Three candidates challenging incumbent Pocatello council president

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 — Three candidates are challenging an incumbent council president for Seat 5 on the Pocatello City Council.

They are incumbent Council President Linda Leeuwrik and candidates Keven Lewis, Jeremy Marley and Stacy Satterfield.

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.

EastIdahoNews.com has not received responses from Leeuwrik.

Elections are on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

QUESTIONS:

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

Lewis: I’m a fifth-generation Pocatellan who came home to serve the community that raised me. Today I work as a funeral director, sitting with families in their hardest hours—work that’s taught me to lead with compassion, listen first, and make the government show up before it’s too late.

My path here hasn’t been linear. I’ve worked in restaurants, agriculture, education, and behind the bar—real jobs that keep a town running and keep leaders grounded. I studied anthropology and religious studies, earned a master’s degree in 2021, and brought that perspective back to Pocatello.

My family’s roots here run deep, and so does my commitment to community. Years ago, after losing a young coworker, I helped organize a parking-lot memorial and a fundraiser that brought hundreds of neighbors together—one of many moments that shaped my belief that leadership is about showing up and holding space.

I haven’t taken the traditional political route—and I’m not running to climb a ladder. I’m running to carry forward the values that built this city: hard work, humility, and heart. If elected, I’ll keep City Hall open, responsive, and focused on the basics families rely on.

Marley: I am a husband of 18 years, father of four, small business owner, and educator. My wife and I met while serving LDS missions, and our family has made Pocatello our home. I own An-IT Expert, an IT services firm built to keep Pocatello dollars in Pocatello by prioritizing local business support. My education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and ongoing graduate work in cybersecurity. My career and volunteer experience have focused on building opportunities where families and businesses can thrive. I have not previously held public office, but I have worked closely with civic and nonprofit organizations to strengthen our community.

Satterfield: I was born and raised in beautiful Pocatello, and graduated from ISU’s College of Technology. I’m mom to 8 great human beings, and have been privileged to be a stay at home mom and raise them here in my hometown. I’ve served in my church, and have loved leading, teaching and supporting others. I’ve volunteered in the public school classrooms, including being an Art Mom and with the PTA, and coached youth basketball. Politically, I’ve served as a precinct committeeman and as the president of the South East Idaho Republican Women.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Satterfield: My family is by far my proudest accomplishment. My greatest goal is to help my children reach their full potential and teach them to see the needs around them, and lift their community. As I support and care for my family, help them grow and learn, I know that is where my lasting impact will be. I hope to build a legacy of service and compassion, through my example.

Lewis: My proudest accomplishment isn’t a title—it’s a moment when our community chose compassion together. Years ago, after a teammate died suddenly, I helped organize a parking-lot memorial and a fundraiser to finish the car he’d been rebuilding. Hundreds of young people showed up. Local donors stepped in. What began in grief became a lesson in what leadership really is: holding space, listening first, and showing up for one another.

That experience changed me. It’s why I keep showing up outside campaign season, and why I work the way I do today—as a funeral director who meets families in their hardest hours. Compassion that only appears when it’s easy isn’t compassion; it’s branding. I’m proud that, when it counted, we built real community—and I’ve carried that forward into every part of my life and service.

Marley: My proudest accomplishment is raising a family that is deeply connected to this community while building a business from scratch that employs local people and serves local businesses. An-IT Expert started at Station Square with little more than a laptop and a vision. Today, we provide services to regional companies while mentoring students and giving new technicians their first professional opportunities. Watching former students and employees grow into confident professionals—and knowing my business helped create those opportunities—brings me a great deal of pride more than any personal achievement. It proves that when you invest locally, the return comes back in stronger families, stronger businesses, and a stronger Pocatello.

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

Marley: I am running for city council because Pocatello has the ingredients to thrive but lacks the focus to pull them together. My platform, “We Are the Destination,” is about ending the identity crisis. We are not a pass-through town—we are a revival town built on grit, families, and forward motion. My priorities are: 1) transparency and collaboration between city departments, 2) prioritizing local businesses for city contracts, 3) creating walkable, connected districts with indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, 4) reimagining recreational and cultural experiences that build family connection, and 5) aligning growth with local opportunity so graduates, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs can stay and thrive here. This isn’t about politics—it’s about purpose and putting Pocatello back on the same page.

