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September 2010 |
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8) What are you going to give up so you can attend and prepare for city council and committee meetings and workshops? “I really don’t see it as ‘giving up’ anything. Rather, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the community. That being said, the commitment will require that I miss some family dinners, some school and after-school sports functions, and perhaps a few days of vacation.” 9) What are the latest movies you’ve seen and enjoyed? “Avatar (just good sci-fi). Percy Jackson and Olympians-The Lighting Thief (a fun movie to see with the kids).” 10) Name a couple of your favorite books or authors and why you like them. “My absolutely most favorite book is ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ by Richard Bach. To me, it teaches that anything is possible, if you first believe and then apply yourself religiously and diligently. “I am reading ‘Packing for Mars’ by Mary Roach right now. It’s actually a rather humorous account of the Space Program (USA, Russia, ESA, CNES, Japan, everyone). The book presents a number of seemingly simple ideas and challenges faced by our astronauts and shows that when you move outside of our atmosphere and gravity well, small tasks like placing a flag on the moon can become impossible without prior consideration and planning. Thinking outside the box has to become the norm to succeed.” 11) What are your personal goals in life? My family’s well-being, being the best husband and father I can be (still learning here), and success for my children.” 12) Victoria continues to do remarkably well as a residential community with a small central business district, better than many cities with a substantial commercial and industrial tax base. Why do you believe this is so? “Victoria is successful as a result of its foresight and investment in our future and our children while still emphasizing and focusing on the community as a whole. “Victoria, through its orderly annexation agreement, will be the largest city by land area in Carver County. It took foresight for the city to be in this opportunistic position. We are positioned well for greatness in this metropolitan area and the opportunity is ours to pursue. “We have invested in a new elementary school, the recreation center, supported the addition of new local businesses. We have properties that can be considered for Senior Housing use, as well as for other development opportunities. “Such opportunities bring change. With change it is important that we set expectations appropriately. For me, that means to under-promise and over-deliver.” 13) A prediction in a recent League of MN Cities publication is that many Minnesota cities will be bankrupt by 2015. If that dire prediction became true for Victoria, where would you make cuts to help us survive? “I am a firm believer in not spending what you don’t have. That being said, there are actually at least three options available in such a situation: budget cuts (cut spending), raise taxes (increase revenue), bond issue (go in debt). I don’t view any of these options desirable. Fiscal responsibility and restraint is very important. “I do not believe it’s possible to arbitrarily state where cuts could be made in advance of a hypothetical situation. ‘It depends.’ “Think about how you would approach such a situation from the perspective of your personal budget, then take into consideration that your decision affects everyone in the community. That’s how I would approach this scenario.” 14) Every level of government has long fingers that reach into taxpayer pockets to pay for things beyond necessary government services. What, exactly, do you believe are the necessary services that city government should provide? “Safety, aggregated utilities in the absence of private offerings, and community services where such services require special regulation or oversight (e.g., social services) are necessary.” 15) What, exactly, do you believe are secondary services provided by a flush city budget? “We have a wonderful recreation center. Such a facility is not required to maintain our city. It is, however, a valuable asset that brings many benefits to our city and residents. “In fact, if funding were available and a proper business plan were in the community’s favor, I would welcome the consideration of adding a waterpark, or sports/dome facility, or the completion of the walking and biking paths within the city, or other community projects. “Now, are these necessary? Absolutely not. Given our regional community, however, projects that can benefit a significant percentage of our citizens, pull new residents to the community, and grow revenue for our local businesses, deserve study and consideration.”
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Candidates Continued |
