What is your position on 2010 appraisals by the central appraisal district?
Should they be based upon Jan 1, 2010 or, as the appraisal district wants, on 2008 pre-Ike values?
Answer: All properties should be appraised at current, present market value – i.e., whatever the market value was on January 1, 2010. I support limiting appraisal increases to 10% of the 2009 valuation if your home sustained minimal Ike damage (meaning your appraisal never really diminished due to damage) or if your home sustained major damage and you haven’t repaired it yet. If the home suffered major damage and has been repaired since the 2009 valuation, however, I don’t believe it is appropriate to apply the 10% cap to artificially depress the valuation. I also believe there is no way to credibly restore (with the stroke of a pen) a home to pre-Ike values – just because the home is repaired this year – as if the hurricane didn’t happen. That means the CAD has got to get to work in the field and determine new market value for repaired or non or minimally damaged homes. The economy and the hurricane have negatively impacted values as a whole, and the CAD needs to take this into account when reappraising repaired and non damaged properties as of January 1, 2010.
What are you going to cut out of the City Budget to deal with a potentially devastating budget crisis about to hit the many jurisdictions in Galveston County?
Answer: I will not vote to increase tax rates. But whether we cut the 2010-2011 budget depends on too many unknowns right now. I do know that the hundreds of millions of dollars of federal money we’re receiving must be spent within two years of receipt. That money will swell our budget, so in that sense I surely won’t “cut” the budget. Once that money is spent I will carefully compare City employee benefits and pay to regional private sector job compensation. That may or may not involve a cut. We must better direct our revenues to fixing and maintaining our infrastructure.
Do you know the rules for mandatory evacuation and do you support allowing residents to stay for a hurricane if they have on file with the City a waiver of service?
Answer: Yes, I know the Rules: they are found in Texas Government Code Chapter 418. I was Mayor pro Tem in the last year when the rules provided for only a voluntary evacuation. After Rita, the State allowed Mayor’s and County Judge’s to exercise an extraordinary power to order a mandatory evacuation. Practically, however, after the post-Ike “look and leave,” an experience that uniformly caused great anger and frustration among our residents and business owners, we’ll likely see many citizens ignoring mandatory evacuation orders in all but the most severe storms.
Even though the law expressly allows for use of reasonable force to remove persons from the evacuation area, our Police and emergency service personnel will have plenty of other things to do in the hours between evacuation and landfall: that is, the Police and Fire won’t be trolling the neighborhoods for those who elect to stay. However, if a minor is being held by a parent or other person against the law, and the Police observe that, then I think the Police would likely remove the minor and family from the danger area. I don’t believe a waiver of service is a recognized document. I called the City Attorney, and she had never heard of one. The law simply provides that if a person remains in harm’s way he can be held civilly liable to the governmental entity that conducts a rescue on the person’s behalf. I believe that law is in place to incentivize residents to take evacuation orders seriously. Remember our dear friend Fletcher Harris: A WW II vet, Purple Heart recipient and a man who had never evacuated before. He stayed for Ike, but afterwards was so moved by the experience he said if he had it to do again he would have evacuated. He passed away due to illness last year, and we miss him, but his words are still instructive.
Do you support the look and leave process used in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike?
Answer: No. Unless there is an imminent danger to human life, I would allow near-immediate return for business and home owners – whether primary or secondary residence – so that each could save their property – or in Insurance language “mitigate damages.” Our police presence will be supplemented by any number of agencies so we should be able to accommodate our citizens, business owners and property owners. I would limit re-entry to owners of property who pre-register with the City. If you own a home, property or a business, it would require a simple pre-registration via the City’s website or in person – with a description of the interest – a home, a second home, a boat, a business – and that will make it possible for responsible property owners to return at once to secure their interests. There should be some pre-storm registration to allow entry to legitimate property owners and guard against looters or thrill seekers. Keeping residents and business owners off the Island for as long as we did is untenable.
What changes would you make to the current smoking ordinance?
Answer: I would shorten the distance from the entrance to allow smoking beyond 5 feet from the entrance. Presently smoking is forbidden up to 15 feet from an entrance. I would also make it easier for businesses to apply for and obtain a license to use the city easement and sidewalk in order to place tables and chairs in the sidewalk areas.
What changes would you make in order to make City Hall more business friendly?
