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The city has made a host of budget cuts since the economy began to dive in 2008, meaning less tax revenue for the city. Cuts include the equivalent of 52 full-time positions, about 9 percent of the city’s work force, said City Manager Steve Hall.
Hall said he’s looking at more layoffs next year, as well as dipping into the city’s reserves to balance his proposed 2012 budget. Details will be released Nov. 1. But he’s more worried about 2013.
The council has discussed options to raise taxes – asking voters to raise property taxes, sales taxes or others to raise revenue. That would require a ballot measure.
Buxbaum, on the City Council since 2009, said the city likely needs to find some new revenue source, but he won’t impose something on people. Rather, he said he would work with the public and give them choices of taxes and make sure they know what they’re getting for them.
“We can’t surprise people with this,” he said. “We need to work up to it.”
Pust, the former longtime morning show host for KGY Radio, said he wouldn’t rule out a tax increase. “I would want to put a lot of thought and study into the issue,” he said. “We are in very tough economic times right now.”
Pust said he wouldn’t name anything specific he would cut in the budget. “I certainly wouldn’t build any more city halls,” he said, referring to the new City Hall that opened this year and cost about $50 million.
He also singled out traffic-calming devices, which he said cost $65,000 each. “I wouldn’t spend a whole lot of money on studies,” he said. “I would do the cutting in areas that hurt the least amount of people and affected the least amount of services.”
Buxbaum said that after four budgets with cuts, the city will need to keep looking for efficiencies, but also must maintain what it has.
‘NOT SAFE’
Both Pust and Buxbaum are making downtown a key issue. The issues are well-documented, particularly along Fourth Avenue: vacant buildings, people sleeping on the sidewalks, aggressive panhandlers and people urinating on the pavement.
“Besides the economy, the No. 1 issue right now is the perception that downtown is not safe, especially at night,” Pust said. “It’s a certain segment of downtown; not all of it. It’s about four blocks or so.”
Pust said one of his priorities is to “fix that problem” of people sleeping on downtown sidewalks. He suggests a new ordinance banning sleeping on sidewalks. He recounts a recent trip downtown when he saw a young couple bedding down curbside in sleeping bags.
“This is a safety issue for the kids. They should not be down there doing that. It’s a safety issue for the motorists. It is very unhealthy. It should not be allowed.”
The city’s current rule, the Pedestrian Interference Ordinance, makes it a misdemeanor to sit or lie on the sidewalk within 6 feet of buildings from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. But they can sleep next to the curb any time and can lie next to buildings after 10 p.m.
Pust said a lot of people travel through downtown without stopping and that’s their impression of downtown.
Buxbaum has a number of ideas to improve downtown, and at his initiative he put into motion a series of measures in a nine-month project.
Options under consideration include a ban on some high-alcohol drinks, working with bars to prevent overserving and declaring part of downtown blighted under the state community renewal law in order to buy derelict properties and sell them for redevelopment.
Buxbaum also helped create a low-interest loan program for community development with federal dollars, with interest rates as low as a half of a percent. That could be used to help redevelop blighted areas.
“I think I have a proven track record of getting things done, working with my colleagues and that’s what I can promise the people of Olympia: That I will faithfully and tirelessly work on improving our downtown and expanding commerce throughout the city,” Buxbaum said.
Pust said the police downtown walking patrol, a victim to budget cuts of recent years, should be restored if the city can afford it, but there are other ways. He suggested that it doesn’t have to be police officers who move people who are sleeping on sidewalks. He noted a program in Eugene, Ore., that has civilians move people along.
Buxbaum said the walking patrol might not be able to be reinstated in the short term, and that social services are part of the solution. “This has got to be a conversation for what we fully fund in 2013,” he said.
ISTHMUS, FIREWORKS
Both candidates would support a park on the downtown isthmus, which is another cluster of vacant buildings downtown.
“I think the city needs to play a role in cleaning up the isthmus and being a catalyst for development and to developing the isthmus to be a beautiful waterfront area of our downtown,” Buxbaum said.
Pust said he could support the effort to put a park on the isthmus, but he doesn’t know where the money will come from to pay for it.
“I think the Capitol Center building has deteriorated to the point where it’s got to go,” Pust said.
Buxbaum favors a fireworks ban and Pust opposes it, but ultimately voters will decide on the same ballot where they pick their next mayor.
Both Pust and Buxbaum say they have the right experience for the job.
“We need to have the most experienced person in the center of the dais,” Buxbaum said. “I think I have the best qualifications to lead the city forward in these extremely challenging times.”
Pust cites 50 years of community service and meeting people community-wide on the radio. He also notes that Buxbaum, nearly two years into his four-year-term, would remain on the council if he doesn’t win the mayor’s position.
“We need some fresh air in there, and it’s me,” he said.
STEPHEN BUXBAUM
Age: 56.
Occupation: Consultant; adjunct faculty, The Evergreen State College; former employee, Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.
Political experience: Olympia City Council member, mayor pro tem (2010-present); member, Thurston County Agriculture Committee; chairman and board member of the Pacific Mountain Private Industry Council; commissioner designee for state Housing Finance Commission; chairman of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political economy, master’s degree in public administration, Evergreen.
Contact information: 360-918-1745, stephen@stephenbuxbaum.org, www.stephenbuxbaum.org.
Campaign contributions: $25,311.
Major donors: Kristine Goddard-$1,050; Thurston County Democrats-$1,000; Joyce Kilmer-$1,000; Sarah Segall-$850; Thurston County Conservation Voters-$800.
DICK PUST
Age: 71.
Occupation: Former KGY radio host.
Political experience: Formerly on Olympia Planning Commission.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Martin’s College (now University).
Contact information: 360-292-5991, drpust@comcast.net, www.dickpust4mayor.com.
Campaign contributions: $24,513.
Major donors: Laurie Berryman-$1,300; Steven Hanson-$1,300; Ron Rants-$950; Harold Marcus-$800; Inge Marcus-$800.
WHAT THEY WOULD DELIVER
Each of the candidates was asked to name three things he would deliver to the voters by the end of his term if he were to be elected.
BUXBAUM:
• “A comprehensive plan that is directly linked to zoning, development regulations and our design review process.”
• “A revitalized downtown that is well on the way of becoming the pride of our region and state.”
• “Strong neighborhood involvement in determining how our city invests resources and carries out planning.”
PUST:
• “Downtown Olympia will be a friendlier place to be and complaints about that (Fourth Avenue) corridor downtown, or those few streets, will no longer be complaints.”
• “It’ll be a council that gets along.”
• “I think Olympia will be a place that there will be more family-wage jobs created, not just downtown, but throughout Olympia.”
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
