Politics & Government

Future Issues - Questions for Council Candidates

Hyattsville City Council candidates look two years down the road.

Editor's Note - Welcome to eighth installment of Questions for Council Candidates. Recently, Hyattsville Patch sent a 15 part questionnaire to candidates running in this year's Hyattsville City Council election. The questions, developed with the help of Hyattsville Patch readers, probe the candidates thoughts on city policy, development, and also asked the candidates to do a little self reflection. 

Between now and May 6, Hyattsville Patch will be publishing their responses to each question to help you, the reader, make a more informed decision at the polls on May 7. Here now are the responses to the eighth question. Responses are organized alphabetically by ward.

Question - What do you think will be the most pressing issue facing Hyattsville in two years? What should be done about it?

Ward 1 Candidates:

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William Jenne - Editor's Note - Jenne submitted his responses to this questionnaire well after the due date imposed on other candidates, citing work and family obligations. In the interest of public discourse, Hyattsville Patch will publish his responses to this and upcoming Questions for Council Candidates items. His responses have also been added, with a disclaimer, to the Questions for Council Candidates posts which have already been published.

Route 1 Development. 

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A strategic vision for the Route 1 strip must be combined with the “tactical” ability to judge issues like traffic, parking, and possible retail tenants and developers on a case-by-case basis. I believe my experience working for a large commercial real estate information provider has given me a working knowledge and appreciation of important commercial real estate development issues that could be useful to the city council. In addition, my financial advisor training at Morgan Stanley included analyzing municipal bond issues so I am familiar with the various forms of city financing- having a registered stock and bond broker like myself on the council might be a good resource for city if they need someone to act as a liaison with bond underwriters or other financial types.

Bart Lawrence - It’s perhaps not the most pressing issue, but I suspect that the City’s Capital Improvement Projects will be near the top of the list. These projects include, but are not limited to, sidewalk and roadway improvements, ADA improvements, bike and pedestrian enhancements, parking facilities, and city building programming, renovation, and maintenance. Addressing these needs will improve the quality of life across Hyattsville. To address these issues, the City must be fully staffed to allow for necessary project management and the Council must put forth a responsible and well-considered budget. As part of this though, it will be important for the City to make sure that improvements and projects proceed in a way to better serve and connect our diverse neighborhoods.

Ward 2 Candidates:

Robert Croslin - Two years from now, the increase in development, population and retail, will stretch city resources thin, particularly police coverage.  We will have to develop new sources of revenue in addition to the taxes received from new home buyers.  Leasing space in the Arcade and BB&T Buildings could be one possibility.

David Hiles (Incumbent) - In two years, the City will be broke if we don’t fix the budget.

Ward 3 Candidate:

Patrick Paschall - In two years we will continue to face the difficult task of balancing a budget that has significantly less revenue than we have enjoyed in recent years.  In the coming months, the new City Council will work to balance a budget that has less revenue due to lower real property tax assessments, and these assessment values will be the basis of our budget for the next three years.  Yet, during that time, we will need to find ways to maintain the city’s level of service to residents while effectively expanding programs.  

We can try our best to reduce the impact of three years of reduced revenue by aggressively seeking county and state partnership programs which incentivize various actions with funds to assist in those actions.  I think we can find many programs that offer great budget savings in executing programs very similar to programs we are already committed to implementing, such as various green projects.  Further, we should explore pooling resources with neighboring jurisdictions facing similar budget issues in ways that may reduce costs and increase services for both jurisdictions.  If we find ways to creatively deal with our budget shortfalls in the coming year, we can reduce the impact of the budget problems that are foreseeable for the next three years.  This takes commitment to creative solutions, and we must learn from other cities across the state and country in looking to find these solutions.

Ward 4 Candidates:

Ross Gateretse - Crime-prevention,  the police presence in the city, enforcement of traffic laws, communicating effectively the city’s rules and regulations. Certain groups of residents feel neglected or left out of the city’s life, so it is important to treat all areas of the city equally. Our public education is important for the city's future; the mayor and the city council should support the school system. I will also encourage small, local owned businesses, fix the city’s transportation programs planning, and the management of city finance transparently. 

Edouard Haba - As I said before, Hyattsville's location and access to the metro system makes it a prime destination for developers. In the next couple of years, as it is already happening, I see a lot of developers coming to the City. Our challenge will be to find the right approach in attracting developers and yet remaining a family friendly community. That is why I think we should favor sustainable development and smart growth that will be respectful of our uniqueness. 

Ward 5 Candidates:

Pastor Herrera - Editor's Note - Herrera did not submit responses to this questionnaire before the publication deadline.

Joseph Solomon - I think safety and budgeting are becoming growing concerns.  The city should take begin taking steps to reduce long term cost and invest in the safety of its residents. 

Clayton Williams - The most pressing issue facing Hyattsville is the combination of lower revenues with the need to fix a flawed compensation structure. We have to find a way to attract and keep the best city staff we can find. But, we need to find a way to live within our means while doing that. It will be hard, but if we get this right, we can enjoy a bright future in the coming years rather than spend that time paying for past neglect.


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