Satterfield: The decisions we make today impact Pocatello for generations to come. I want to build a city where families, businesses, and neighborhoods all thrive. I am invested in our city and I believe our city has an incredible future ahead of it. I want to see our community grow and thrive in a way that honors our small-town values while embracing smart, sustainable progress. My commitment is to give back in service – to invest my time and energy into ensuring the strength, safety, and prosperity of every neighborhood. My four principles are Stewardship, Transparency, Growth, and Community. Our streets, parks and infrastructure need responsible stewardship to ensure great services for our citizens. When difficult decisions need to be made, city councilors should seek input and communicate with our community. Economic growth should be prioritized to ensure resources are available to care for and improve our community.

Lewis: I’m running for City Council in Pocatello because I love this city—and because I believe local leadership should be rooted in compassion, not ambition. As a fifth-generation Pocatellan and a funeral director, I’ve spent years sitting with families in their most vulnerable moments.

That experience has shaped how I see leadership: it’s not about speaking first, but about showing up, listening, and holding space when it matters most. I’ve worked in restaurants, in agriculture, in education, and behind the bar. I’ve seen how city policies land in real people’s lives—and I know we can do better.

My platform focuses on practical, people-first solutions: Housing: We must treat housing like infrastructure. I’ll push for smart zoning, more affordable units, and better tools to help renters and first-time buyers stay in the community they love.

Fiscal Responsibility: Tax dollars should work for the people. That means funding core services before pet projects, publishing transparent budgets, and stretching outside grants before raising taxes.

Transparency & Accountability: I’ll restore trust in City Hall by keeping meetings open, decisions public, and communication consistent—plus holding regular community hours like my proposed “Monthly Meeting with Keven.”

Supporting Working Families: From childcare access to job creation, we need policies that lift families up and keep Pocatello a place where people can build a future.

Public Safety: First responders are overwhelmed and under-resourced. I’ll advocate for staffing, equipment, and community-centered overdose responses so help arrives when it’s needed most. This Campaign is about stepping up for my neighbors.

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

Lewis: Three challenges keep coming up at doorsteps: housing, family stability, and basic safety—and they all tie back to trust in local government.

First, housing. Too many neighbors are paying 30%+ of their income for rent while listings stay scarce. My plan: treat housing like critical infrastructure—modernize zoning for townhomes, ADUs, and well-designed multi-family; speed permits; and use partnerships and state tools to lower costs for renters and first-time buyers. We’ll measure success by rising vacancy and stabilizing rents.

Second, working families. Childcare is thousands of seats short, which knocks parents out of the workforce. I’ll streamline zoning to open more licensed centers, seed a city grant/low-interest loan fund tied to strong standards, and chase every available dollar with our local partners. We’ll also expand safe before-/after-school options and recruit employers who pay living wages.

Third, safety and response times. Our first responders face fentanyl overdoses and record call volumes with outdated staffing and facilities. I’ll secure grants and city funds for stations, rigs, and enough ambulances; retain talent with competitive pay; put Narcan on every unit; and publish response-time dashboards the public can track.

Underpinning all of this is trust: spend on core services first, keep books open, and guard every tax dollar. I’ll post plain-language budgets, hold standing monthly coffees and town halls, and keep decision-making local—pushing back when Boise or D.C. tries to preempt Pocatello’s needs.

Marley: The biggest challenges are affordability, opportunity, and identity. Wages have only grown 3.7% since 2022 while housing costs and property taxes have risen over 60%. Families feel squeezed, young professionals leave for better jobs, and our seniors struggle with basic costs. My plan is threefold: 1) prioritize local business growth to raise median household income, 2) improve housing affordability through land banking, infill, and encouraging small builders, and 3) invest in spaces and events that strengthen community connection. When we raise incomes, stabilize housing, and create a shared sense of belonging, Pocatello becomes the kind of city people want to live in, not leave.

Satterfield: Economic growth. Let’s focus on bringing in quality companies that can provide quality jobs with quality pay. As we grow our tax base we will be able to alleviate the tax burden for our residents. Lower property taxes is real relief for struggling families and will fuel even more growth that will continue to lift our entire community. As we use revenue wisely and avoid unnecessary costs, and streamline the permitting process, we will attract more businesses and have more resources to build our community.

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

Lewis: No one party has a monopoly on good ideas—and City Council is officially nonpartisan for a reason. I’ll keep it that way: decisions rooted in Pocatello’s values, not national talking points, and an open process you can see and judge.

How I’ll represent everyone’s views: start by listening. My life and work have taught me to lead by holding space and earning trust—especially when it’s hard.

How I’ll communicate directly:

• Your voice, every month—keep public comment in meetings, plus a standing “Monthly Meeting with Keven” coffee hour and quarterly town halls.
• Real-time updates—post key votes, project milestones, and spending changes online and push them via email and social media so rumors don’t fill the gap.
• Plain-language budgets and scorecards—one-page budget summaries and program metrics (permits, potholes, response times) published regularly so you can hold us accountable.

