Question # 5:
Why should someone vote for you? Please sum up your qualifications and why you believe you are the better choice.
There are a number of reasons why someone should vote for me.
I believe that I have demonstrated through my work on the Council that I am fair, and always have the greater good in mind when it comes time to make a decision. Time and again, I have shown that, because I do my homework, I am able to make reasoned decisions based on facts and a spirit of compromise, not ideology or the desire to win at all costs. Over the last six years, I have demonstrated a strong work ethic, sponsoring over sixty Orders and Ordinances, such as the Waterfront West Overlay District and important changes to the zoning code to control infill.
Even though I have no children of my own, I have lead or actively participated in projects that benefit our community’s youth, such as the Skatepark, the playground at Cashman Park and the Kelleher Park Enrichment Center. I value our youth, and have put my efforts where I felt they would have positive, lasting impacts. As a City Councilor, I have always voted for the school budget as presented. To me, high quality schools are fundamental to the success and vitality of our city.
During my six years on the Council, the last two as President, I have had the opportunity to work closely with two mayors, on issues as varied as downtown parking, the landfill, and even Plum Island erosion. This positive working relationship has come about through a willingness to talk through issues and work constructively towards a solution to the problem at hand. I believe this has been a valuable education, and is another reason I am the stronger candidate.
For my first four years on the Council, I was on the Planning and Development Committee of the City Council, the first two years as Chair. By being on this Committee, I was able to educate myself on important issues such as parking, waterfront development, historic preservation, zoning, and the role of the Industrial Park in our community. As the mayor should be a key player in all of these issues, I feel that my experience in this area makes me an ideal candidate.
I believe that my work like has also been a good preparation for being mayor. Having run a business with my wife for 14 years has meant wearing many hats, from accounts receivables to managing a team of 30 independent sales representatives. I have kept a vigilant eye on expenses while always looking for new opportunities. Keeping a small business going in these tough times places a premium on creativity and a total focus on excellent customer care. I would like to bring this customer driven, entrepreneurial spirit to city government in Newburyport.
In summation, I believe that my proclivity to find compromise, my experience as an entrepreneur and as President of the City Council make me the better choice for mayor of Newburyport.
Question #4
With little or no hope of increased Chapter 70 funding (as well as the very real possibility of decreased funding), can we really hope to fulfill the goals of the strategic plan adopted by the School Committee? Would you consider an override or dept exclusion in order to start to replace programs?
Without question, it would be easier to implement the strategic plan with increased funding from an override. However, it is not possible to ask that question outside of the current economic and political realities. The previous override attempt failed by a substantial margin, and that was in better times. To propose a special election for an override at this time would be a risky venture. I feel it would be far better to work to make sure that the Strategic Plan guides all decisions, working within our current budget realities.
Two years ago, Mayor Moak proposed a debt exclusion to pull much of our current debt out of the budget and have a ten-year payoff plan. This made sense to me, as it would have freed up $800,000 per year from the budget to be available to fund our schools and meet some other needs. I was public in my support of this plan, and even accompanied the mayor on neighborhood visits to explain the plan. The question failed by only 61 votes.
Given the state of the economy, I would not favor a special election for an over ride. Should there be signs of improvement in the economy, I would support a debt exclusion similar to the one proposed by mayor Moak, to be placed upon the next ballot. For this to succeed, a coordinated campaign will need to be waged, and I would support that as mayor.
We now have a $1.2 million in Free Cash. I would work with the Superintendent and the School Committee to see where some of this money could be used to implement the Strategic Plan.
More than overrides and debt exclusions, I believe that the best long-term solution to our school funding issue is by responsible new growth, specifically in the commercial and industrial sectors. With this predictable funding, the Mayor, the School Committee and the Superintendent of Schools will have the resources available to implement the Strategic Plan.
Question #3
How as Mayor, how would you go about creating new revenue streams for the City?
There a number of revenue streams that the city employs: property taxes, fees, excise tax, water and sewer charges, and user fees such as mooring and dockage fees.
Both Water and Sewer are enterprise systems, as is the Harbor Master Department. Fees collected by them are revenue stream, but do not go into the general fund, but must only be used for the support of the respective systems. Property taxes, excise tax, and fees such as building permit fees go into the general fund, and are available for city wide expenditures.
My philosophy on fees is that they should be fair and based upon the cost of providing the service. It is unfair, and engenders negative feelings, when fees are priced with nothing more than revenue enhancement in mind. A good example of a fee that is used to offset the cost of the service is the fee charged for restaurant inspections. It is vitally important that we inspect our eating establishments for the safety of all, but it would be unfair to price this fee unrealistically. In the end, this fee would be passed on to the customers in the form of higher prices. Who wins here?
Simply put, a paid parking system in Newburyport would be a new revenue stream. However, revenue generation should not be the primary goal of a paid parking program. The primary goal should be parking space turnover. Why? The answer is so that when any of us (or anyone, for that matter) chooses to drive downtown, they will find a space within a reasonable distance of their destination. Parking turnover helps keep our downtown vital, and may in fact help make it possible for lower margin goods (groceries, office supplies, functional clothing) to be available. This would be a good thing for Newburyport and its residents.
