Candidates talk money

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: April 23, 2008

Spending issues took the forefront as candidates for the Waynesboro City Council had a second chance to lay out their visions during a 90-minute forum before about 100 people Wednesday at Kate Collins Middle School.
Specifically, candidates addressed how they would pay for the stormwater management program, and whether they would raise the real-estate tax.
Four of the six candidates at the forum said they’d fund stormwater with a utility fee, and none supported a tax increase.
“I’m against any tax increase,” said Ward B candidate Bruce Allen.
At-large councilman Frank Lucente, who favors using the general fund for stormwater along with Allen, said he’d be willing to revisit the fund down the road.
DuBose Egleston, Jr., opposing Lucente along with Jeremy Taylor for the at-large seat, said the city has neglected addressing its stormwater problem for more than 20 years and said “16 months of indecision” on the part of the council is too long.
Egleston was non-commital on whether there should be a 50/50 split of costs between businesses and residents, or a 75/25 split that would have businesses pick up a majority of the costs.
Taylor said the general fund was not a sustainable means of paying for the stormwater management program. He also said that because of the funding agreement the council has with the school division, it will require raising taxes every year.
Ward B candidates Greg Bruno and Chris Graham agreed with a utility fee for stormwater. Bruno said he favors it with a credit system, and that city engineers should evaluate the program.
Graham said that if the city takes the program out of the general fund, he’d support lowering the 70 cent real-estate tax rate by a penny. He said he’s closer to favoring a 50/50 split, but said he could see himself supporting a 40/60 split, putting more of the cost burden on residents. Bruno said it was too soon to identify what split would work best.
The candidates reiterated their previously stated positions on the real estate tax. None supported increasing the tax, with Lucente and Allen saying there is fat that can be trimmed from the budget. Egleston said there are some cuts to be made, and said that while he favored living within one’s means, the city can’t put off providing services and improving its infrastructure. 
“I have a hard time saying that I’ll never raise your taxes,” Egleston said. “This year I would not.”
Taylor echoed Egleston’s comments, saying that “we need leaders of responsibility and courage, forward thinking and vision.”
“We’re at a point,” Taylor said, “where we have neglected our infrastructure for the sake of no new taxes as a mantra, that we’re going to have to pay larger sums to repair the problem than we would have if we had maintained our system as it has gone along.”
Lucente said, however, that through his work on the council, he’s saved residents $11.3 million in the last three years.
Egleston, as part of improving the city’s economic future over the next 10 years, said he would encourage expansion of existing manufacturing, while Taylor said downtown revitalization “is the key for our city.”
Bruno said the the city should concentrate on reducing its debt, while Allen, like Lucente, said if taxes remain low, it will attract businesses and residents.
Graham said he’d focus on attracting high-tech businesses and improving infrastructure.
“We also have to value your dollars, and my dollars, because I pay taxes too,” Graham said. “We have to make sure that we spend those dollars wisely.”
Candidates generally supported the concept of a minor league baseball stadium, but said they’d need more details.
“It certainly sounds like – on the surface – a good idea,” Bruno said.
While most of the candidates opened with a brief outline of what they’d do for the city, Lucente addressed charges of division among the current council.
“In this campaign a lot has been said about how this City Council has been divided,” Lucente said. “And we are divided – divided between a majority that believes in taxing and borrowing and spending, and a minority that believes in protecting the taxpayers.”
Lucente said the disagreements among council members “are about the issues, they aren’t the issue,” and said voters could vote for Taylor or Chris Graham if they wanted harmony on the City Council. Neither Graham nor Taylor responded directly to Lucente’s comments.
Egleston, meanwhile, got off the laugh line of the night when he addressed what one thing he would do if he had the power.
“If I had a magic wand, I would probably be elected to council in two weeks,” Egleston said.