Here are the candidates for Pocatello City Council Seat 4

EDITOR’S NOTE: EastIdahoNews.com will be publishing the responses to candidate questionnaires every day through the municipal election on Nov. 4. Read them all here.

POCATELLO — Two candidates are challenging an incumbent council member for Seat 4 on the Pocatello City Council.

They are incumbent Councilman Dakota Bates, candidates James Bucci, and Jim Young.

To learn more about the candidate’s platform, EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Their responses, listed below, were required to be 250 words or less, and were only edited for minor punctuation, grammar and length.

Elections are on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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QUESTIONS:

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Bates: I have lived the majority of my life in Pocatello and am a graduate of Century High School in 2008 and Idaho State University in 2015. In the summer before my senior year of college I interned for Senator Risch in Washington D.C. While there, my wife and I were expecting our first child and decided that we would pursue a career in Pocatello. We love Pocatello and feel it is a wonderful place to raise a family.

While finishing my senior year at ISU, I started working at ICCU and was there for 8 years. In my last three years there I worked directly with small and medium size employers and learned many important lessons about the power of relationships and the challenges faced by employers. I currently operate a pediatric therapy clinic in Chubbuck where we offer Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy to children with developmental delays and disabilities. My wife and I have four wonderful children, two boys and two girls ages 10, 8, 5, and 3.

Bucci: I grew up in Massachusetts and moved to North Carolina for about nine years when I joined the Marines. Then I went back to Mass, and from there, I moved out west to Idaho and Colorado. I ended up in Poky because I love this town.

I have a son and two cats that I adore. I am running for city council because I want Poky to be a better place for my son to live. Our children deserve a better future than being a cog in a machine that funnels money to the upper class.

If you’ve ever come to where I work and bought cat food, you know how much I love my cats because I automatically talk about them and ask you about yours. I love all animals, but cats have a special spot in my heart. It has to do with the fact that if a cat loves you, it is because you earned it. You can’t screw around with cats and not have them plotting your death.

I have done all sorts of work. I’ve worked at a seafood restaurant, landscaping, military, care provider, Dollar General, Subway, Namco, security, gas station clerk, Albertsons, Ace Hardware, Winco, and Family Dollar. I was even an extra in a movie. I am a part of the working class that deserves to be properly represented in politics.

Young: In the summer of 2018, I found myself at a crossroads. I was looking for work, trying to figure out not just where my next paycheck would come from, but where I wanted to build my life. That June, an opportunity opened up in Pocatello. I didn’t know the city, I didn’t know the people—but something in me said, take the leap.

So in July of 2018, I packed my things, left the familiar behind, and moved to Pocatello. It was a leap of faith, and it wasn’t easy. Starting over in a new place always comes with challenges—new streets to navigate, new relationships to build, new risks to take. But Pocatello embraced me. Over time, it stopped being just the place I moved to, and it became home.

Since then, I’ve planted roots here. I bought my first home right here in Pocatello. I built businesses—including Dude’s Public Market on Main Street—and I found my community. This city gave me opportunity, but more than that, it gave me belonging.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Young: When I set out to build Dude’s Public Market in downtown Pocatello, I had little more than an idea and determination. I had a vision of a place where local entrepreneurs could thrive together, a shared space that could spark new growth for our community. But the reality of bringing that vision to life was far tougher than I ever imagined.

There were months of construction delays, supply shortages, and unexpected costs. At one point, a 17-month delay in critical electrical equipment nearly bankrupted me. I had to take on odd jobs just to keep things afloat. There were nights when I wondered if I had made the wrong decision, if this dream would ever become real. But I refused to quit. I believed Pocatello deserved this space, and I believed in the entrepreneurs who were counting on it. So I kept pushing. I found the money. I kept the doors open. I dug deeper than I thought possible.
Today, Dude’s Public Market is thriving. It’s a place where new businesses take root, where neighbors gather, and where the community can see what’s possible when someone refuses to give up.

That journey taught me a powerful lesson: resilience is what turns vision into reality. And that’s exactly what I will bring to City Council. Pocatello faces real challenges—rising costs, stagnant wages, and a need for clear, strategic economic growth.
I’m proud of what I have built for my community.

Bates: Personally, my family brings me my greatest source of pride and joy. My wife and I have been married for twelve years and I am very proud that we have been able to face challenges in life and at times differences of opinion while remembering the love we have for each other and the immense value of having each other as a partner and friend. Our children, while challenging at times like all children, give our lives so much purpose and meaning. I especially enjoy seeing them grow and succeed in areas that interest and excite them.