Bottom line: open meetings, open books, open lines of communication—so even when we disagree, you’ll always be heard and always know how decisions are made.

Marley: I believe in listening first. My commitment is to be accessible—through regular town halls, transparent digital dashboards, and open communication on social media. I personally manage my own campaign platforms because I believe constituents deserve direct answers, not prepackaged talking points. Representing all views means focusing on local issues rather than partisan politics. Whether someone agrees with me or not, they will be heard, respected, and answered. I will use data, transparency, and dialogue to ensure every resident sees their concerns reflected in the decision-making process.

Sattefield: City council is a non-partisan seat. I’m looking forward to working side by side with the other councilmen, regardless of their political affiliation. Our first responsibility is proper stewardship of our city, and addressing the needs of our citizens, not allegiance to a political party. All voices in our city matter. As a city council, along with the mayor, we need to make wise decisions for our community. Individual agendas and egos need to be shown the door. Our role is to make Pocatello the best it can be. I am not a contentious person by nature. I believe in courtesy and compassion, even when it is not offered to me. Every voice has worth and valuable perspective. I will strive to bring all of those voices to the table. Social media is an affordable, effective way to spread information and I plan on using it for both long and short content.

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

Satterfield: After I started my campaign, I have met with several different department heads in our city offices. It has been a joy to listen to the people that work and care for Pocatello. I wish we could provide more funding to all of the departments, because they are all doing fantastic work. As I listen to our city employees, I’m anticipating two major problems. This first is retention. Our city salaries are considerably lower than neighboring municipalities. Our most capable and skilled employees stay with us because of their love and loyalty to Pocatello and frequently turn down better offers from other employers. We need to keep their experience and reward them appropriately, and that would mean increasing salaries. Unfortunately, almost all of the departments have been running lean for quite some time. This is impacting salaries, and hampering their ability to be proactive and start necessary projects. The second is the Parks and Rec Department. They have been on the back burner for years, and deterioration is not just impacting the appearance of our city but the longevity of the facilities and equipment. This money would be cut from budget items that are not providing worth to our city. While economic development is a top priority, money spent on economic development should show strong returns if we are going to continue to invest in it. Shortcuts that increase revenue or save money today but result in costly legal battles later, should also be avoided.

Lewis: Short answer: fund the basics families rely on—and cut the fluff.

Where we need more funding: first responders and core infrastructure. Our police, firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers are answering record call volumes with staffing and facilities that haven’t kept pace; that means investing in stations, reliable rigs/ambulances, protective gear, and competitive pay to retain talent. We also need steady, predictable dollars for streets, water, sewer, and stormwater—the unglamorous work that keeps neighborhoods safe and businesses open.

Where to cut: vanity spending and low-impact add-ons. Last year’s draft tried to add 12 new staff jobs, give electeds an 11% raise, and spend $100K on a rebrand—while things like the aquatic-center roof and the library elevator went unfunded. That’s backward; core services come first.

How I’ll manage it: line-by-line reviews to redirect dollars to real needs; publish one-page, plain-language budgets and program scorecards; and chase outside money (grants/partnerships) like we did with ARPA so we can fix more without raising taxes.

Bottom line: spend on police, fire, and pipes before politics and branding—and show you the receipts.

Marley: We need to better fund infrastructure maintenance, parks and recreation, and downtown revitalization. These areas directly affect quality of life and economic growth. Cuts should come from inefficiencies in departmental silos—when city departments operate separately, we duplicate costs. By physically centralizing and strategically aligning departments, we can streamline operations, improve collaboration, and reduce waste. Every dollar saved should be reinvested into services that touch residents daily—clean, safe neighborhoods, affordable recreation, and infrastructure that supports growth.

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?

Marley: While the northgate remains a critical corridor for growth, we cannot repeat mistakes of scattered, disconnected development. I support balanced growth that includes housing diversity, small business hubs, and family-friendly spaces. Old Town has enormous potential for cultural and economic revival through walkable districts, markets, and mixed-use projects. Development should focus on keeping local capital circulating—supporting builders, entrepreneurs, and tradespeople from within Pocatello. To encourage this, I would push for incubators, local-first contracting policies, and strategic infrastructure investments that make it easier for businesses and families to plant long-term roots here.

