Supporting Baumgardner

Dear Editor;

I am writing this letter urging the citizens of Greenville to support John Baumgardner by voting for him in the upcoming May 2nd Republican Primary. I have known John for over 50 years and know he has the qualifications to be the person that leads the City of Greenville. He has the business background, experience as a member of the city council and personal connection to Greenville that makes him want to see the city grow and thrive for generations to come. John is the person qualified to be our next Mayor.

John’s experience within a Fortune 500 Company working his way up to management level has given him the experience of communicating with people at different levels to achieve a common goal. He has experience also as a small business owner and creating jobs within our city, most recently purchasing a local company that was going to close; he redeveloped the companies mission and increased the workforce from 18 jobs to 35. He knows it is important to keep our existing manufacturing, retail and service businesses and wants to develop an open dialogue with govemment and business leaders to assist in retaining these businesses while at the same time making it easier to do business within the city while aiding future growth.

I served with John on the city council and its sub committees. He is very thorough and considerate in doing whats best for the city and its citizens when deliberating an issue. During his three terms on council he also served as the President-Pro tem which has led to his current position as President of the Council where he is part of the cities executive leadership working with the Mayor and the department heads while also leading the council. Again this proves John’s ability to communicate with all aspects of an organization.

John was born in Greenville and has lived his entire life in and around the city. He purchased his first property before age 18 and renovated it before selling it which he has continued to do, always improving a property whether a business, retail or residential before renting or selling it. Through his small businesses he has provided job opportunities for young people starting out with a first job to others developing a career.

John and his family have roots in the community. He and Stephanie, his wife, have raised their children here. They support the schools, the Athletic Department and other extra curricular activities. The have supported youth sports baseball, basketball and softball for years. John has served on several boards within the city and is a current board member for the Boys and Girls club. John has a vested interest in the downtown business area as he has purchased and renovated several properties there. He purchased an old home bordering the business district and brought it back to the grand home it started out as. John wants Greenville to become the place that our youth will want to come back to live and raise a family after college, military or exploring during their early adult life.

Finally, John wants to work with different agencies, legal groups, and government to address the drug and homeless problems that the city is currently experiencing. He feels that by working together we can tackle the problem making Greenville safe while telling others that this isn’t the city that will tolerate that kind of lifestyle.

John has the business experience, the understanding of city government and personal attachment to the city to be Greenville’s next Mayor. Please join me in showing our local boy, John Baumgardner our support by casting our vote for him May 2nd.

Sincerely,

Tracy Tryon

Greenville