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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- He was born and raised in Colorado Springs, and now Dave Gardner is running for a seat on city council, district three.

"I am running to bring some fresh thinking to city council. I think our city has been stuck in a rut for some time, and frankly that rut is somewhat responsible for the city budget train wreck we have going on right now," Dave Gardner said.

Gardner said the city needs to move away from its obsession with growth if city council ever hopes to mend its budget issues.

"We have built into the budget so many growth subsidies that really rob our community of resources that we could be investing in improving our community, but instead we are steering them into corporate welfare," Gardner said.

He said the current city council believes continued growth will lead to community prosperity which he said is wrong.

"Growth is creating costs today faster than it increases revenues. If we take all those growth subsidies and invest them in quality of life, in the community, in the services that we all value instead of chasing growth, then we can balance the city budget more easily," Gardner said.

He said another priority on his list would be reducing Colorado Springs' carbon footprint.

"We need to be a good regional and global citizen in our community, and I believe our efforts to do that will make us a more efficient and prosperous community," Gardner said.

Finally, Gardner said if elected he would bring change to the city.

'Our city is in a state of crisis today. We have bottomed out, and I am very optimistic. I love our city and I think we have a bright future but we need a change in direction if we want to have that bright future," Gardner said.

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