Craig Ehrnst

West Boca News invited candidates in the 2014 Boca Raton City election to submit an article of up to 1000 words. Here is the submission from Craig Ehrnst, a candidate for Council Seat B. Ehrnst’s campaign website is CraigEhrnst.com.
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My wife and I, along with our three children, have proudly called Boca Raton our home for the past fourteen years. Prior to moving to Boca Raton, we lived in Miami for nine years. We relocated to Boca Raton because of the unique small-town community environment with the downtown parade, library, and beaches. Boca Raton is a special community and a nice place to raise a family.
I hold both a BBA and MBA from the University of Michigan. While in school, I worked on a GM assembly line and was a member of the UAW. For the last twenty-five years, I have worked in the treasury, financial, and audit divisions for ExxonMobil, Ryder System, and since 2000, NCCI in Boca Raton, as Treasurer responsible for key financial operations.
After volunteering on the City’s Financial Advisory Board for three years, I learned a great deal about the strengths and opportunities of our City. The City has great people and resources to do great things. However, the City also faces several issues, which I have summarized below:
1. Ensuring fiscal responsibility: addressing City pensions, supporting an Inspector General, and encouraging accountability
2. Implementing long-term planning: managing building density, allowing for succession planning, and managing risks
3. Preserving the character of Boca Raton: – reforming the election process and supporting community activities for all age group
My educational, professional, and community experiences give me the credentials to be a qualified candidate. What separates me from my opponents is the energy and drive I have to always “put residents first.” I will help Boca face its challenges by ensuring that all constituencies (retirees, business people, city workers, teachers, students, soccer Moms, developers, etc) are represented in arriving at balanced and practical solutions to keep Boca a great place to live for all residents.
If you look at who is funding my leading opponent, you will see that Developers and Unions are trying to influence his positions on city growth and pensions, decisions that benefit their special interests. Look at who is funding my Campaign and you will see that it represents a much broader spectrum of the population and is consistent with my theme to “put residents first” – all residents!