State aid, grants, and user based fees are important, and are always most welcome, but they are dependent upon forces outside of our control, and may fluctuate from year to year.
Responsible, measured growth, based upon the principles articulated by the Commonwealth’s Smart Growth program, is something we should be talking about as a community. Rightly so, Newburyport has decided to not choose sprawl and develop the remaining farm lands and open space that make up our southern quadrant. Because of that, we must look to add value to areas that are not in their natural state, yet are not living up to their full potential. Parts of our waterfront hold potential for re-vitalization, as does the area around the train station and the easterly edge of the Industrial Park.
If we engage in a community dialog about how to do this, I believe we can realize not only a more enriching Newburyport, but a known, predictable revenue stream.
Question #2
Now that your campaigns are both in full swing, what are the top 3 issues that voters ask you about and what is your response to them?
The top three issues that voters are bringing up with me are schools, what is Steve Karp going to do, and where do I think a parking garage should be placed.
When I speak with voters about our schools, I remind them of how important our schools are to our community, and how I will be working to broaden and diversify our tax base so that we can have stable, predictable funding for our schools. . I will be looking for ways to add value to our city that will bring in the tax revenue we need to properly fund our schools, without adding further burden to the residential tax payer. The loss of state aid over years and the reduction of new growth income have severely impacted our ability to maintain the curriculum and total educational experience our children will need to be competitive in the world of tomorrow.
Another point I make when talking about our schools is how important it will be to hire the best Superintendent we can, and how important it is that she or he will be on board with our Strategic Plan. I look forward to working with the School Committee and the Search Committee on this most critical hire.
Almost without fail, when I am talking with voters at their front doors, or in their living rooms, I am asked, “What is Steve Karp going to DO?!” From the lack of proposals or even any meaningful communication, it appears that for now the answer is that New England Development is just going to keep things pretty much as they are now. It is doubtful that this will remain true forever, and that is why it is so important to have a mayor that will engage New England Development from day one.
For any plan brought forward by Steve Karp and New England Development to be successful, it must be embraced by the people of Newburyport, and the best way to insure this is to have an open, inclusive planning process. We need to make sure that plans brought forward for the redevelopment of Waterfront West not only add needed tax revenue, but also enrich the lives of Newburyport residents. Developing plans in private and then presenting them to the public has rarely gone smoothly in Newburyport, and I believe it’s time to try a new way.
My response to the garage issue is that we DO NOT need another parking study! We need a coherent, city wide parking management plan. Regardless of where a garage is sited, the city, the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority and the Waterfront Trust all need to work together in a coordinated manner. The current Balkanized situation we have downtown is problematic. For a garage to be a benefit to the city and not a liability, it needs to be conveniently located, architecturally sympathetic to its surroundings, and supported by a parking plan that will make it an attractive parking option.
—————————————————————————————-
Question #1:
What will Newburyport look like in 10 years and what will you do in your coming administration to get us to your vision?
In the Newburyport of the future, much would look as it does today. We would still be enjoying the wonderful, historic homes that make up so much of our community, and we would still be enthralled with our Federal era downtown as we are today.
Our downtown would look pretty much the same, although all of the streetlights would be standing straight, be freshly painted and have clean glass. There would be no loose bricks, and the fountain at Inn Street would be working. The Inn Street Tot Lot would be steam cleaned on a regular basis. The white lights festooning our downtown trees would all be working, having been strung professionally.
As mayor, I would work with the Planning Office, the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and members of the downtown business community to institute a Parking Benefit District. A portion of the revenue from a paid parking program (like found in Portsmouth, NH) would be used to fund downtown maintenance. Like Business Improvement Districts, Parking Benefit Districts can transform a downtown. Old Pasadena, CA, is an excellent example of a place that was turned from a struggling commercial district to a vibrant, clean, safe shopping experience, all through the power of a properly administrated Parking Benefit District.
Our neighborhoods would also look about the same because we would have taken measures to protect them. Potential protections are being reviewed by the Local Historic District Study Committee, a group that is working to craft a fair, balanced, reasonable set of guidelines that will help preserve the historic authenticity that brings so much value to our community. Studies have shown that communities with Local Historic Districts fare better during market downturns. Should the City Council bring forward a reasonable Local Historic District, I would be happy to sign the legislation.
In ten years time, I can envision an architecturally sympathetic, tastefully executed hotel in the Waterfront West area. This hotel would not only be an economic engine for the community, but would help in putting Newburyport firmly on the map as a premier destination wedding location. Newburyport could only benefit from the increased meals and rooms taxes, not to mention increased opportunities for support businesses (florists, musicians, photographers and more). As mayor, I will work to ensure that any development or hotel plans brought forward by New England Development would not only be of the highest quality, but would benefit all of Newburyport.
The estimates for tax revenue from Waterfront West were in the order of nine hundred thousand dollars a year. I envision this added revenue as being a predictable, stable funding source for our schools. In ten years time, our school system would be graduating students who are highly literate, mathematically adroit, and multi-lingual. Our children will be highly competitive in the global market place. By being a mayor who seeks to add value while honoring our past, I feel that I will be able to help make this a reality.
