My opponent refuses to discuss specifics on just about anything - other than making lots of fundamentally dishonest attacks against me.  I have provided details on just about everything - and if I haven't just let me know and I'll give that to you as well.  Click on any of the issues below to go to more detail or just scroll down the page.

I will continue to add to this in the coming days.

You can also see head-to-head responses on what both I and my opponent have said in answering questions for the League of Women Voters  Click here to read

and read a summary of positions in The Roswell Neighbor click here to read

Budgets - At the Beacon debate (Wed, 10/14) my opponent said he would have voted for this year's budget that spends more than we take in.  He didn't address the capital projects reserve fund that was raided to make up for that.

He has joined the group that marches lock step on deficit budgets, runaway spending, lack of long-term financial planning and failure to push for needed changes in operations.

I voted against that budget because it did not make the cuts necessary to spend less on operations and regular ongoing maintenance than the revenues we received.  Basically, we spent our savings to pay for our monthly bills.

My opponents say we just dipped into our "rainy day fund" and in this recession it is raining.  Well, there is no such thing as a rainy day fund in the Roswell budget.  Look through all 405 pages of the budget - it's not there.

We have an operating reserve fund and a capital projects reserve fund. 

The operating reserve is 25% of the total budget.  That could perhaps be considered to be a rainy day fund, but we did not touch that!  That is one of the key things that allows us to maintain a AAA bond rating.  No Councilmember supports using it unless circumstances are catastrophic.   Not being able to find an additional $1.2 million to cut out of a $108 million budget is hardly catastrophic.

What we "dipped into" was our capital projects reserve fund - we use that for major items like intersection improvements, new roofs and fire trucks.  We currently have four times as many needs for major projects as we have projected reserve funds.  That capital project reserve fund is estimated to run out in a few years.  Yet we dipped into that fund to pay our ongoing expenses this year.  Is that being fiscally conservative?

My opponent says that's OK.  If you think it's not OK, I need your vote  back to top

Lower Taxes - I was the only Councilmember to vote against a tax increase in 2004.  Since then the Roswell budget has increased 40%!

Our runaway spending has increased nearly $20 million annually!  There was a 5% cut in this past year, but that follows one of the largest increases in spending the year before.  And again, the path of spending, including with that minor cut, is a 40% increase in five years!

Our capital projects reserve is projected to run out in just three years.  Once that is gone we don't even have the money to repave roads.  There will have to be a tax increase or cuts in service. 

If we don't make responsible cuts now and changes to the way we do business to become more efficient and save money, we will be forced to cut services later - that will have a major negative impact on your quality of life.

The bottom line here is my opponent joins the group that refuses to push staff to consider all options to reduce costs, and to push for new efficiencies and changes in the way we operate to save your tax dollars.

My opponent says it's OK to not make cuts or changes.  If you think we need to make reasonable cuts and changes in operations, I need your vote. back to top

Fiscal Responsibility - We have no long-term financial plan.  We have a list of major capital projects that is four times bigger than the money we are projected to have.

We currently have about $12 million in our capital projects reserve fund.  It will run out in three years even if we only pay for a few minor things like repaving roads. 

I have pushed for years to create a realistic long-term plan of our needs and how we will pay for them.  My opponents prefer not to deal with reality and just keep making commitments of spending money we don't have.

We have an operating budget that consists of regular operations and on-going maintenance expenses, like repairing buildings and replacing police cars (they last less than 5 years).  Our annual revenues should cover our regular operations and ongoing maintenance expenses.  This year they did not.  We were $1.2 million short.

I am the only Councilmember to vote against a tax increase and against a deficit budget.

My oppponent says its OK to spend more than we take in and it's OK to raid money intended for major projects to pay today's bills.  If that makes you mad, I need your vote. back to top

Redevelopment - Remaking our existing blighted areas into vibrant new mixed-use centers is key to Roswell's future.  I have been a major supporter of making positive changes in allowing new zoning types, particularly mixed-use, and we have already seen responses and some new projects approved.  The recession has hurt recent progress but that will turn around.

