Local businesswoman enters city council race

SHELLEY — A local businesswoman has thrown her hat into the Shelley City Council race.

Sharylee Shanks, owner of Outlaw Barbershop on State St. announced she is running for City Council Seat One, against recently appointed councilman Jeff Kelley.

“I’m tired of sitting around wishing things were different or wishing for things to change in some areas and not being able to make a difference,” Shanks said about her decision to run for City Council.

Shanks is originally from American Fork, Utah but has lived a number of years in Eastern Idaho. Not long after getting remarried to Chad Shanks around seven years ago, she moved to Shelley. Between the two of them, they have 13 children and one grandchild on the way.

Two years ago she started Outlaw Barbershop on State St.

“I love Shelley and I would hate to see it turn into a big metropolis city. I would love for it to stay like this for my kids and my kids’ kids,” Shanks said.

Shanks has a degree in Business Management and Accounting which she believes would be an asset to the community if she were elected.

“I’m pretty good at managing money, to be honest. I think that, and also being a business owner and being around in the city and hearing a lot of things from different people, I think that helps a lot,” Shanks said.

She said one of her primary areas of focus, if elected, would be on the small businesses in town.

“I could help welcome them in, support them and help the business area to grow,” She said. “I think that if we could eventually be able to shop here locally for most of the things we need, we wouldn’t need to travel to surrounding towns and give them our money.”

Along with focusing on small business, she would concentrate her efforts on managing city growth and keeping taxes low.

“I know there’s higher issues that the city has like with our sewer system and things like that that need to be upgraded. I understand that and I know that’s going to get addressed no matter what. That’s something that has to be done,” Shanks said.

Shanks said she wants voters to know that she is a person of honesty and integrity.

“I try to always do what I say I’m going to do,” she said.

Follow her campaign on Facebook by liking the Sharylee Shanks campaign page.

Shanks is running against Jeff Kelley for council seat one. Mayor Stacey Pascoe appointed Kelley to the council in August to fulfill the rest of former councilman Earl Beattie’s term.

“Although I would like to run unopposed because it would be easier for me time-wise and money-wise, I think it’s in the best interest of the public that an office seat be opposed so that people can get differing ideas on how different people would represent them. It makes for a healthy debate on issues and gives people a choice. So I welcome Sharylee Shanks to this race,” Kelley said.

The election is on November 2. Early voting begins October 18 and runs through the 29.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeff Kelley is a part-owner of Community Pioneer. In the interest of objectivity and fairness, he has turned over all editorial control of political reporting to Editor-in-Chief Mike Price. Kelley has no input on any political news coverage from Community Pioneer.