City Council: Gaffey vs. Voisin
Ashlanders will need to help the city prioritize its services in the wake of an economic crunch, according to both candidates for City Council Position No. 1.
John Gaffey and Carol Voisin both said the city will likely have to make cuts in services to bring its expenditures in line with revenues, and the process is better served with input from the public.
The two are facing off in a race to replace incumbent Alice Hardesty, who is not seeking another term.
John Gaffey
The City Council will need to undergo a sober assessment of resources versus wants, and he is ready to make some hard choices, Gaffey said.
"Ashland expects a lot of things from its government," he said. "I think psychologically I'm more prepared to deal with the situation than people who expect the government to keep pushing things out for them."
For example, the meals tax, which is helping to pay off improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, will sunset at the end of 2010, and Ashland will have to decide whether to reinstate it, he said. At the same time, the treatment plant will need further improvements in the next few years to comply with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, he added.
Ideally, the council will get citizen input on prioritizing the budget, Gaffey said, otherwise it will be up to the council and the budget committee to make the decisions.
If he were elected, Gaffey would also like to work on updating Ashland's comprehensive plan and ordinances to make it easier for residents to get projects done.
"We've got some language that's flat-out contradictory," he said. "You can be a homeowner just looking to do a change on your house, and it can be very, very difficult."
He would also like to see the city staff work more cooperatively with people who come to them for help, making the whole process more transparent — whether it's for someone making an improvement to a house, adding on an apartment or bringing in new businesses.
Streamlining the process would in turn help Ashland's economy by making it easier to do business here, Gaffey said.
"I think Ashland is known pretty well as being a difficult place to do business," Gaffey said. "People are leery of coming here and doing business."
He would like to see industry that is year-round, non-polluting and provides living wages, he said, but every town has a wish list for green, sustainable jobs, and there are thousands of cities vying for these companies.
Expanding some commissions — such as transforming the Housing Commission into a Community Development Commission and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission into a Transportation Commission — could help evaluate the direction the city is heading in and look at overarching goals, Gaffey said.
Growth is mandated by the state, and Ashland needs to consider how it will handle it, Gaffey said.
The city may have to look at increasing housing density with multi-story buildings, which would allow development of neighborhoods with services within walking distance, he said.
Gaffey said he has lived in Ashland for 28 years and currently does computer-aided design work for a local custom furniture company. He has been a project manager for several companies and has worked in the retail and restaurant industries for 30 years, which he said developed his people skills, problem-solving and ability to work as a team under stressful conditions.
"Also, working in retail or in service keeps one very much in touch with the pulse of the local community, often at a very personal level," he said.
If he were elected, Gaffey said he would aim to get things done.
"I do not like meetings just to go to meetings," he said. "I like results."
Carol Voisin
Ashlanders not only need to help prioritize the city's services, but they need to help develop a vision of where the city wants to be in 10 years, Carol Voisin said.
The Southern Oregon University professor would like to see town hall meetings — not only downtown but across the city — to help create a more transparent, participatory Ashland.
"Voting is only the first step in a democracy. You vote and you have the right to whine, absolutely," Voisin said. "But you are required to hold your elected officials responsible. People have to get involved. Democracy is not a spectator sport."
This participation is key in Voisin's top priorities of fiscal responsibility, economic development and practical sustainability, she said.
In order to make the city more fiscally responsible, Voisin said she would like to see expenditure-based budgeting, which requires justifying additional expenses.
Ashland is $45 million in debt, with the Ashland Fiber Network holding $12 million of the debt, but fewer than 30 percent of Ashland residents subscribe to AFN, Voisin said.
If that number were increased to 60 or 70 percent with encouragement from the city, that would help reduce the debt, she added.
With the direction the economy has taken, state and federal taxes are going to increase, Voisin said, so the council needs to find ways to keep local taxes from rising also.
At the same time, Voisin would like to see the City Council work with the Chamber of Commerce, others in the business community and Southern Oregon University to create living wage jobs.
The Chamber needs to recruit businesses that might be interested in moving to Ashland while SOU needs to make sure it is offering the proper training for those jobs, she said.
"So many people who graduate from SOU want to stay here," she said. "Let's get some living wage jobs so they can stay."
The city's part is to continue to use resources for workforce housing, said Voisin, who serves on the Housing Commission.
The costs of workforce housing are usually one-time and related to infrastructure and staff time, which are worth it to keep families in town, she said.
Voisin, who has lived in Ashland for the last seven years, said she made numerous connections with city and county officials during her run for Congress in 2006, and she would call on these resources if elected to the Council.
She said she also has management skills from working in higher education administration for 16 years.
Ashland needs to become more independent — and more sustainable, Voisin said.
"We start at the bottom with what's free, what we can do easily, so we don't stress our budget," she said.
For example, she would like to see more community gardens in the city.
On a long-term scale, Voisin said Ashland needs a transportation plan and she would like to see public transportation available to every resident.
Reducing Ashland's carbon footprint is also important, she said, and increasing the city's energy-efficient appliance rebate program, encouraging investment in the Solar Pioneer II project and promoting buying local would go toward that goal.
While canvassing, Voisin has met numerous people with ideas about increasing Ashland's sustainability, she said.
"I don't have all the answers. I don't have all the solutions. But people do," she said. "Let's get people knowing about it, talking about it and doing it."
Reach Rubenthaler at 482-3456 ext. 226 or krubenthaler@dailytidings.com
