Lynn Rives is a seasoned Councilmember, having served on the Belleair Beach City Council for six continuous years and as Vice Mayor for the past year. During this time, he authored two grant proposals for which the city was awarded $100,000 in State money. Since he is currently employed as a Department Head with another Pinellas County city, Rives is in the unique position of being knowledgeable of government operations and procedures and on numerous occasions has used that knowledge to benefit Belleair Beach.
He has not accepted any campaign contributions in an effort to insure impartiality; and says "I will always support what I believe is in the best interest of all the residents of this city and I will never make a decision that is only meant to benefit one small group."
Rives states that the Police Department referendum is an important issue and that every resident should make and informed choice evaluating the benefits, costs, and autonomy of having our own police force versus the benefits of contracting with an outside agency. He further states that whatever the outcome of the vote, he will support it wholeheartedly.
Rives feels that repairing the current City Hall is a waste of money and will continue to be a recurring repair problem. "A new building would be an investment in the future and will last for another 50 years," says Rives. However, he firmly believes that by reducing the overall size of the building, we can greatly reduce new construction costs.
He supports an initiative to decrease the current millage rate in an effort to reduce taxes by keeping city operating costs to a minimum.
Rives, originally from St. Louis, is retired from the U.S. Army (1968-1988) and has lived in Belleair Beach for eight years with his wife Jan. He has worked in the private and government sectors for the last 19 years. He's a graduate of Western Illinois University. He's been involved in several local volunteer efforts since he moved here such as the Cancer Relay for Life, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and various Rotary fundraisers.