Satterfield: We have such a unique and vibrant city, with a small town feel, a historic past and big town amenities. We are blessed to have a world class university, with diverse opportunities for students and residents alike. An airport, with many growing programs and businesses and easy access to medical care with a wide range of specialists and facilities. Beautiful natural areas and recreational sites surround our city, and a recently redeveloped, safer interchange connects us together. We need to turn our focus to where we are struggling. Our city currently owns several land parcels that are being underutilized. Rather than letting them slowly decay, we need to make the hard decision to either divest or develop. My goal is to connect our local leaders to produce the best possible outcome for everyone. Could a property be beneficial for ISU and also enable local career training or educational opportunities? I would love to see local non-profits and businesses collaborate on projects to entice more consumer spending and job opportunities in our city. Connecting the right groups, and getting the development moving quickly should be a top priority for our city.

Lewis: Pocatello’s best near-term wins are where streets, utilities, and people already are.

Downtown/Old Town and the ISU-to-Center Street corridors are primed for infill—upper-floor apartments over active ground-floor shops, small courtyard “missing-middle” homes, and rehabs of underused buildings. Along Yellowstone/5th–6th, we can turn aging strip centers into mixed-use nodes with safer crossings, trees, and room for cafés and clinics. Northgate is our greenfield play—but it needs a real street grid, sidewalks, and neighborhood services so it becomes a community, not just rooftops. South 5th/South Valley and the airport business park are ideal for clean light-industrial and logistics that expand our tax base without crowding neighborhoods.

How I’ll help it happen: modernize zoning to welcome townhomes, ADUs, cottage courts, and well-designed multi-family; adopt corridor design standards so projects fit our character; fast-track permits for infill and employer projects that hit clear goals (workforce housing, living-wage jobs, local hiring). Pair that with predictable infrastructure—water/sewer, fiber, sidewalks, and safe intersections—funded through partnerships, grants, and targeted urban-renewal tools. Finally, simple incentives that work: small storefront-improvement grants, fee reductions tied to affordability, and pre-approved plans so good projects can move in weeks, not months.

Bottom line: build where it strengthens what we love—walkable neighborhoods, local business, and family-wage jobs.

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?

Lewis: First, to Victor’s family: I’m so sorry. A 17-year-old is gone, and our whole city is hurting.

Would I have handled it differently? Yes—in three ways:

Immediate, transparent communication: within 24 hours a city briefing with a clear timeline; within 7 days, release of available video (with necessary redactions); a dedicated family liaison and public Q&A. The city issued statements and later released video, but we needed faster, steadier updates to prevent rumor from filling the void.

Independent review you can track: automatically hand the case to the regional task force and post milestones online (scene processing, interviews, evidence review) until the prosecutor/AG decision—then a public after-action on tactics and policy, regardless of criminal findings. (The AG ultimately declined charges; our duty to learn remains.)

Community care: de-escalate protests by design—clean lines of communication, minimal show of force, and space for grieving.

Do changes need to be made at PPD? Yes—practical, measurable ones:

Mandatory, scenario-based training on autism/intellectual and developmental disabilities; slow-it-down/time-and-distance tactics; and coordinated less-lethal use.

A co-responder model (clinician + officer) and dispatch protocols that flag disability/IDD information.

Clearer fence/containment policies (create distance, call specialized units) and a public use-of-force dashboard.

Bottom line: accountability and learning can coexist with due process. Our commitment must be to truth, to reform, and to every family’s safety.

Marley: Victor’s death was heartbreaking, and the city’s response left many residents feeling unheard. In such moments, transparency and compassion must come first. I would have called for immediate open communication with the public, offered direct support to the family, and ensured an independent review process was clearly explained. Trust in law enforcement depends on accountability and relationship-building, not just procedure. The Pocatello Police Department does important work, but this tragedy highlights the need for stronger community policing, youth engagement, and clear communication during crises. Changes should focus on building trust before tragedy strikes—not scrambling to repair it afterward.

Satterfield: Victor Perez’s death was a tragedy for our city. I am heartbroken for his family and friends. I watched the footage of the phone call and arrival of the police on scene, and the family and the police were in a very difficult situation. After reading the publicly available reports, it was determined the police didn’t have all of the information they needed. Often, this is how the police must operate. Making split second decisions based on what they see and how they are trained to respond. We will never know what would have happened if the police had more information, or had made a different decision. They daily put their personal safety on the line to protect ours, and after investigation, it was determined that their actions did not warrant criminal charges. My heart also goes out to those officers that deal with tragedy and suffering everyday in our community and help us in our darkest times. When events like this occur, it is important for our city to quickly and correctly communicate what we know. We need to support families dealing with hardship, and rally community support for both those suffering and those protecting. We also need to learn from these events and implement systems that may prevent other suffering. I would like to see the Pocatello Police use a system that flags residences for known mental health or disabilities, an improvement the AG investigators cited, in the hope that such a system would prevent future tragedy.