Question 2 for Saline City Candidates: What Are the Top 3 Issues Facing the City?

Althought there are five names on the ballot, there are only four candidates in a contest for the three available seats on Saline City Council in the Nov. 8 election.

Linda TerHaar, James Peters, John Heller and Jim Roth are seeking election to counicl. TerHaar and Peters were appointed to city council to fill vacancies left by resignations. Typically, a member of city council attends meetings twice a month. Most members also serve on other city subcommittees. They are paid $2,175 annually.

The only elected incumbent on the ballot was Glenn Law. But he recently resigned from city council to take a teaching job in Northern Michigan.

What Are The Top 3 issues Facing The City And How Should Council Address Them?

1. Personal Property Tax/Decrease in City Revenue

One alternative approach is "land value taxation". This shifts the tax burden away from buildings and possessions, onto the value of the land itself. This method was successful in other cities. Property taxes have declined due to a decrease in taxable value. State-shared revenue has been on a steady decline and building permits and interest income has dropped dramatically. As a result the city’s revenue has decreased, limiting the services the city can afford. Many difficult decisions have been made. The city must continue to monitor the overall forecasts in the near future and take a case-by-case approach to spending.

2. Downtown Development.

• Improve city parking. Much of downtown troubles are out of Saline's control—things like the bad economy and nearby shopping like Wal-Mart, Oak Valley and Briarwood Mall, just to name a few. Employing a meter maid will only anger residents.If we can find additional parking and add better signage to guide visitors to existing parking located off Michigan Avenue that should help.

• Encourage socialization. A permanent town center gathering place will help. This will give us a better sense of identity. 

• Re-think the signage laws for business people that don't have US12 frontage

• Begin fostering young entrepreneurs. Set up a mentoring system with established business people to work with the young. Help the young to learn life's most important skill, how to deal with people. Encourage young people to stay in the area. Traverse City has been very successful with this system.

3. Shared Services.

I would prefer Saline remain independent. But if we can't, other local cities have demonstrated considerable proactive efforts associated with establishing collaborative arrangements with other communities and partners.

Some examples are using resources from the state and county such as personal property auditing, elections and joint purchasing agreements. Sharing services like school elections, fire department training, senior and youth assistance and various police services.

Additional sharing opportunities include parks and recreation programs, public works, human resources and benefits. We need to look at all options but I would consider looking at police and fire as a last resort.

1) Reduced funds and raising cost of operation
The city should establish a budget that is less than the amount of the total of all funding resources and not overspend.
2) Enforcing city ordinances.
Our present staff should be encouraged perform the necessary duty to enforce all ordinance fairly to all. Ordnances not enforced should be eliminated.
3) Maintaining and improving the cities infrastructure
The city government and its staff need to keep to its plan for maintaining, repairing and improving our city.

In my view there is really only one top issue facing the city, although it touches many areas.

It is the allocation of city funds.

In fact, it goes to the heart of why I originally entered the race for council. I did so because the current council was considering closing the Saline Police Dispatch Center and combining its functions with the Pittsfield Police Dispatch Center. I felt that this was terrible misallocation of funds when the council was still funding non-essential items like the Celtic Festival.

Although the current council subsequently chose not to close police dispatch, it continues to misallocate funds to the the Celtic Festival (even though the festival committee still owes the city $34,102 from previous festivals) and political junkets (sending the mayor and two council members to a conference at a cost to the city of $1,817).

While the dollar amounts involved with each of those items may be small, I believe it sends an awful message about the state of city finances in these fiscally challenging times. By spending money on items like those, it gives the the public the false impression that the city has plenty of money for essential services, when, in fact, those services may be threatened due to declining property values and decreased funding from the state. (As a side note, if the current council is wondering why the legislature and the general public doesn't believe that local governemnts need the revenue generated by the personal property tax, it need look no farther than its spending on the Celtic Festival and political junkets.)

Therefore, instead of funding frivolous things like the Celtic Festival and political junkets and considering cutting essential services like police dispatch the council should be striving to cut the unnecessary and protecting the crucial in all areas of public funds allocations.

1.  Preserve financial stability in the present challenging fiscal climate.

City staff and council have a history of hard work and planning to anticipate financial challenges and to position the city to be able to meet coming challenges. Staff and council must continue this excellent work.

2.  Maintain Saline’s status as an excellent place to live and work.

Support growth of existing businesses and provide an attractive environment for new businesses to locate in Saline. Encourage and support the business, community and volunteer groups that contribute so much to our local quality of life.

3.  Work responsibly to provide services and programs.

As council members, be well-informed and educated about issues and context, engage in respectful discussion, base decisions on the best interests of the whole community, and ensure that state government officials understand and respond to the obligations of local government units.

(Wednesday, we ask the candidates what the city should do to boost the economy downtown.)