Council Candidate Questions: Lowell City Income Tax

Lowell’s First Look met individually with each of the candidates running for City Council who will appear on the ballot on Tuesday, November 5.  There are three seats up for election by voters. The two who receive the highest number of votes will receive a four-year term and the person who receives the third highest number of votes will receive a two-year term.  

 

Each week leading up to the election we will publish a profile on one candidate as well as an answer to one of six questions surrounding issues.  Each candidate was given the same set of questions. Their responses each week will be published verbatim.  

Do you support the creation of a city income tax? If the income tax is not passed by voters, how should the city address road repairs?

Marty Chambers

Yes I support the city income tax.  It is a long term fix to the problem of funding street repairs and will help the value of the homes in town.  If not passed we will do what we can do with the small amount of money that the city has.

Jake Davenport

I have been split on the issue to be honest. We have a 10 million dollar problem on our hands, and not really any good way to address it. I like the idea of having money for much needed street repairs, but I don’t want for us to get in the habit of going to voters asking for more taxes every time our balance sheet is off. We have high taxes and it has been a reason many people have avoided moving into the city limits. If the income tax fails, we will have to dig deeper into the city coffers and try to find they money. I think there also needs to be candid conversation with our state officials about how their policies pertaining to infrastructure have hurt communities such as ours. 

Mike DeVore

I support it. Not because it’s easy, because it’s the only way we will ever make any real progress. There were decades of inactivity on street repairs and maintenance. We are left to pick up the pieces, literally. If it does not pass, we need to work just as diligently on the streets, from worst to best. But with our limited funds, it will be a great uphill battle.

Danielle Ettinger

I do not support the creation of a city income tax. There are many reasons for this. One is simply that the City of Lowell does not house equal income supporting jobs as they do residents, so the majority of our residents already pay an income tax in the city they work. I have looked at the City’s budget and we have the ability to fund our road repairs. There are some overly appropriated expenses that funding can be taken from and moved to meet our road repair expense needs (example: Showboat reconstruction).

Cliff Yankovich

I was not a fan of it initially, but then as we examined and eliminated other options it seemed a solution worthy of presenting on the ballot this fall. Am I wild about paying more in taxes – heck no. Do I believe it is the best possible solution to the condition of our roads right now? Yes. A street millage would put all the burden on property owners, whereas the income tax will actually lower taxes for retired people and it will allow those who drive on our streets 5-6 days a week to the larger employers in Lowell to share in the expense of keeping the roads they use in good condition. If it does not pass, our City Manager and DPW Director are doing a great job of figuring what we will be able to do with the limited amount of funding we will have available. 

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