Sunday, March 6, 2011

(VIDEO) CONDE FOR MAYOR INTERVIEW - PART III - CUTTING CITY EXPENDITURES. DO TAXES NEED TO BE RAISED?


From the SCPR's interview of Canton mayoral candidate A.R. "Chip" Conde, it appears that he thinks he can get Canton back into good financial shape via consolidation of government operations and thought-out cuts.

Although he talks about the need for additional revenues, he does not mean by the call for generating additional revenues to include an increase in Canton's income tax rate.

The Report posed to Conde a claim made by a Stark County-based Republican elected official that Canton could save about $1 million if it got out of the garbage collection business.  Conde did not respond in depth as to whether or not such a move was viable.  It will be interesting to see, as the campaign progresses, whether or not he will study the matter in some detail and, in response to a SCPR follow up, be willing to provide a more in depth and definitive answer on the claim.

While economic development with it concomitant job growth and increased income tax collections from new jobs coming to Canton, there seems to be very little on the horizon on the economic development front to suggest that there is about to be some sort of break-through in this vein.

An interesting aspect to this Part III of The Report interview of Conde on March 2nd is the revelation that he is still in touch with Canton city department heads that were in place when he served in the Creighton administration.

His ability to be in communication with the folks that are the "nuts and bolts" governors of Canton should put him in a position as the campaign season moves along to provide more specifics as to what ails Canton, and what resources the department heads say need to turn Canton around, and whether not as Canton's top administrator (i.e. being mayor) he will be able to lead the way to making those resources available.

Here is Conde "in his own words" on Canton's finances and his assessment of Mayor Healy's monthly
forums on city finances.

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