Bucci: My proudest accomplishment is being a dad. I was part of a massive team that raised an incredibly amazing young man. I would like to thank his mother Shelli, her boyfriend Matt, all the grandparents, uncles, aunts, and friends that helped along the way. We weren’t perfect but always loving and something great has come from it. My son has grown to be a better man than I could ever hope to be.

Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.

Bucci: I’m running for city council because I love this town, and I see a majority of its population getting crushed under a growing class war. In today’s world, you are more likely to drop a class than move up, no matter how hard you work.

The working class is nothing more than wage slaves to the rich. You’re mistaken if you don’t believe this is happening in Pocatello. I’ve worked at a place that didn’t pay living wages to its workers, but the owners could afford a second home. They can pay low wages because they understand that a worker can’t just leave and find a higher-paying job easily, especially considering how many of us live paycheck to paycheck.

I am an Independent voter who has a Progressive ideology. Now, for those snowflakes melting because they get triggered by the word Progressive, let me explain what being Progressive means.

Progressives want higher wages, better public schooling and affordable college degrees, universal healthcare, affordable housing, environmental protections, to end political corruption, provide proper resources to first responders, and progressive tax rates.

Young: When I moved to Pocatello in 2018, I came here to work and to build a life. Over time, I did more than that—I built businesses, bought my first home, and became part of this community. I’ve seen firsthand how hard the people of Pocatello work, how much they care about their neighbors, and how much they believe in the future of this city.

But I’ve also seen the challenges. Too often, local businesses and entrepreneurs face uphill battles while City Hall chases flashy projects or short-term wins. I know what it’s like to fight through bureaucracy, to struggle against the odds, and to keep going anyway. And I know Pocatello deserves better.

That’s why I’m running. It isn’t enough for me to just grow my own business—I feel called to step up and serve. I want to ensure that our City Council represents not just big projects, but the voices of local business owners, families, and residents who are the backbone of Pocatello.

I believe we need to make responsible fiscal decisions that focus on long-term strategic growth. We need to create an economy where people can afford to live here, raise their families here, and thrive here. For me, this isn’t just politics—it’s civic responsibility. It’s about honoring the values my grandfather lived by and the city that gave me a home.

Bates: I applied to be on the Pocatello City Council because of my time spent advocating for Washington Elementary to remain open. I spoke with so many people of varying backgrounds in my community who all said essentially the same thing:

“We don’t trust that local leaders are honest.”
“We don’t trust local government to do the right thing.”
“We don’t trust that our local leaders care what we have to say.”

Hearing some version of that repeatedly from different people saddened me and motivated me to try and make a difference. For the four months that I have been on the Pocatello City Council, I have realized the immense opportunity we have to change that attitude people have towards local government. We can start by being more transparent and honest about the good things happening in Pocatello and the very real challenges we are facing. We need to be more engaged with the public and involve people who are already deeply invested in our neighborhoods and economy in our decision making process. We need to be fiscally responsible and proactive in meeting the challenging financial landscape that all local governments are now finding themselves in. This means that we need leaders who are willing to have honest and hard conversations about what we can afford and what our priorities should be.

What are the greatest challenges facing people in your community? What is your plan to meet and overcome those challenges?

Bates: In 1979, President Jimmy Carter spoke of a crisis of confidence. People are experiencing real hardship and challenges when seeking housing that meets their needs, employment that meets their needs, and a future that inspires confidence. So many people, especially in Pocatello, have lost any trust in local government’s ability to make their life better or easier. I want to use my time on City Council to help restore that trust and reinspire the people of Pocatello. We can do that by focusing on areas that are challenging and being creative in meeting those challenges. We can address housing by creating a friendly environment for builders and those looking to redevelop existing buildings. We need to create a culture change within Pocatello City Government where we are searching for a way to say yes instead instinctively finding all the ways to say no. We can create a healthy business environment by putting egos to the side, partnering together as the whole Portneuf Valley to attract diversified industry to our community. We have so many talented and successful people in Pocatello who have invaluable business connections, but we have not allowed them to be a part of the discussion or the effort to grow our community. If we can start to make even small progress and get some wins on the board, the people of Pocatello will get their confidence back and we can start moving forward as an entire community.

Bucci: The community’s primary challenge is housing costs, whether “owning” or renting. A studio I used to rent 6 years ago at just under 400 dollars has risen to 800. This is too much in such a short time.

