Photo And Interview By: Randy Lewis

Now that the campaign is over and you are preparing for office, what will be one of the first things you would like to see changed?

One chapter has closed, and another one has begun. There is much work to be done over the next four years, and I am looking forward to the positive change that we (Citizens, Administration & Government) can all make together. I don’t believe that what I would like to see changed is most important, but what our citizens would like to see changed; for they are the true stakeholders in our community.

With all the talk about the Middletown Cemetery and the issues now facing the city, how would you like to see this issue resolved? And how can it be achieved?

Over the last few months I have only heard bits and pieces concerning the controversy over the Middletown Cemetery. Very simple, if it is the city’s responsibility to maintain the upkeep of the Middletown Cemetery, then that’s what needs to happen. And, if it’s not, then we should find out whose it is, and try and get the Cemetery cleaned up. I will be able to elaborate more on this topic over the next few months as I am spending a lot of time getting up to speed.

There is a well known sign ordinance in Middletown that affects business, is this something you would like to see addressed?

Throughout the tenure of my six month campaign, I often talked about the sign ordinance that you're referencing. I am on the record publicly stating that I think it's absolutely ridiculous to have this ordinance in place. It contributes to Middletown's old reputation of being unfriendly to business.

If this sign ordinance is a hindrance to individuals that are trying to do business in Middletown (and it appears to be), then we need to re-think and re-write the ordinance. Standards are good, but they need to be weighed against the cost of losing business or hindering business from coming to town. The sign ordinance does not measure up.

What are your thoughts on the recent passing of the elimination of the wards? How do you feel this affects the city and its residents? Would you like to see the issue back on the ballot?

Once again, I am on the record publicly stating my support for the ward system. I believe that equal community representation is important in governing. However, the issue went before the voters, and the outcome was to eliminate them. At this point I believe we should try to adjust and work to ensure that we’re poised to have the right representation once the elimination takes place in 2014.

I am not in favor, nor am I opposed to seeing this issue back on the ballot. A lot of bridges were burned; relationships frayed and feelings were hurt over this issue. To avoid further dividing our community at such a critical time when unity is more important, we need to accept what the voters chose and move on.

Talk about downtown, what needs to happen there, and what will it take to make your ideas work?

The city needs to quit funding downtown. I have stated once before that I believe it should be turned over to the private sector and developers that know how to succeed doing these types of projects. The city has managed downtown before, and frankly the result is what we see today. Our role in the revitalization of downtown should simply be to act as a resource for those individuals interested in taking on the project. I believe that we’re currently doing the right thing in assisting the CBI in their efforts to revitalize downtown.