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Fiscal Responsibility
One of the primary reasons I decided to seek this office was because I did not entirely agree with how the resources of our community were being spent. As a financial conservative, I was concerned with the allocation of our tax dollars toward unnecessary studies and projects. Many of the people I have met also believe that there have been unwise choices made in the past.
I began to research what our city administration was spending money on, and of the almost $3 million spent on projects, I was disappointed by a few things on the list:
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$2,120,000 for renovation of The Cube and development of The Field of Dreams
- $23,000 for a feasibility study of city-wide wi-fi
- $140,000 for decorative light poles along Main Street
- $50,000 to bring lights south of the Main Street bridge up to the brightness of the ones installed north of the bridge
- $16,000 to replace the lights on the original lights installed because they were not bright enough
- $100,000 for the downtown lot where the building burned down
- $9,000 to have a right-hand turn lane sketched from Sandusky onto Main Street
- $300,000 for an environmental impact study of the Brandeman site
After taking office, I plan to sit down with the city auditor and see exactly where our tax dollars are being spent. As someone who has been an auditor, and through my education and experience in accounting, I know how numbers can easily be moved around to support a wide variety of opinion. When elected, I will not support any project moving through city council in which I believe city resources are being wasted; I will assure that any spending that occurs is fiscally sound, ethical and benefits our community.
With your assistance and the support of city council, I plan to:
- Maintain a balanced budget
- Not raise the city income tax
- Review departmental priorities and eliminate wasteful spending
- Institute a ‘Rainy Day’ fund, with a portion of the surplus dedicated to this
- Look to internal or community resources before outsourcing funds for a study or proposal
- Evaluate city job classifications and pay ranges to make sure that we are attracting the best and the brightest, yet staying within our means
In my career, I have experience as an auditor, as the person responsible for making sure the financial books are balanced, and the person who has had to work with companies to make sure financial matters are resolved. I know what it takes to make the difficult choices, and I know what it takes to make sure your tax dollars are being spent the way you want. With rational thought, information gathering and the experience to do what is right, I promise that I will not break the public’s trust.
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