"Here are questions for city candidates"
By David Brown, Evansville
1) What action can and will the city take in reference to the numerous corner houses that are boarded up on Garvin Street from Riverside Drive to Walnut Street?
- I have toured these areas in our community and it is an eyesore view. If elected your next mayor, we will explore the possibility to see if the property can be reconstructed. Second, if the property cannot be revitalized, we will look at new smart growth development for the areas and raze the boarded properties replacing them with new low income complex units for veterans, the disabled and adult teens.
2) What proposals do you have to prevent abandoned houses due to skyrocketing property taxes?
- If elected your next mayor, our goal will be to reduce property taxes from twice a year to once a year.
3) What plan do you have to lure economic growth besides tax abatement's?
- The word lure in your question disturbs me. It means to entice, seduce, bait, temptation, come-on and decoy. If elected your next mayor, our goal is to develop workforce expansion to individuals throughout our communities who have talents. I believe that every human being has potential to open a new local business as a group development synergistic collaboration team for the common good in our city.
4) Do you plan to bring shelter houses at public parks up to standards, such as bringing electrical services up to code and replacing damaged screens?
- Yes, being a former military man with over twenty years of experience in safety and security matters, if elected your next mayor, it will be a priority to reconstruct the shelter houses, replace damaged screens, and upgrade electrical services at public parks bringing them ALL up to code in the 21st Century.
5) Do you see a priority in making sure that the levee is secure by the water treatment plant where water seeps up through the ground during high river stages?
- Yes, making sure the levee is secured in every aspect is important. I have skills as a grant writer, and I am not afraid to ask for the help. If elected your next mayor, we will seek the necessary grant programs available for water treatment and natural resources for our city. Our challenge that we are faced with is land soil erosion. It will take a special team of experts to address our concerns with water that seeps through the ground during high river stages. This is a priority matter and we will take action.
6) Would you support a state initiative for a large tax increase on all alcohol sales to help prevent alcohol consumption by teens and to fund health insurance for uncovered Hoosiers?
- Are we not taxed enough? If elected your next mayor, we will seek other alternative solutions to help prevent alcohol consumption by teens.
- Yes, I would support a program that covers insurance to ALL uninsured people in our city and state.
7) What are yours or the city's intentions for all the properties that have been acquired Downtown?
- If elected your next mayor, our goal is to fill all acquired Downtown properties with new businesses.
8) Can we expect less money being spent to get consultant's opinions and instead have that money used for the projects we already know that need to be done?
- Absolutely. If elected your next mayor, I am in agreement with you to reduce consultant opinions from an outside source for our city. It will be a priority to use the money for projects we know need action taken to get the job done.
9) Is it your intent to make our city government offices available to the public such as being able to call any of the city offices and actually be able to talk to a human instead of an answering machine?
- Yes, if elected your next mayor, you will talk to a human and not an answering machine. It is time for the nonsense to stop. It will be a priority to be responsible, handle one-self in a professional manner and illustrate friendly-customer courtesy to ALL people who live in our city.
10) It is obvious that the trash containers provided by the city are not preventing litter and property eyesores in the areas where the pilot program was implemented, and the heavy trash pickup program hasn't been taken advantage of by many property owners. Therefore, what will you implement to correct these problems?
- If elected your next mayor, we will review the current pilot program to see what needs to be amended to the original proposal for property eyesores in various areas of our city.
- We will sit one on one with property owners and take action to find out what is the problem with the current program in place for heavy trash pickup, and reconstruct the program if necessary.
Thank you.
David J. Nixon, Candidate for Mayor
Paid for by the Committee to Vote Nixon for Mayor
