General Elections: Manderson Town Council

Thea Saunders

Bio

I am originally from Whiteville, N.C. and have lived in Wyoming for 4 years. Manderson is home to my husband, Chris, me and our four children.

I hold a degree in accounting and am currently attending Black Hills State University, where I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and Studio Art. My work history includes accounting and financial work, education, customer service, and public service. I previously operated the Manderson Post Office and served on the Manderson Town Council.

During the current academic year, I spend part of the week in Spearfish for school and return to Manderson regularly. I will attend council meetings remotely when necessary, and after this academic year I will return to Manderson full time for the remainder of my term.

What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?

I believe Manderson’s biggest problem is not a lack of ideas. It is a lack of reliable systems.

Residents should be able to trust that their water bills are accurate, payroll is handled correctly, records are complete, known expenses are planned for, and deadlines are met. Basic administration should not depend on residents having to track down information through multiple people or outside offices.

Manderson also needs to maintain its financial reporting and compliance requirements so it is in a position to pursue grants and other outside funding. With a town this small, outside funding can matter significantly for infrastructure, accessibility, parks, and other community needs.

Good government is not always exciting. Sometimes it is accurate records, correct bills, responsible budgeting, completed paperwork, met deadlines, and following through when a problem is brought to the council. That is the kind of boring I want for Manderson, not the unnecessary drama that too often gets in the way of getting things done.

What is your stance on government transparency including public notices, open meetings, public records and communication with the press? How do you hope to keep the public in the loop?

I believe transparency should be the normal way town government operates. Public notices should be posted consistently and in places residents actually know to look. Meetings should be accessible to residents, including those who cannot attend in person, and public records should be organized and reasonably available when requested.

I previously recorded Manderson Town Council meetings and posted them online so residents could follow what happened even if they could not attend. I would like to see the town take responsibility for consistently recording and publishing meetings rather than relying on an individual resident to do it.

Communication should also extend beyond meetings. Important information should be shared through public notices, the town’s online presence, and local news organizations. I believe the town should maintain a professional relationship with the press and provide information when requested rather than making residents rely on word of mouth or telling them to attend meetings when their questions may not be answered there either.

I also believe transparency includes how officials respond to questions. No council member will know every answer immediately, but “I don’t know, I’ll find out” is a reasonable response. Residents should be able to ask about spending, bills, ordinances, or town decisions without being mocked or dismissed.

My previous experience on the council is part of why this matters to me. I resigned after becoming frustrated by difficulty obtaining information, repeated public attacks, and false statements made about me, and trying to make meaningful changes without enough support to do so effectively. That experience reinforced my belief that transparency has to be built into the way the town operates rather than depending on one person continually pushing for it.

How do you plan to weigh decisions that will benefit your personal businesses or goals from those that will benefit the town overall?

My responsibility as a council member would be to make decisions based on what is best for Manderson as a whole, even when that decision is inconvenient to me personally.

If an issue came before the council in which I or a member of my household had a direct financial interest, I would disclose that interest and follow the appropriate process for removing myself from the decision when necessary.

I also believe elected officials should be cautious about receiving additional paid work from the same town whose money they are responsible for overseeing. Something being technically permitted does not automatically make it good policy.

I do not expect every council decision to benefit me personally, my family, or my own goals. The purpose of the position is to serve the town, and decisions should be made openly, with accurate information, and with Manderson’s overall interests placed ahead of personal benefit.

Christopher Saunders

Bio

Manderson is my hometown. I grew up here, and after living and working in other states, I returned to Wyoming three years ago and once again call Manderson home. I am currently completing my bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and information technology through the University of Arkansas Grantham.

My work history includes education, public safety, corrections, construction and skilled trades, telecommunications, transportation, sales, and business ownership. I currently work as a substitute teacher, own and operate 6S Services, a local property-maintenance business, and serve as a volunteer firefighter.

I am an Independent. My varied experiences have taught me to work with people from different backgrounds, solve problems with limited resources, and step up when my community needs me.

What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?

I believe some of the biggest issues facing Manderson are financial accountability, maintaining essential services and infrastructure, rebuilding trust between residents and town government, and strengthening our sense of community.

