| September 14th, 2009 In Their Own Words: Candidates for mayor make a final pitch Why do you want to be mayor? What are your priorities? What is special about the Queen City? From as far back as I can remember my father instilled in me the importance of service to others. He was a living example of how service to others pays far greater dividends then service to self. 10 years ago I embarked on my own journey of public service to my city and my state. Over the course of that time I worked day in and day out to be a good steward of the trust and confidence my constituents put in me. During my time in government I have always put solutions before politics. As a life-long resident, there would be no greater honor then to serve the city that I love as its Mayor. My commitment if elected is to provide residents with the type of first class leadership and constituent service that they are so deserving of. I think the combination of my diverse business experience and local and state government experience will allow me to lead this city and its people at a time when we need leadership most. I have laid out my priorities in my plan for building a better Manchester. I encourage you to review it at www.tedgatsas.com. ISSUE 1: EDUCATION What is your vision for Manchester's public schools? What specifically will you do to improve the quality of schools, and how will it be funded? In order to improve schools I would work collaboratively to; Make the School District a City Department in order to enhance transparency and oversight in spending and budgeting Prepare our students for their futures. Not every child makes the choice to go on to college, we need to prepare the next generation of skilled labor in a way that sets them up for success and attracts businesses who rely on highly skilled labor pools. We should establish a full time technical school at the now part time Manchester School of Technology. Engage parents. The mayor, the alderman and the school board need to work together to develop ways to increase parental involvement so that we can address our challenges as a community. Not all solutions to our problems need or should come from government. Establish a non-partisan commission to recommend redistricting lines for all our school maximizing every facility and balancing out overcrowding Petition the federal and state government to not include students in assessment testing for whom English is not their first language until they are ready. Beyond artificially lowering our test schools, it put federal and state dollars at risk. ISSUE 2: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT What will you specifically do to encourage economic development in Manchester? As your next Mayor, I will work to create an environment for businesses to come to Manchester and stay in Manchester, and I will do it while protecting the taxpayer. If we are to continue being the economic heart of the state, we need to expand our tax base, attract business and investment, and diversify our economy. We will do it by; Creating a development commission that can help advise the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on potential opportunities. Creating a more streamlined, business friendly and customer focused planning and building process – one stop shopping. Advancing the major projects underway while protecting the taxpayer: Hackett Hill, Rivers Edge, Rockwell Redevelopment Buying Manchester First –encourage department heads to buy and solicit bids from local vendors, whenever possible. Hiring Manchester First – where feasible, jobs funded with taxpayer dollars should go to Manchester residents first and city businesses that employ Manchester residents should get a leg up for city contracts. Continuing support for the revolving loan fund and façade improvement fund program for businesses. Investing more to market our city throughout the state and region ISSUE 3: CRIME How serious is crime in the Queen City? As mayor, what would you do to improve public safety? City government should always be vigilant about reducing crime, particularly gang and violent crime. Keeping our residents and visitors safe is one of the most significant responsibilities that the Mayor shares with the Police and Fire Departments. Without safe streets, public schools, community spaces and neighborhoods, we cannot realize the full potential of our city and its people. As your next mayor, I will be a trusted partner of the Police and Fire Departments and we will work together to keep our city safe by; Providing the necessary support to ensure that our men and women putting their lives on the line on our behalf receive the most up-to-date training and certifications in order to keep residents safe. Enhancing neighborhood and community visibility to deter crime Updating and maintaining Police and Fire equipment. Bringing in more state and federal resources to crack down on rising drug traffic and the violence that comes with it. Continuing with the ongoing management of the motorized equipment renewal process to not only updated outdated equipment, but reduce maintenance costs. Working to make the Westside Police Sub Station full time. ISSUE 4: TAXES Are property taxes too high? If so, what can be done to lower them? How would you go about creating a budget that lowers taxes and that aldermen would accept? In 2009, Forbes Magazine rated Manchester the most affordable city in America and Kiplinger’s named Manchester the second most tax-friendly city in America. While these are noteworthy accomplishments, as long as costs outpace existing revenues and Concord passes on a significant financial burden, we will have residents who do not share the view about Manchester being affordable. In order to reduce the tax burden we need to adopt sound fiscal management practices and a balanced approach. As your next Mayor, I will work tirelessly to reduce the burden on city taxpayers and manage a more streamlined and cost effective city government. In order to do this, we need to develop a balanced approach consisting of; Sound economic development priorities that generate additional revenue and jobs. Savings from driving efficiencies in city services. Holding the line on spending and implementing a tax cap. Re-prioritizing budget line items with the intention of cutting those that cannot remain a priority in this tough economy. The adoption of a more aggressive approach to seeking federal and state grant money that is available. - Printed in the Manchester Express, September 14, 2009 Back To News |
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Paid for by Ted Gatsas for Mayor. B. Rivard, Fiscal Agent PO Box 6655, Manchester, NH 03108 603.623.0220
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