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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2016)
community october20 2016 Meet the Candidates continued from page 10 particularly if hours are restricted at the Lake. She said it makes sense to restrict access to some parks after dark to protect against vandalism. She said people who commute to work need access either early in the morning or after dark in the evenings. McNair said he is concerned about livability in the community especially for those lower income citizens and said it has been his main focus while on the Council to keep the community affordable to live in. He said that by completing projects under budget and tightly managing the water and sewer funds, the City looks like they should have a small surplus and needs to decide what to do with it – either lower rates or save the money in a reserve fund so they can take on needed projects in the future without outside government assistance. “Building up a reserve is important so we can look forward to the future for everybody in this community,” said McNair. Wagner is concerned that by limiting park hours the City takes away places youth can congregate and also places that visitors may want to use. “I think in some ways this discourages tourism and it discourages our kids from being out in the open where we can watch them,” explained Wagner. She also said she understands the need to protect against vandalism but would like to see a different balance. Buffum agreed with the current Council’s plan to cut down the trees and thinks they should be replaced with planters to avoid any more damage to sidewalks. Leonetti said the current trees will cause damage and need to be replaced, but that a study needs to be done to find appropriate trees. He also said he is concerned that the City sidewalks in downtown are cluttered with sandwich boards, garbage cans, and trees, which restricts parking and walking. “We need to clean up the walk ways,” said Leonetti. Magruder said that in order to fund the jail the County needs to build up its tax and revenue base by attracting new business and industry and supporting existing business. “We have to help businesses stay in place and grow,” said Magruder, referencing the recent news that local employer Photo Solutions is planning to leave Vernonia. Magruder said the jail bond is scheduled to retire in 2018, reducing the tax burden on citizens. “If we grow our revenue we can support our jail and public safety,” said Magruder. Mayo discussed the transporting of dangerous fuels through the county and said he would insist that rail companies prove they have enough insurance to cover any damages in the event of an accident. As the final authority on your budget, how would you suggest the City/ County manage the small surplus they currently have? McNair said he would like to prioritize projects and enlarge the surplus so the City could do more with it. “With small budgets it’s imperative that you get the worth out of every dollar,” said McNair. McNair also noted it is important to ask questions about how money is being spent or if it is necessary to spend it. McNair reiterated that the Council was able to create budget surpluses by questioning the status quo and pushing to make cuts. “This might not have been done in the past because people were fearful of asking questions,” said McNair. “I think it’s imperative and the fiduciary responsibility that elected officials have to save as much money as they can,” said McNair. Wagner suggested not spending any surplus but holding on to it for emergencies or unplanned projects. “I SE 6, Noon-6 pm upon New Day Massage and Bodyworks Theraputic Massage Specializing in • Auto/Work Injury Rehabilitation • Medical Massage Cupping • Manual Lymph Drainage • Nutritional Counseling • Post Mastectomy Care • Oncology Support • Sauna on-site Family Dining Full Breakfast Menu Burgers & Beer Prime Rib Fri & Sat 503.429.0214 Heather Lewis, LMT, LMP, CLT, NT 847 Madison Avenue, Vernonia For appointments call: 503-429-4677 Insurance accepted #10732 Check us Out on Facebook 11 think we hold onto it and preserve it until we truly need it; just because we have it doesn’t mean we need to spend it,” said Wagner. Buffum said any budget surplus should be saved in a reserve account. “People complain about the rates here, but I don’t think they are too high,” said Buffum, “especially since we get to live here. We’re a small town and it’s going to cost more to do things; we’re just going to have to pay a little more.” Leonetti said it would be important to prioritize needs before spending it. Tierney said it would be important to understand if the surplus was from a temporary source or would be ongoing. She said she would use any surplus towards already approved and ongoing projects, such as the downtown tree replacement. She also suggested a merit raise for nonunion staff, and being aware of increases in PERS. Mayo discussed giving it back to the taxpayers. “That’s not a bad place to start,” said Mayo. He also suggested the County hire a full time weigh master which could increase revenues and save on road maintenance by ensuring trucks are not overweight when traveling on continued on page 16