I supported changing our Economic Development position from a project manager to a recruiter of new business and an advocate for existing business.  We must be aggressive in bringing more mixed-use to Roswell but we also have to keep it within ranges that will maintain Roswell's character.

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, trust but control. We must better recognize and plan for the impacts of higher densities on our neighborhoods, infrastructure, services and traffic.

My opponents try  to use the economy to say we must allow substantial increases in both residential and commercial densities in order to increase revenues.  I have been a strong supporter of redevelopment efforts but also the most consistent defender of neighborhoods regarding increases in densities that will have substantial negative impacts on Roswell's character.

I am very concerned about opening the floodgates for unchecked development just because my opponents think we need to move faster.  You can't fix that once it is in - just look at all the empty strip malls along our major highways.  We can't make those mistakes again because we have to live with the long-term results.

Roswell continues to be at a crossroads and I bring proven experience of striking the proper balance for reasonable redevelopment efforts in the future.  My opponent just harps on Roswell having a negative image.

If you want reasonable redevelopment that preserves Roswell's character, I need your vote.  back to top

Transportation - I originated the idea of creating a Transportation Master Plan and saw that through.  We never had a handle on what our needs were, what would have the greatest impact on traffic, when we would schedule projects or how we would pay for anything.  The Master Plan changed all that.

I held a series of meetings around Roswell - "Tell Kent" - that took citizen input and ultimately created the Master Plan we work from now.

My opponent hasn't mentioned transportation at all, even though traffic is always one of the key issues citizens say is of concern to them. 

If you want real work on transportation issues, I need your vote.  back to top

Neighborhood Protection - Even before serving on Council I was representing neighborhoods on rezoning and community issues. I know how to see and sift through all the games that go on. As pressure builds to allow more development a trained, experienced eye is needed to judge what is actually being offered and proposed.

I have been the most consistent defender of neighborhoods against the impactsfrom a particular development on traffic, the environment and your quality of life.

In a recent rezoning case I was the only one to vote against final approval because a key element increased the density of the project beyond our comprehensive plan.  It would have started higher-density creep up the road toward several neighborhoods.  The Planning Commission voted against it.  The neighborhoods were against it.  I was the only one who stood up for the neighborhoods on the Council.

The Mayor vetoed that approval and ultimately the plan was changed to fit within our long-term plans and won the support of the neighborhoods.

My opponents had no problem with going against what was best for the neighborhoods.  If that makes you mad, I need your vote.  back to top

Billboards - Roswell was already in the final stages of being attacked by the billboard industry when I got involved with the issue in 2000.  Roswell had already lost in the courts before residents even knew there was a problem.

A large group of residents still joined in that fight.  Over the years we have had three billboards come down as part of development projects and just earlier this year I happened to be driving by when workers were changing out the Holcomb Bridge billboard to an LED sign.  They were breaking the rules on what could be done and I called that in to city staff.

That is currently still in the courts but ultimately we may be able to negotiate taking the three billboards on Highway 9 down in exchange for allowing the LED sign to go up at Holcomb Bridge.  3-for-1 on something that almost happened anyway?  I'll take that deal any day. 

Staying diligent, knowing the rules and how to do something about it is something you can count on from me.  back to top

Environment - I have long been recognized as the "green guy" on Council for being the champion on environmental issues that are important to Roswell residents.  That is a long list of accomplishments - check back soon for more on those. back to top

Sustainability - I created the Green Ribbon Committee to put Roswell in a leadership position on changing the way we do business to be more environmentally friendly, but primarily to save money.

The Green Ribbon Committee has worked to set fiscally responsible goals and create realistic strategies to implement more sustainable operations. My primary focus is the savings we can realize by investing in proven measures to reduce energy, water and other resource use and costs.

I have led Roswell's sustainability efforts, bringing together all sides - even those who have opposed me on this issue – residents, businesses, developers and realtors - to work collaboratively on real-world strategies that will improve our community while reducing operational costs.

The city applied for a Silver Level Green Communities designation from the Atlanta Regional Commission this summer.  We should hear back soon on that, but we expect to receive that recognition. back to top

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