City Council candidates discuss taxes, economics

Voters at Thursday's Monroe County Council candidate forum focused their questions and concerns to each candidate about shoring up the county's limping economy while still protecting the environment. \nThe candidates varied in responses, each pressing their own issues to get their ideas out to the public.\nNine candidates from the four districts shared their positions on tax abatements, income taxes and economic growth in a 90-minute televised forum at the Monroe County Public Library.\nTrenton A. Jones, Republican candidate for the second district, said he supported the limited use of tax abatements to draw new business into the county. \n"We must be receptive to new business," he said. "We want young college grads to stay here and develop their ideas."\nHis opponent is Julie Roberts, a Green Party candidate and public school teacher. She said she supports tax abatements for new businesses but said the county should look at redevelopment first.\n"In 30 to 40 years, we will be out of green space in this county," she said. "Our unused property needs to be reused." \nDistrict Four Republican candidate Dexter Luck, former police officer, said more business is good for the county economy because it creates more jobs and more tax revenue. \n"We should bring more jobs into the county to collect more taxes," he said. "Then we can give county employees a raise."\nHis opponent Mark Stoops, a Democrat, said he is skeptical of the county's ability to "magically attract new jobs." He said he would rather see a .0025 percent increase in the income tax.\n"Do we want to cut ambulance service? Do we want to cut animal control?" Stoops said. "We're going to have to have a tax increase. I'm not afraid to say it."\nDemocrat and District One candidate Lucille Bertuccio, said she is leery of how the council can attract new business without compromising the "clean air, clean water, and clean soil" of the county. She, too, said she would like to see an increase in the income tax.\n"It's like sacrificing just two meals at McDonalds," she said. "It's a small increase, and a shoe-in way to get funding for county services."\nSusan West, District One candidate and Republican, said she does not support the tax increase, but will work for county growth instead.\n"We can get savings in other places," she said. "Growth means more jobs, and I think we're going about it with the right motive."\nBill Hayden, democrat and District Three candidate, said he thinks growth hasn't always been good for everyone.\n"We need to balance economic development with the environment," he said. "When you've got too much traffic, you may have too much growth. When you have wetlands developing in front yards, you may have too much growth."\nDistrict Three candidate Robert Lentz, Democrat, had a family obligation and did not attend.\nHis opponent, Republican Martha "Marty" Hawk, is a two-term incumbent.