Brian Thackeray is running for the Rexburg City Council. He discusses why he is running and what he would focus on if he were elected. Election Day is November 7. To learn more about Brian Thackeray, search for “Brian Thackeray for Rexburg City Council,” on Facebook or “Elect Brian Thackeray” on Instagram. Below is an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. It has been lightly edited for clarity.
Chandler: So, why are you running for city council in the first place?
Brian Thackeray: That is a good question. Funnily enough, what started me on this path is I have a family here in Rexburg, went to school here, bought a home, been working here ever since. And I started noticing things in town, like broken equipment at the parks and things like that. Trying to figure out why that didn't get done. And so started getting involved with volunteer groups, going to city council meetings, and thought that maybe I should take a crack at this to, I don't know, give my point of view and perspective.
Chandler: What would you say that you have that other candidates don't bring to the table?
Brian Thackeray: Some of the things that I think that I can bring to the table that a lot of the other candidates don't is a focus on keeping the everyman involved because there's a lot of things that people get frustrated at in the city of Rexburg. And some of that is due to miscommunication between the people in power and the everyman. They don't understand certain policies that would prevent the city from making changes and educating people on those policies. So that way people can be less frustrated because they understand why the city is making the decisions they are. And if there is a lack of communication, filling that, so that way the councilman can be informed and make informed decisions.
Chandler: How would you go about doing that? How would you make every man involved?
Brian Thackeray: As you said, one of the big ways that I want to focus on that is by using alternative communication forms. So social media, Facebook, YouTube, putting that information out so that it's easy to digest in a language that's easy to understand because as soon as you start reading city statutes, it can start going over your head real fast, even if you do have the information. So, finding a way to break that down so it's digestible.
Chandler: So beyond plugging the communication gap, what would you focus on if you were elected to city council?
Brian Thackeray: My main focuses, besides information, is also focusing on people who want to transition from being students to being a full-time resident. I did that back in 2014. It took me a while. I did buy a house. And I know that situations had changed because of inflation and financial struggles, but I still think there's a large group of people that want to make Rexburg their permanent home. And I want to make sure that the way that we build out Rexburg, that's still possible. I think I heard recently that in Rexburg right now, it's, like, only 30% to single family homes when it comes to housing. The rest of it's all renting. And I want to help shift that. So, there's more people here all the time rather than the transitory nature that we have by being renters.
Chandler: What do you see as a big issue in Rexburg. And how would you go about solving that or proposing to solve that issue?
Brian Thackeray: Well, I'll give you an example of what's kind of led me onto the communication desire that I have. Recently, Rexburg has been trying to change the layout of the city and build more roads to make it easier to get around, which we really need that now with the construction happening on Main Street and through 33. So, they proposed a plan, it got passed, and then as soon as the city, the residents, found out about it, there was a big public outcry. And the main complaint that people had is that they felt that they weren't informed or included in the decision process. That was the main complaint that came out over and over and over, that they felt that the other options weren't weighed and that the option that was put forth wasn't fully flushed out. And it was one of those things where they went through that process to inform the public, but they didn't pay attention until it already been passed. And that's when it caused a lot of contention. And so, what I would focus on is making sure that the citizens were informed before it was put through to alleviate that stress. Yeah, so that's one of the main things. Like I said, just keeping people informed so that they're not up in pitchforks when all a of sudden there's construction happening outside their door and they have no idea why.
Chandler: What is a message that you would give to voters if you had to sit down with them one-on-one or as a group, what would you say to them?
Brian Thackeray: The main message that I would put forth is that your voice and your vote matter. One thing, especially nowadays, and with younger voters, is that they feel that it's not worth trying because the city is going to vote for who the city is going to vote for. And my vote is not going to matter. The truth is voter turnout, even here, is extremely low. And we need to get more people involved because if we could even get 5% more people voting, we could change the outcomes drastically. So, your voice and your vote does matter. So, get out there, be involved, go to city council meetings and be part of the group that's involved in structuring the way Rexburg is going to become.
Chandler: And where can people go to find more information about you and your campaign and vote for you?
Brian Thackeray: So, to find out where to vote, you can go to the city's website. They have a great page on the upcoming election everyone who's running. To find out more about me, I have a Facebook page. I think it's Brian Thackeray for Rexburg City Council. I also have an Instagram, “Elect Brian Thackeray,” on Instagram.
Chandler: Is there anything else that you would like to touch on before we end?
Brian Thackeray: No, I think I covered everything that I was looking for. Thank you so much for having me.
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To view the Candidate Q&A for another candidate, please select their name below:
City Council:
Bryanna Johnson
Mayor:
Jerry Merrill