Fixing our rising rent issues isn’t a one-solution fix. I want to ban strictly single-family house zoning. Many zoning laws are from a bygone era and must be changed anyway. For instance, if someone who owns a home wants to add a tiny house or something like it to their property, they should be allowed to. I would also waive permit and other fees along with tax breaks to developers who build multi-family units.

We also need to concerntrate on developing and building in empty lots and derelict houses/buildings. Leaving these be are not just an eyesore but wasted opportunity to collect higher taxes on.

Young: Pocatello’s greatest challenges are rising costs, stagnant wages, and a need for clear, strategic economic growth. To meet and overcome these challenges we need to prioritize one thing economic development of local people and companies. Pocatello greatest strength are its people and businesses here, instead of spending our limited tax dollars for economic development to chase large “potential” employers we need to focus on making the city a must move to by focusing on developing our historic downtown and existing business resources. Let make our city so desirable that we don’t need to provide tax incentives to bring new large employers into the city.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How will you communicate directly with constituents?

Young: The one thing that I see current members of political office time and time again lose sight of who they represent. I’m friends with people of every background in Pocatello and talk to them regularly. My goal is to listen and learn to members of the community so I can vote with their best interest in mind. I will include in part of my weekly responsibility to meet with members of the community to learn about what’s going on and how the city is running in their view. When I become a member of City Council there will be times where I will vote against my personal opinions or self interest for the greater good of all residents of Pocatello.

Bates: While on City Council I have had many opportunities to engage with citizens of all kinds of ideologies and backgrounds. What I have found to be the common thread with everyone is they do not feel listened to. They may have had an elected official hear their concern, but ultimately nothing was ever done about it or even attempted. That is what I am trying to change. I am working to develop strong working relationships with our City department heads and staff, so when concerns are brought my way I have a team of people I can turn to. The wonderful thing about city government is so little of it is partisan. There are no republican potholes and democrat potholes, there are just potholes. I approach every interaction with a constituent as simply a citizen that needs my attention.

Bucci: I would represent the views of the people of Pocatello by working to take care of our basic needs: housing, food, medicine, education, and security. These are our basic needs, and we agree that they must be addressed for a city to flourish. For the most part we all want/need the same things. I don’t care what your political view is. It seems politics get in the way of helping people.

I will communicate directly with constituents by directly communicating with them. I will continually knock on doors to ask people how they think the city is doing and what they want to see improved. I will also be available for the people 24/7. If you want to get a hold of me in the middle of the nite, then, by all means, do so. Politicians should be the servants of all, and if I win, the people have the right to contact me whenever they like.

What parts of the city budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget where cuts could be made?

Bucci: I believe Poky, and all cities, need to put more funding into schools, especially teachers and after-school programs. When schools are elite you will have more people wanting to come to the city and in turn this will bring more taxes into the city. Many wallets/purses make for light taxes.

When I look at the city budget I don’t see how I am going to be able to see what needs to be cut. Its going to be the people in those positions that can best find the waste. They have an intimate knowledge of what we can cut and it is up me, if elected, to go to those people and work with them to make necessary cuts while making sure the department can still function properly.

Young: Parts of the city budget that could use more funding is city employees wages/benefits (excluding mayor or city council), parks & recreation, and economic development. We are not as competitive in our wages in key civil servants positions especially the Fire Department. I think we need to find substantial funding to invest in our Portneuf River revitalization plans and great investment in current parks/city owned recreational areas. One of our greatest asset is the nature that surround us and we need to continue to invest in making the city as livable and green as possible. We need to find federal and state grants to continue to support the current revitalization efforts of our Historic Downtown while also setting aside more funding for economic development of our industrial parks. Without more jobs and better wages we won’t have the tax base to support longterm sustainable growth.

Bates: I was the only member of the City Council that voted against our city budget because I feel it is not fiscally responsible. We spent a little over $600k in excess reserve funds simply to balance the budget. I don’t believe this is a proper use of our City’s savings and we are using those savings to fund the regular, everyday operations of the City. If we continue to do this, eventually the savings will be gone and we will force a future Council and Mayor to have to make hard decisions because of our irresponsible budgets. What has been especially frustrating as a City Council Member is the lack of transparency and information available even to me. Council Members are given three numbers from each department: Personnel costs, operating costs, and transfers to other departments. How can we be expected to say what needs more funding and what needs to be cut when we are given so little information? The future Mayor and Council need to restructure our budget discussions, require a line item budget, and implement a Capital Improvement Plan so that we can prioritize the use of our excess reserve funds.

