A decline in Lynden's collected retail tax would eventually increase property taxes, he said. Bode said the city needs to keep its downtown property available instead of building a multi-service civic center complex. It's bad planning for goods and services to all be located on the west side of town when the city's designated growth area is mostly on the east side, he said. Equipping West Lynden with adequate infrastructure is another Bode priority. Lynden must attract industries that pay family-wage jobs, he said, and the challenge will be easier once West Lynden has necessary utilities and streets.
Streets are a fourth priority.
Bode said street projects have been let go for too long. Streets require a certain amount of annual maintenance, Bode said. Otherwise, they deteriorate to the point of being too costly to fix, he said. Bode said Lynden has changed significantly in the past 10 years, with its Dutch-ancestry population proportionately shrinking. Bode said he'd like to see a community-sponsored appreciation day that acknowledges Lynden's diverse ethnic populations.