Candidate Spotlight - Jason Watts

Jason Watts is running for mayor of Harrison. After growing up spending summers with his grandparents in Harrison, he recently had the opportunity to buy their home and move back to the town where he holds his fondest memories.

“As I got older, I realized just how special this place is,” Watts said. He said he witnessed the rest of the world changing while Harrison stayed the same in the right ways. The people here make it special, Watts believes. “If you’re here, it’s because you want to be here.”

After a stint in Amazon's corporate world, Watts struck out on his own to start a business. He found the corporate world filled with many plans and ideas, but not enough execution of either. He described his business as automating workflows for companies that have offshored their workforce or that bring in people on work visas.

“I’ve never automated an American worker's job,” Watts said. “I’ve been offered a ridiculous amount of money to automate American workers’ jobs, and I just refuse to do it. It’s a line in the sand that I have.”

Why run for mayor? Watts believes that as mayor he can set the tone for how the city government should conduct itself. He said that to represent the people with the appropriate level of seriousness requires top-down involvement.

“We as a city government need to operate with an intensity that shows the people how much we care about their loyalty to this place.” Watts continued, “We have to operate in a way that shows how much we care.”

He said he is guided by the sacrifice Jesus made in service to the world. “I’m a Christian first and foremost, and Christ is at the center of everything I do.” Because he believes political office is an act of service, his Christianity requires him to constantly strive to be a better servant.

“As Christians, we are called to increase the standard for what an acceptable level of service is,” Watts explained.

At 29, Watts is fully aware that he is the youngest candidate. He sees that as an attribute. “What separates me is that I have a stake in the future that none of the other candidates can claim.” He expanded, “I’m going to directly see the outcomes of what happens here and what inaction does.”

Watts continued, “I don’t own any other properties in this town. I don’t have some of the same preconceived notions. I don’t have some of those interesting dynamics at play that would impact me from making impartial decisions.”

He believes his work experience makes him uniquely qualified for the position. To automate a workflow, he has to understand every nuance and function of the system. Watts thinks this will translate into efficient city management.

“It’s not the government that builds the road. It’s the taxpayer,” Watts said. He believes the government is supposed to facilitate what the taxpayer wants, but somewhere along the way that stopped happening. The public should be voting on more things more often, in Watts opinion.

Watts has a plan to make the city a better communicator. He intends to text residents programmatically about the city’s plans, projects, and ideas. He doesn’t believe social media is a sufficient means to inform the public.

“We have to get back to extremely intense representation,” Watts said. “Government isn’t supposed to be an entity that operates outside the will of the taxpayer.”