By Debbie Carson, Online Editor
SEBASTIAN – The eight candidates running for Sebastian City Council spent Thursday evening addressing a mass audience for the last time before voters go to the polls Tuesday.
One candidate suggested the possible need for raising the millage rate to balance the budget next year, while another said furloughs and pay cuts are unfair.
Donna Keys, of the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce, moderated the forum, asking four questions each of the candidates.
During the forum, Joe Scozzari warned the audience that the working waterfront effort by the city might not be such a great idea.
“It will hurt,” he said. “It will hurt the taxpayers.”
Scozzari added that if buying and restoring Hurricane Harbor and other such waterfront properties were such a good idea, private enterprise would have gotten involved.
Don Wright told the audience that the city might have to look at increasing the millage rate to balance the city’s budget in order to maintain the city’s current level of service. He added that it would be a difficult decision and the city should look at its essential services and prioritize.
Bob McPartlan said during the forum that the pay cuts city employees have taken in the form of furloughs are unfair. He added the city could look to establish flexible schedules that could include employees working four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days, which could mean a savings in having offices closed one day a week.
David DiVirgilio told the audience that he feels the biggest weakness on Sebastian’s city council right now is the lack of independent members.
“You just can’t go along with the crowd,” he said.
He added that the council, except for Eugene Wolff, does not debate the issues enough, nor do the members ask tough enough questions. Wolff, an incumbent, is seeking re-election.
Al Paternoster was asked what ideas he had to increase the city’s revenue without raising taxes.
“If I could answer that question, in all honesty, I’d probably be in Washington right now,” he said, drawing a couple chuckles from the audience.
He said that city is limited in what it could do, but a couple options would be to implement the tax abatement – which is a referendum question on the ballot Tuesday – and help bring businesses into the city.
Eugene Wolff, an incumbent, told the moderator that it behooves the city to partner with non-profits in their community events, such as the Clambake Festival and others.
“It has paid off,” he said, explaining that the city has received money from the event.
He added that the city has worked to promote the event, along with encouraging volunteers.
Andrea Coy, another incumbent, said that when voters go to the polls, she wants them to do two things – support the tax abatement and select candidates who are consensus builders.
This is “not the time for arguments and fist fights,” she said.
Voters should elect those who will work together and have a proven track record, Coy added.
Lisanne Monier Robinson said that she believes what she can bring to the council dais is her ability to see the Community Redevelopment Agency district (CRA) as more than one project – like the working waterfront – and work to improve the entire area.
“I can look at the big picture and not put a Band-Aid on a broken leg,” she said.
***LEARN MORE about the eight candidates by visiting VeroNews.com’s Vote 2009 special section.***
The details of how the abatement would be implement have yet to be decided.