The filing period to declare candidacy in Glendale, California’s upcoming municipal elections opened last Friday, January 8 and closes Thursday, January 29. Three Glendale city council seats are available, and it appears that more than 15 candidates will vie for these, including the three incumbents.
What is each candidate’s plan for coping with drastic reductions in state funds budgeted for Glendale and a drop in local tax revenues? It cannot be business as usual. A few weeks ago, one current council member expressed sympathy for local developers who were having trouble getting loans because of the credit crisis. Is sympathizing with these developers, or assisting them, the answer?
Building permits and retail projects have been a major source of revenue for Glendale during the past few years. But everything about the global-to-local downturn just screams out that this approach will no longer work. Build it, and they probably won’t come. New answers are needed.
In today’s Wall Street Journal, writer Matt Miller quoted McCain advisers telling him that McCain would have been forced to raise taxes if he became president. Miller’s editorial concludes:
The real question once this recession has passed will be: Given that taxes have to rise, how should we raise the revenue we need in ways that are best for the economy?
Miller’s question is a great one to ask each city council candidate. Glendale needs job creation, not more retail, and not more development. Voters: check out each city council candidate’s proposals for bringing jobs to Glendale and increasing local revenues.