As a small town with limited resources, every dollar needs to be accounted for and spent responsibly. Recent financial and audit issues have shown the importance of accurate records, strong internal controls, and proper council oversight. I am less interested in pointing fingers over the past than I am in making sure problems are corrected and do not happen again. When responsibility is clear, it should be acknowledged, but blaming previous councils should never become a substitute for taking responsibility for decisions being made today.

We also need to maintain the basics residents rely on, including water, wastewater, streets, mosquito control, and other town services, while actively pursuing grants and outside funding for improvements.

Finally, I want to strengthen the community involvement that makes a small town a good place to live, including bringing back traditions such as the Manderson Jubilee.

What is your stance on government transparency including public notices, open meetings, public records and communication with the press? How do you hope to keep the public in the loop?

I believe transparency should be the normal way town government operates, not something residents have to fight for. Public notices should be timely and easy to find, meetings should follow Wyoming’s open-meeting requirements, public records should be reasonably accessible, and the town should maintain an open and professional relationship with the press.

Meeting minimum legal requirements is not always enough to keep residents informed. In the past, I helped record council meetings and post them on Facebook so residents who could not attend could still see what happened. If elected, I plan to begin doing that again. Important town information should also be communicated consistently through posted notices, social media, the town website, and local news organizations.

Council members should be willing to explain their votes, answer questions, listen to criticism, and admit mistakes. If an ordinance is wrong, work through the proper process to change it. If it is the law, follow it. The council should hold itself to the same standards it expects residents to follow.

How do you plan to weigh decisions that will benefit your personal businesses or goals from those that will benefit the town overall?

I believe public service and personal business need to remain separate. I own a local business, and I would not use my position on the council to create work, contracts, or financial opportunities for myself or my business.

If an issue came before the council in which I or my business had a financial interest, I would disclose that interest and remove myself from the discussion, decision, and vote as required.

I also do not believe being elected to the council should create additional paid opportunities for myself through the town. Public service should not become a second source of income from the same public funds a council member is responsible for overseeing. Even when something may technically be permitted, council members should consider how their actions affect public trust.

My responsibility would be to make decisions based on what provides the greatest benefit to Manderson and its residents, not what benefits me personally. I own a business to make money. I am running for Town Council to serve my community. Those two responsibilities should not be confused

Jack Nielsen

Bio

Born in Worland in 1945. Makes me 81 this fall. Farm and ranched my whole life. Started with nothing and still have nothing. I am NOT a liberal democrat. I don’t believe in some of this stupid stuff being taught in our schools. Why not some U.S. History and a little bonehead math? Maybe learn how to write a thank you note.

What do you believe are the top issues facing your town?
The “rat pack” of mostly losers who never come to a meeting and when they do, they know it all because they read it on “Manderson Happening”. They say they are here to “change” things but so far all I see, they are “the problem” not the solution They never come to a town meeting with a “good idea”. There are a lot of regulations set by the state. That’s why Manderson was audited. There are ordinances and rules that go with operating a town. If not, why do these towns have a lawyer?  We are typing to get inside the lines, but some of these “want to bees” are painting with a paintball gun.

What is your stance on government transparency including public notices, open meetings, public records and communication with the press? How do you hope to keep the public in the loop?
That is a good issue. I have written letters to this paper, and this “RAG” paper won’t print them because right now the news is so far left, it’s my way or I’m not printing it. The second thing is with these phones; it is who can get their spin on the story first. Another issue, if you send a message by way of a phone and people change one or two words, then you have a whole new meaning to the story. The original ISSE is lost in the translation. We all know that meetings, public records and public notices are all open to the people. The press puts what is needed in the paper as long as it did not slant to one party as this paper so often does.

How do you plan to weigh decisions that will benefit your personal businesses or goals from those that will benefit the town overall?
I’ve been on the council before and learned a lesson. Don’t get elected and be a Liz Cheney. Then tell the people “What’s good” for them. You are here to serve the people who elected you. As for personal business, if you have nothing, who wants any of that?  Who wants to farm? But if you farm and what you have left, is finally paid for you know a “little” about how to handle money and everything is not a “Federal Grant”. As for the town, there are some realities that need to be addressed. Mostly, how to finance Million-Dollar projects for 40 families on a fixed income with Champagne taste on a beer income.