WATER
WATER
Robert F. Hagan: "Sharing services is our only hope of revitalization and regionalizing our area. Using our water system, as an economic tool, is necessary to increase our revenue and provide services to our city."
Robert Korchnak: "One alternative is to enter into a joint economic development with some of our neighboring townships and structure it so that both parties benefit and we can expand our water lines and sell our water to them...Change the rates if it will create more accounts and more revenue in the long run."
Jay Williams: "Expanding the city's base of water customers must be a continuing priority, as should the continual upgrade of the efficiency, quality and reliability of the delivery infrastructure. We must provide a better product at a better overall cost and convenience than our private sector competitors. Water is one area where the city, if skillful, can remain ahead of its private competition."
Maggy Lorenzi: "The water system is our city's best asset, and as such we must retain possession...[A] lack of improvement or seeking state Issue 2 monies to do so has left its infrastructure weak. Once those issues are addressed, the quality and availability will sell itself."
Brendan J. Gilmartin: "The surcharge of 40 percent is robbery and should be eliminated or drastically reduced. If possible, other communities can share resources with Youngstown in order to offset the cost of water."
Joe Louis Teague: "This water problem we have in Youngstown could be less than what we are paying for it...What we pay per month now we used to get [for] three month[s]."
McKELVEY ADMINISTRATION
Teague: "My administration will work to make a change so we can be happy."
Gilmartin: "I was surprised when Mr. McKelvey supported George Bush for president; however it has paid benefits for our community. He has worked closely with the development of small business in Youngstown."
Lorenzi: "This assessment can be best described gently as falling short and honestly as failing. His legacy will be high taxes and debt left long after his tenure."
Williams: "The McKelvey administration, not unlike any other, has had its share of successes and shortcomings. I served in a cabinet-level position within the administration and I am proud of the things that I was able to help accomplish. However, it also gave me a front-row seat to gauge and learn from the mistakes of the administration."
Korchnak: "He has done a fair job." Korchnak listed several "successes" such as improving downtown, helping with the expansion of the Exal Corp. and opening Federal Street. The "failures" include selling the arena land for $1.5 million without an appraisal, losing businesses and not coming up with a solution to Mahoning County's release of prisoners from the county jail.
Hagan: "The current administration's inability to work with others to create jobs, improve neighborhoods and solve the crime problem is a failure of epic proportion...His administration has been slow to respond to the needs of the neighborhoods with respect to police visibility and improve response times. The downtown has been McKelvey's bright spot although improving the physical plant is only a first step."