
With the election approaching, Pierce appears to be touting his record on public safety investments, responsible growth policies and long-range planning as reasons to give him another term leading Eagle.
On Wednesday, KTVB is scheduled to interview Pierce's opponent in the mayoral runoff election – Eagle City Council President Brad Pike.
You can see the in-depth interview with Joe Parris in its entirety on Viewpoint at 9 a.m. Sunday on KTVB Channel 7.
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