(6) What is the city’s most pressing problem, and what would you do about it?
Alston: Our most pressing problem is our economic plight. The effort to stimulate our local economy and improve the economic conditions of our citizens and our city is paramount. The city has to pass measures and otherwise take actions which encourage economic development, both in the form of attracting new employers to the community and by encouraging entrepreneurship among our residents.
With regard to the economic position of the city specifically, we need to continue to address the fund balance situation. We have begun the process of marketing “surplus” real estate holdings. As these properties sell, the proceeds shall go directly to fund balance. We will also continue to explore ways of maximizing our money.
Gupton: Lack of a financial plan to direct spending. As a member of the council I would like to see a financial plan that directs spending to a prioritized list of the city’s needs that was generated by a consensus of the City Council.
Harper: Our most pressing problem is preparing our city to attract economic development. According to my research, the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech predicts that within the next 25 years, 40 percent of the population of the United States will live in the South. Further, the prime areas for development are in rural areas along interstate highways. That puts Henderson in the crosshairs of economic development potential. But industrial developers say that “new industry finds you, you don’t find it.” Are we ready for new businesses to drop by for a visit?
Just as we clean up our homes for company on Sunday, we must make our city a place people will want to move their business. We must show them that we care about all our citizens – protecting their property values and reducing crime by enforcing our city ordinances. This will show them that their investment will also be protected. Also, we must show them long-range plans to continually maintain and upgrade city services for our citizens as well as new business.
Daeke: The city’s most pressing problem seems to be the lack of homeownership. When a person owns a home, I believe their whole perspective of pride and commitment changes. We need to continue Clean Up Henderson efforts, look for more homeownership programs, do everything possible to bring in economic development efforts for new businesses, help our homegrown and local businesses grow, and lobby for all resources at the state and federal levels for home improvement, homeownership, revitalization and new economic development. The Henderson-Vance Economic Partnership and the hub are our best efforts for economic development growth so far.
Yount: Our most pressing problem is money. Everyone knows we are in a financial crisis with barely 4 percent in the fund balance that we can use in an emergency. At budget time I submitted a list of 38 cost-saving possibilities that our city should explore. It included some of the following with approximated savings:
1. Redesign insurance, $50,000.
2. Cancel Washington, D.C., lobbyist contract, $80,000.
3. Re-plan employee banquet, $20,000.
4. Combine several administrative positions, $100,000.
Other ideas I submitted were to bid for health insurance, bid for gasoline, bid for banking services, and go to performance-based budgeting so departments were charged with producing revenue, especially recreation, code enforcement and public works. I wanted an increased effort to improve our tax collection rate as an increase of 2 percent would bring in $90,000.We need to foreclose on liens and collect on our debts, which add up to well over $90,000. We need to conserve and save until our expenditures are less than our revenues. We need to use our state and federal connections and our position as a Tier I county to bring in money. We need to seek cost-saving ideas from employees and allow them to apply for grants and reward them with a bonus when their ideas work or a grant is received. We must streamline our organization, cut costs and pay down our debts, without asking our citizens for more money. Save and conserve, save and conserve, save and conserve, and insist that we live within our means – this is how I would begin to rectify our financial crisis.
Wester: The city’s most pressing issue is to play a role in improving our local economy. Significant growth and record-breaking retail sales ($568,000,000+/-) reflect that our investments are starting to pay off. Retail growth AND the realization of new employment opportunities that the hub concept promises to provide will give us the ability to pay employees better and require less in property taxes and fees.
Our job as council members is to provide the right environment for these things to occur.