Answer: I would place on the next agenda a discussion and action item to direct the City Manager to adopt a “service-first approach” to dealing with businesses and residents at City Hall. In other words, adopt a philosophy that every proposed tax-paying business enterprise should be nurtured and enabled, unless it is illegal or dangerous. To use a recent example, if Little Miss Cupcake (the mobile cupcake van) wishes to drive around the City to further her sales, she should be allowed and encouraged. Unfortunately, she was told she could sell only from a stationary location. Yet, the ice cream truck can drive through town. Council would adopt objective review criteria to hold accountable the City Manager (and through him his staff). Such criteria might include number of permits issued, degree of public satisfaction (measured by solicited, written comments of citizen-customers) and sales tax revenue received monthly.
Would you support a West End sub-City hall to handle Saturday hours for water bills and other planning permits?
Answer: Yes. That is a great idea. We should have done it years ago.
Are you in favor of or against Tax reinvestment zones and why?
Answer: I voted for various TIRZs while on Council in 2000-2006, and I still favor using TIRZs and other municipal financing tools sparingly. I served as a TIRZ attorney for Houston’s Old Sixth Ward TIRZ, and I understand how these programs work. I feel there is more than enough blight in Galveston to merit continuing increment reinvestment financing when appropriate opportunities arise.
Are you willing or not willing to sign a letter granting the continuance of a tax exempt status to an entity that has restrictions on allowing all Galveston businesses to do work at the entity's location?
Answer: I sense that this question is directed at a specific situation; if so, I would like to know the details. Generally, I don’t support tax exemptions unless there is a genuine and continuing local benefit. The hypothetical mentions that it has restrictions on allowing all Galveston businesses to work at the location: that is a clear strike against the continuance of the status, but I would need to know more.
What are the conflicts of interest you see coming during your tenure in office and how will you resolve them?
Answer: None. I am independent in my employment, and I am not aligned with nor controlled by any special interest, local philanthropic organization or public safety union that would create a conflict during Council votes. My wife serves on the Zoning Board of Adjustments (ZBA). I would, of course, abstain from considering her reappointment.
What philosophy would you employ in assigning members to Galveston Housing Authority Board of Directors? Please give at least three criteria those individuals must meet.
Answer:My Philosophy: Galveston City Council needs to forcefully address Island poverty, rather than turns its back on the poor and expect GHA to house them all with federal dollars. I believe there is a need and a place for excellent public housing in Galveston, but it must: be single family or duplex style living; be part of a program that provides more than a house, it must give tools to GHA clients to create a five year plan to self sufficiency; and it must be limited in number so that Galveston residents only are served.
Process of Selecting Commissioners: If elected, I will interview each of the incumbents and allow him/her to make the case to me why he/she should be re-appointed to serve the community’s new vision for public housing. The reality is that most of the Board were appointed years ago – before Ike – at a time that was radically different, and the GHA commissioners’ duties now call for new priorities and leadership skills. I will also identify at least two alternative candidates for each of the positions. I will then ask each candidate to submit a written summary explaining why he/she should be appointed to serve. I will timely make my appointments based on the substance of the candidates’ personal interview and written statement, my interviews of a cross section of the community and my personal judgment. The three express criteria: The At-large Board member must (1) be a Galveston homeowner or business owner; (2) pledge to hold the GHA Executive Director accountable in a semi- annual performance review based on objective criteria related specifically to advancing tenants out of public housing and into the private housing market; and (3) pledge to allocate the maximum amount legally permissible in the GHA budget on workforce training, education and family self sufficiency programs rather than merely on building housing units. I would also require any Commissioner to pledge that keeping appearance and cleanliness of Section 8 properties be a measurable job performance requirement of the Executive Director.
Will you, as Mayor, pledge not to take the appointment to the Wharves Board as the City Council representative?
Answer: I will so pledge at least for my first term in office: I will have my hands full already as Mayor. I have served on the Wharves Board before, and have no burning curiosity to serve on that Body. I do, however, understand its problems are beyond what any one Trustee can affect. So, I look forward to exploring how the Mayor and Council can take action to help the Wharves better serve the City. It’s a seriously underperforming asset presently. It needs to generate more jobs. My personal preference is to serve on the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC). A strong, constant presence on the HGAC Board is how we will obtain resources and respect regionally.
