WARREN COUNCIL Hopefuls explain tax views

One candidate says she will not support the proposed income tax increase.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A former city policeman, a retired transportation supervisor and a marketing director are hoping to enter the political arena, joining three incumbents for a race to become at-large city council members.
Voters in the May 8 Democratic primary will fill three at-large seats, choosing between newcomers Gary Fonce, Genevieve Lucas and Andy Barkley, and incumbents Daniel Polivka, Robert Marchese and Sherry Cox-Calloway.
Winners will face Niki Frenchko-Nagy, a Republican, in the November general election.
The six candidates cite the city's financial woes as the major issue facing council.
When asked if they support the 0.5-percent income tax increase proposed on the May ballot, only Cox-Calloway said she would vote against it.
She said she believes the issue will fail, as voters in March, August and November 2000 voted down similar issues.
Promised to safety services: City officials have vowed to dedicate the added revenue to bolster police and fire squads decimated by layoffs in January 2000 when other budget cuts were made.
She attributes voters' nonsupport to the economy, saying manufacturing plants are closing, people are being laid off, jobs are leaving the area and natural gas prices have skyrocketed.
Instead, she said the city and council need to re-evaluate departments, look at ways to further cut costs and generate revenue, and to aggressively pursue economic development.
Marchese, who is helping officials write a job description for positions of part-time treasurer and full-time tax administrator, said aggressive income tax collections is essential, as the city is expected to lose about $250,000 a year in income taxes from workers at CSC Ltd., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January.
"As for the future of this city and Valley, we will need more high-paying jobs, a better-educated work force and we must restore pride in our city environment," he added.
Polivka said he hopes residents will support the proposed tax because officials have promised to use revenues to boost safety services.
Tighten spending: He said council must be conservative with spending, making sure to question all administrative proposals.
Polivka has been vocal about the need for city parks to open and said other priorities include getting police officers and firefighters back to work and using as much Community Development Block Grant money as possible in neighborhoods and for streets.
Fonce resigned from the city's police force last year after being laid off and called back to work a few months later.
He campaigned for the tax initiative in March 2000, but has not actively supported an increase since.
Though he realizes the tax increase is needed to bolster safety services and plans to vote for the tax, Fonce said, he thinks the city and council lack credibility because of the way they've dealt with financial woes.
Money wasted: It was absurd to waste money on performance audits of all city departments when one was done a few years back, and suggestions from that audit were never implemented, he said.
Barkley, a marketing director at an area credit union, said he believes the tax issue has little chance of passing, as it is a short-term solution. He said he will support it but believes the city should look to alternative sources of revenue.
Performance audits suggest ways to cut costs and generate money and should be looked at more seriously, he said, suggesting legislators look to increase the license registration fee.
Lucas, a retired transportation supervisor with Warren City Schools, said Warren's "desperate" financial situation could not have been avoided.
She said she wasn't serious when she ran for council seats in the past, but realizes now her experience is needed and that she can devote more time to council matters than incumbents can.
She also thinks there is too much dissension among voters to get the issue passed in May, and said the city needs to restructure some departments and boost economic development.
William "Doug" Franklin is uncontested in his re-bid for council presidency. He is in his first term and has served as a councilman at-large and in the 4th Ward.
He said his priority is to give the community a voice in the legislative process.