City commission candidate survey

* indicates an incumbent What is your position on the city’s use of tax abatements? What is your opinion of the city manager’s performance? Is City Hall adequately user- friendly? How do you rate the current city leadership in managing Lawrence’s growth? Given a choice, should taxes be raised or services be cut to balance the budget? Should the city’s decision to ban private use of fireworks be revisited? If so, what stance would you take?
Zach Bassin Washburn Law School student

2001 W Sixth St., Suite: E-13

Tax abatements can be a great tool for a city when properly used. The companies should provide full-time jobs with benefits. The city manager has done a fine job in these trying times. City Hall is more than user-friendly.

It is now time for a change. The new leadership must not only manage the growth, but also help to shape (it).

Taxes can be raised, but on certain areas like creating higher development taxes to offset the cost imposed upon the city by the same new development. The ban on fireworks is a step in the wrong direction for Lawrence. The private use of fireworks in the city is a tradition.

Greg DiVilbiss Real estateleasing

1948 Carmel Drive

Abatements can be an important economic development tool but should be evaluated individually, ensuring the return for the community justifies the abatement. When I’ve needed information, Mike (Wildgen) has been cordial, professional and helpful.Yes, (City Hall) is user-friendly. However, a city should always try to improve. … I believe in designing master plans for areas to allow commercial, residential, office and green space to work together to create attractive and functional sites. Difficult decisions need to be made after all areas of government are reviewed to determine a balance between cuts and taxes. The ban should be readdressed with community discussion on the issue. Keeping safety as a priority, I would support private use of fireworks with restrictions.

Lee Gerhard Partially retired geologist, Kansas GeologicalSurvey

1628 Alvamar Drive

The relative long-term benefit to the city should be the guiding factor in those decisions. They may be one means of enhancing living opportunities near downtown. The current survey on City Hall’s “user-friendliness” will help us to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Our goal is a quality, user-friendly, responsive City Hall. I believe that a growing, dynamic community like Lawrence will always need strong, open-minded, fair leadership. My private and public leadership experience will help me. Gain all possible efficiencies in current operations, determine our priorities, fund those priorities. Both budget cuts and increased mil levies may be necessary. That decision has been made for now. But if there is a citizen’s petition to revisit that issue, I’ll be among the first to listen.
Lynn GoodellRetired director of Housing and Neighborhood Development

5909 Longleaf Drive

I support tax abatements as now prescribed because we need to bring new jobs to Lawrence so people can both live and work here. I presume he is performing as directed by the City Commission. There may be some problems, but generally City Hall is user-friendly. I’d rather see fewer people commuting out of town to work. We need a new business park. I would follow the Horizon 2020 Implementation Section. I would prefer to reach an equitable compromise between cutting services and raising taxes. I believe the citizens would support such a compromise. I am willing to revisit this issue. We may be able to find a solution that is acceptable to both sides.
Dennis ‘Boog’ Highberger Attorney for KansasDepartmentof Health andEnvironment

1301 Vt.

Tax abatements should be used carefully and sparingly to create new jobs. Companies receiving tax abatements should pay a living wage. If elected, I will evaluate the city manager’s performance based on objective performance criteria. City Hall is user-friendly but should strive to continually improve service. We need to start basing planning decisions on a common vision of our city’s future rather than on the short-term financial interests of a few individuals. The city should perform a cost/benefit analysis before cutting programs and consider all reasonable means of reducing expenses before raising taxes. Enforcement of existing ordinances and encouraging people to talk to their neighbors might have been a better approach, but I don’t want to revisit the issue.
August ‘Gus’ Huber IV Independent computerconsultant

913 R.I.

Did not respond to the Journal-World’s questions.

Eddie Lehman Residentialassistant, Haskell Indian Nations University

1722 Ohio, Apt. B

I am for the use of tax abatements as one piece of the puzzle in attracting quality, emphasis on the word quality, business in the city. I would rate the city manager’s performance as poor. : I have been satisfied with the responsiveness and quality of information I have received in my dealings with City Hall.

I would rate the current city leadership as poor in the management of Lawrence’s growth. We need to treat the city : as a business, and the current leadership has done a poor job of marketing.

. Analyze (services) to ensure they are being provided in the most efficient method. Then if there is still a budget shortfall, unfortunately additional tax revenue would be required. Yes, it should be revisited. I think the previous arrangement was fine. To me this seems another example of the extremes of political correctness.
Ken McRae Attorney

312 Ill.

I support using abatements to attract and retain quality jobs. We continue to add people faster than jobs in Lawrence. We must reverse that trend. Our manager effectively manages the budget and implements policy. City Hall exists to serve the community and should operate with that more clearly in mind. We are too reactive to growth. The commission should direct growth. We need to work to ensure that the growth is directed to suitable locations. We can adjust the mill levy once a year. Sales taxes are inherently regressive. We should carefully review the budget and delay spending where possible. Yes, because it is not enforceable. I support partnering with fireworks vendors to remove the most dangerous products and provide public education about fireworks regulations.
G. Wayne Parks Retired farmer

2411 La., L-136

Too lenient. Not always fair. Many hidden costs not addressed. No! Just this week I ask to put something on the agenda and was told that it was not a concern of the city. Better, but are still spending too much time pacifying developers and investors. Not raise taxes or cut sensible services – too many frills. We have reached the point where it seems we have more tax collectors and tax administrators than taxpayers. No!

Mike Rundle* Shift manager, CommunityMercantileGrocery

615 Ind.

Abatements cost tax dollars. They must be fair and equitable to the community and used judiciously. The next commission should continue abatement dialogue. Mixed. He promotes fiscal strength. He could better inform public and commissioners on city operations. Efficiency, effectiveness and equity require continual evaluation of performance and service. City Commission “Planned Growth” goal gets high marks; we need work on goal’s implementation. Horizon 2020 must be taken seriously. Managing growth requires more staff. Don’t choose blindly. Find cost reductions everywhere and wise use of existing resources. Learn impact on service and citizens’ acceptance before cutting. Then consider raising taxes. I don’t think so. However, I’m open to new information and want to hear from new commissioners. All decisions are open to review.
David Schauner Attorney for Kansas National Education Assn.

5002 Jeffries Court

Abatements and other incentives have a place in an economic development plan if, and only if, they are accompanied by safeguards. I have not had any dealings with the city manager or City Hall staff that have been unprofessional or unfriendly. No answer provided. To date I have seen no information to suggest that either tax increases or service cuts are necessary. The commission should not revisit its earlier decisions concerning fireworks.