What parts of Pocatello are in the best position for future development? What kind of development would you want to see come to those areas and what would you do to encourage or facilitate it?

Bates: I am very excited to see development happening in the Northgate area and believe we will continue to see growth there once the litigation is completed. I believe once we have some growth in the housing in Northgate, we will start to see more mixed-use development as was intended for the area. Historic Downtown and South Fifth Ave also have great potential for redevelopment, but it will require us as a city to do a better job at being flexible with our building code. I also believe the Titan Center and the airport are prime locations for industrial growth. The Titan Center has had millions of dollars invested into it and has infrastructure unique to almost anywhere in the country. I am skeptical of the CREST plan at the airport and believe it is an excellent location to push more industrial development with its easy access to road, air, and rail. The biggest thing we can do to encourage development is to work together as a community and a team. We should not be outsourcing all of our economic development to one individual and one organization with little oversight or accountability. We need to bring together a team of business and community leaders, leverage their networks and expertise, and have them sell our community to potential companies and developers. Lets have the leaders who have chosen to be here and can speak the language sell others on why Pocatello is such a wonderful pace to operate a business.

Bucci: I firmly believe that we need to develop the derelict and empty lots in the city before any other future development. I want more housing and local buisnesses springing up in these areas. I would like to give tax and permit breaks on those willing to invest in these places. If we need to change zoning laws then so be it. More importantly though I will talk with these owners on what they need and take heed of what they say. It is imperative to take care of our local buisnesses and that would be a focus of mine. We, as a nation, bend over backwards for major corporations and I believe it is time to do that for small buisness.

Young: Historic Downtown Pocatello is in the best position for infill redevelopment which includes more housing and more businesses. On the providing more housing the biggest challenge is the building departments lack of confidence and guidance on how to work with developers renovating historic buildings downtown while still meeting modern code. They are the biggest impediment to our redevelopment of the remaining building in historic downtown in need of substantial renovations. City needs to be empowered to work with local small business owners by providing resources and clear guidance on the steps required to properly renovate in the historic downtown district. I’d also work with local developers/contractors to acquire and renovate building in historic downtown.

The death of 17-year-old Victor Perez created a great deal of shock and emotion in Pocatello. Would you have handled the city’s response to this incident any differently? Based on this incident, do changes need to be made at the Pocatello Police Department?

Young: Yes I would have handled the response differently. First I would have owned up that this was a tragedy and we the city accept our responsibility while apologizing to the family directly regardless of the liability. I would have within a week of his passing setup a private meeting between the city attorney / mayor and representatives of Victor Perez family to offer a settlement. Now we will either spend a ton of money fighting a legal battle to end of losing in court and/or in the publics eye. In that settlement, I would include a legally binding commitment to improved use of force training, training on how to deal with mental handicapped members of our community and work with dispatch partners to allow member of the community to submit information into a database about handicapped members at certain addresses. Every parent, brother, sister, Aunt, Uncle or grandparent when taking care of their neurodivergent loved one should not have to ever fear what the police might do when they get dispatched to an address where their loved one is having a crisis that officers may use guns first and ask questions later.

Bates: What happened to Victor was tragic and my heart breaks for Wanda and Luis. I cannot imagine how traumatic it must be to witness your child or grandchild be shot in front of you. No amount of legal recourse can rectify what has happened to the Perez family.

This tragedy was a shock to our community because this is not normal for our community. The vast majority of interactions that we have with the PPD do not end like this and our officers strive to be protectors and servants of our citizens. So, when tragedy strikes and people’s confidence in the City is waning, it is so incredibly important that our leaders do just that, they lead. Pocatello should have heard from their leaders immediately and the message about what would happen next should have been clear and concise.

I hope that moving forward, we as a community can recognize that this is not normal and that it is not fair to project this incident to the entire police force and their leadership. The AG report made clear the intricacies of this use of force. I believe we should have a committee review this use of lethal force and make recommendations for the future and that should be a consistent process for all uses of lethal force.

Bucci: I don’t believe there was much else the City could have done in their response to what happened to Victor Perez, especially, during the investigation. I would have liked more outcry from the city after the investigation. There should have been a trial for those officers. It should have been a jury to decide if they faced any charges. There is no reason those officers should still be on any police force.

A major issue with the shooting was that police have been called to his house before but the officers that went there weren’t alerted to the fact that there was an autistic teenager living there. I was under the impression that police department across the country would track calls and have an idea of what they’re heading into. We need to keep track of police calls so they can have as much information as possible when they head out to respond.