David Farragh has announced that he is a candidate for a position on the Iron Mountain City Council. He is a lifelong resident of Iron Mountain.  He and his wife, Donna, have been married for thirty-five years.  They have a son, Scott (Dawn) Farragh and three grandchildren.

In announcing his candidacy, he issued the following statement explaining his background and the reasons he decided to become a candidate:

I was an employee of the City of Iron Mountain in the Department of Public Works for twenty-five years.  I rose in rank and responsibility over the years to become Supervisor. In that supervisory capacity, I was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department including scheduling and monitoring the assignments for the work force and reacting to the many emergencies that become almost routine in that line of work.  I was on call around the clock.

I was closely involved in preparing the annual DPW department budget, including the needs of the water department and the motor pool. I also kept the maintenance and depreciation schedules of the departments’ large equipment inventory and recommended new purchases as necessary.

I got to know the infrastructure of the city very well over the many years I worked for the city.   Water and sewer lines get your attention very quickly when they quit working. 

We always reacted very quickly, day or night, in very hot or below zero temperatures, and we stayed on duty until the job was done.  I could tell you some very interesting stories.

We also routinely worked in very close cooperation with the police and fire departments when they needed our assistance in their emergency situations. 

My desire to serve the public while employed by the city would continue as a council member.  I have always believed every citizen is entitled to the same level of service and courtesy as every other citizen.

Occasionally I have heard some people say that retired city employees should not be on the city council as they would have a conflict of interest because they receive health and pension benefits.  Retired city employees have served on the city council in the past, and in no case did they ever vote on or push for any personal benefit.  Former Fire Chiefs Dick Rahoi and the late Al Fuse, former Police Chief Bill Wiegele and former DPW foreman Bill Calcari all served the citizens and taxpayers honestly and well as council members.  I would continue in that tradition.

I would work for you.  I am very concerned about balancing budgets, providing the necessary services at the lowest possible costs, getting back to basics and cutting back on the bureaucracy that has been growing out of the control the last four years.

We need a city council that responds to the real needs of all the people, not the select few. I want you to keep as much of your hard-earned money in your pocket as possible.  The large fee increases the current council has placed on you can and should be cut back.   Many of them may turn out to have been illegally imposed on you in the first place.  I have many ideas for cutting costs without cutting services.  I did it for years with the DPW budget.

I have also been on the board of directors of U. P. Whitetails for over fifteen years.  This organization has many members who voice their opinions, but we all work together to make it a successful organization.

Please remember to vote in the August 7 primary election and the November 6 general election.  Your vote will be appreciated.  I will do everything I can to get our city back on track and be responsive to all of our citizens. 

David Farragh

Candidate for Councilman at Large

City of Iron Mountain