Wednesday, October 31, 2001
|
Wednesday, October 31, 2001 |
|
PTC Council candidates respond to questionnaire Candidates for Peachtree City Council responded to a questionnaire submitted by The Citizen. Running for Post 3 are Steve Rapson, incumbent, and Nancy Faulkner. In Post 4, candidates are incumbent Carol Fritz, Allison Chambers, Gerald Ostrowski and Murray Weed. Answers were limited to 150 words.
1. How will you vote to deal with the city's budget crunch? Specifically, what will you vote to cut or delay, and what will you vote to fund?
Nancy Faulkner I support the emergency contingency plan that was prepared by our finance director and adopted by City Council last week. However, we need to be flexible. America is at war. My service in the Army included some anti-terrorism training. I don't believe we should become hysterical and alter our life-style significantly, but we need to evaluate our priorities. Life will not come to a grinding halt if we postpone purchase of the Braelinn Community Center. Both our fire chief and police chief have expressed a need for additional staff and resources. Addressing those needs should be our first priority. With the ongoing anthrax situation, we also need additional hazmat equipment, material and education. This is a nationwide dilemma but it is not a time to feel helpless. More than anything we need to pull together and empower ourselves as a community with a unified sense of purpose.
Steve Rapson Recently, council approved a budget contingency plan to address this concern. This plan follows the seven step process I implemented during the budget cycle. We must change our approach to how we do things we need to learn to live within our means. This approach does not delay or shift property tax increases from one year to the next, but is a fundamental change in how we approach balancing the budget to meet the needs of all citizens, while maintaining financial integrity. I will not support a tax increase unless all other avenues have been utterly exhausted. I didn't believe that was the case this year which is why I voted against a 14 percent increase. The beauty of a bond referendum is that voters have a clear voice in choosing whether or not to support projects that will increase taxes. I sincerely believe some of these projects will enhance our quality of life. However, if the voters say no no is the answer.
Carol Fritz We have already made those decisions. I will not support further cuts for police and fire. The city adopted financial policies earlier this year as a guide to financial stability in the coming years, and restoring our cash reserves is paramount. Council also adopted a contingency plan beyond the severe cuts made after Sept. 11, taking into consideration the potential shortfall in projected revenue. It looks at several items, along with a cost analysis of those cuts. The budget is the responsibility of the city manager, and is under constant review for any adjustments we can or should make. The bond referendum is the perfect opportunity for the citizens to be involved. Should the voters say no to the bond referendum, then they say no. If they say yes, then I will do the best job possible to meet the challenge.
Alison Chambers The city is not the only business facing a budget crunch in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war we are now waging. If the voters say NO to items on the bond referendum next month, then those projects will wait. Our main priority at this stressful time is to make sure our residents are secure and protected. I agree we should all look ahead and move past the incidents of Sept. 11, but we must also be practical when it comes to spending taxpayers' dollars.
Gerald Ostrowski First step would be to have new mayor and council study current budget and reach consensus about the priorities of the community. My suggestion, if necessary, would be to delay Drake Field and encourage community support to help supply funds such as the endeavour of the All Childrens Playground. The community was able to pull together with limited government assistance and a way to appreciate the park as "our own." The Braelinn community center would top my list of priorities for approval, but if not feasible I would encourage our tax-free churches to support community center events and support PTC by initiating communication with fellow worshipers and work together until the community can afford a neutral site.
Murray Weed While Peachtree City cannot rely as much on permit fees, the city still has millions of dollars in reserve. We should consider shifting unused funds to necessary projects, while retaining enough money in reserve so that our municipal bond rating does not suffer. Maintaining a long term financial plan and specific budgeting will allow retention of less money in reserve. No services exist in the city that demand immediate cuts from the budget. However, a hiring freeze could be implemented to alleviate possible financial strain. There are departments which have funded positions left unfilled. Instead of maintaining a high level of funded positions left unfilled we can reduce funded but unfilled jobs and provide the same level of service. I will always vote to support police, fire and public works/utility services first. We must secure our homes, families and have clean water and keep a heathy sewage capacity.
2. The city is nearing build-out, while the economy is in a slump. Given that, should city staff levels grow, remain the same, or be cut?
Nancy Faulkner My 12-year employment with Peachtree City has given me an intimate perspective concerning staff levels. I believe there are some changes that can be made within the administration to increase efficiency and improve service that should not decrease staffing levels or affect the employment status of existing employees. Peachtree City is what it is today because of the employees who have worked behind the scenes day in and day out. They provide an excellent level of customer service with limited resources. Peachtree City has the lowest amount of employees per capita than any city of our size. There are not many positions that could be cut. However, with our current state of affairs, I would only consider increasing the number of public safety employees.
Steve Rapson We need to take care of what we have and get back to the basics. I have the experience and background to lead the city in developing a strong, conservative financial plan for the future. Again, we simply need to learn to live within our means. The seven-step process I outlined during the budget cycle prioritizes the steps we need to take when making these hard decisions: 1. Review, evaluate our revenue stream. 2. Realign expenditure budgets to actual. 3. Recognize there are no sacred cows - everything funded is at risk.
|
||