I appreciate this opportunity that has been offered to all candidates to present their views and positions on issues.

For those joining us in this final installment, I established my CPA firm 26 years ago to provide accounting service to the citizens of Fayetteville.

I believe Planning, Public safety and Property taxes have a direct impact on the citizens.

The Planning Commission reports to the Council. It is responsible for seeing that proposed development meets with local ordinance. Thus, the Council should ensure that the Planning Commission has objective guidelines within which to conduct its mission. Currently, by its own admission, the Planning Commission is subjective. The Council should be encouraged to set objective guidelines so that citizens will not have to spend excess time and money meeting the subjective requests of the Planning Commission.

Regarding signage, the ordinance allowing the “Chick-fil-A type” signage was changed. New businesses are unable to benefit from the former, reasonable, ordinance.

If plans are not implemented to improve the City’s secondary road system, roads will remain congested. With the support of the citizens, the Council will be encouraged to make decisions that will alleviate traffic.

As property values are reassessed higher each year, the citizens should expect their elected officials to offset the resultant higher property taxes with substantial rollbacks in the millage tax rate.

The citizens should also expect that their elected officials call a tax a tax. Calling a tax a ‘user fee’ is unacceptable because it denies the deductibility of such tax on an income tax return.

Now that the City has levied a new ‘storm water tax,’ the citizens have the right to expect that action will be taken to alleviate the myriad water problems now facing the homeowners.

Main Street should be supported with incentives and tax breaks to encourage small businesses to move back to the historical center of Fayetteville.

The citizens should know that my philosophy is traditional and compatible with theirs. For example, I believe no person should be deprived of property through the use of eminent domain simply to make that property available to a developer.

With a history rich in tradition, we must grasp the opportunity we have every two years to elect candidates who will guide us as we travel together down the road to the future.

I appreciate your vote on November 8th.

Your neighbor,
Paul C. Oddo, Jr.
Oddo4council@yahoo.com
770-461-7627

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