EM interviews the mayor of Eagle.
By Mike Johnson

After a 22-year absence from the Valley, Jim Reynolds relocated to Eagle from Georgia to find himself, shortly thereafter, appointed mayor of his new community.  Back in 2011, Jim decided to officially run for mayor, and defeated Norm Semanko in the election with almost 80 percent of the vote.  Recently, Jim discussed with Eagle Magazine his plans and goals as mayor of the community he’s dedicated to serve – everything from how he plans to attract businesses to the area, his idea of how the community can become more involved in city government, to what he believes is his biggest obstacle in achieving what he has set out to do while in office.    

 
EM:  Congratulations on your victory in the last election.  What are your plans for your term as the mayor of Eagle?
JR:  To continue to do the best I am able helping guide the City to a brighter future.

EM:  What do you love the most about the community of Eagle? 
JR:  Its people and its natural beauty.

EM:  What are the most important issues Eagle is facing in 2012?
JR:  There are several, like positioning Eagle to benefit from the coming upturn in the economy, listening to the voice of the people, attracting business that will provide a solid future of jobs and growth, and treating our citizens and each other with respect.

EM:  How do you plan to attract more businesses to Eagle?
JR:  First, attracting business is the last stage of the Eagle Project, identifying target industries and then likely businesses within those industries.  Boise Valley Economic Partnership tends to look more globally at large corporations to attract to the Valley.  Eagle’s orientation will be looking at specific smaller companies which are seeking relocation because of the economic climate in which they struggle.  There are many with 60 to 100 employees in that category.  Our mission will be to identify those that will best fit Eagle and our highly-educated workforce, and then actively pursue them.

EM: What do you see as your biggest obstacle in achieving your goals as mayor of Eagle?
JR:  The biggest obstacle is time.  We all lead such super-heated busy lives today; it is the competition for any scrap of available leisure time that becomes the greatest hurdle.  We must somehow capture the imaginations of our citizens with ideas that resonate sufficiently for people to set aside the required time.

EM:  Do you think the citizens of Eagle are adequately involved in the politics of their city?  If not, how do you hope to get as many people involved as possible?  
JR:  Eagle citizens are only marginally involved in local government.  The attitude seems to be - as long as the city is not trying to do something in “my backyard,” there is no need to get involved.  Fortunately, that same attitude does not extend to the community, for many of our citizens are more than happy to get involved with community projects, like Naomi Preston’s “Beautify Eagle.”  As long as we can keep the focus on the community, rather than the city government, I believe many more will lend their efforts to building a better Eagle.

EM:  What excites you the most about holding the office of mayor? 
JR:  Being really able to make a small contribution to Eagle’s bright future.

Mayor Reynolds can be reached at Eagle City Hall at 939-6813 – or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Also be sure to check out his Community Note in this and future issues of Eagle Magazine. If you’re interested in becoming more involved in Eagle’s city government, attend city council meetings!  All meetings are open to the public and are held the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.  Pre-council meetings begin at 5:30 PM, with regular council meetings at 6:30 PM.