Mount Vernon City Council: 1st Ward
Cole Burgett
republican
Previous experience: First time candidate.
What’s the biggest issue facing your position? The biggest issue facing my position, as well as many others, is the implementation of new, innovative ideas. It is wonderful when people give so much of their lives to further the community but there comes a point when an infusion of new thought is needed to keep the waters from being stagnant, so to speak.
How would you address this issue?
I think I have already been proactive in addressing this issue. I met with Mayor Mavis and introduced the idea of the Performance Audits conducted by State Auditor Dave Yost’s office. The audits put our processes under a microscope to ensure taxpayers are getting the most bang for their buck at a time when we need it most.
What strengths would you bring to the position?
I work in the corporate world where I have to show how I add value to the organization every day. If I am not, I do not have a job any longer. I am proud to say I exceed expectations and will bring the mindset of “adding value” to Mount Vernon. If I am not adding value, then I should not work here. In my career I work with multimillion dollar figures on very complex projects. Lastly, I believe earning my education at MVNU has given me a strong ethical base to work from as well as a desire to serve the community.
Where do you want to see your district in five to 10 years?
Prospering. I believe steps taken now can ensure the First Ward will remain a great place for families to put down roots to flourish in our community.
Other ideas/plans: I think City Council should be actively involved in the development of employer sites in our community. I think people should hold elected officials accountable to how well the city takes advantage of the opportunities in front of it. One of these ways is to begin putting the fiber in the ground now so that we can attract a more robust group of employers to our city. Doing so will provide new opportunities for people in call centers/technical fields and increase the tax base of the city without increasing the tax rate on you and I. One of the knocks I hear about Mount Vernon is that we do not have a major highway for shipping supplies. Putting the fiber in the ground creates an information highway for data processing and makes the lack of a physical interstate unnecessary. Most companies like this provide tuition assistance for their employees which in turn benefits our local institutions of higher education while providing greater upward mobility for people.
Sam Barone
What is the biggest issue facing Mount Vernon City Council?
Every community in America can use more jobs; so I would agree with other candidates who cite this as a major issue. But the fact is government cannot create private sector jobs. Jobs are created by businesses, mainly small ones. Local government has an important role to play providing a fertile climate in which entrepreneurs can do their thing. This includes maintaining roadways; making available affordable water and sewer services; providing police and fire protection; minimizing regulation; and creating amenities like parks that one expects to find in a good community. This suggests to me local government’s biggest challenge is to clearly understand and fulfill its role.
How would you address this issue?
Addressing this issue begins with understanding City Council’s job description, which includes: Establishing a budget; considering ordinances; and advocating for constituents.
•The budget process is a chance for City Council to flex its muscles as the elected representative of taxpayers. All of the fact-finding council members undertake is distilled in a budget that sets an agenda for the city. A prudent budget includes adequate funds for daily operations, but also funds earmarked for periodic maintenance and capital improvements. City Council’s “power of the purse” is real, and it is significant.
•Council’s legislative power must be wielded carefully. Personal rights can be abused by too much legislation; but they can also be abused by legislative neglect. As a council member I will ask myself three questions about every piece of legislation: Is it fair? Is it financially sustainable? Is it effective?
•An important part of a council member’s job is to amplify constituent concerns. Every inquiry deserves timely response and follow-up. This presumes an effort has first been made to resolve a problem through normal channels. A council member’s role is not to micromanage, or to duplicate the job of administration, but to use the power of advocacy when a situation demands it.
What strengths would you bring to the position?
As a member of Mount Vernon City Council, I will draw upon every professional and community service experience I have had. My major strength is that I have had quite a few of them.
Whether it be 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT; 15 years as a hospital trustee; 12 years coaching youth sports; and everything in between, all of my community service contributes to an understanding of community needs.
I will also draw upon a professional career that includes: 23 years meeting payroll in a highly-regulated business environment; eight years as a self-employed, commissioned sales representative; eight-plus years leading a service-intensive public transit authority; and 18 years of not-for-profit management, including my current position as executive director of the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon & Knox County. During my 38-year career I have experienced enough, and observed enough, to ask the right questions of city government on your behalf.
Where do you want to see the City of Mount Vernon in five to 10 years?
My hope for Mount Vernon is that we nurture the spirit of optimism and reinvention that has characterized the past few years. Dramatic changes downtown involving merchants, MVNU and COTC, private benefactors — and local government in a supporting role — demonstrate we are on the right track. Ten years from now I hope the record shows we have been good stewards of our resources, and have done our part to maintain roads, bridges and utility lines, while advancing multi-generation projects like Foundation Park, the Kokosing River Waterway, and the strategic restoration of historic brick streets.
Other ideas/plans: For the record I strongly oppose my opponent’s suggestion that we hire the Auditor of State to conduct performance audits at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars per city department. The actual return on investment from such audits is highly suspect, and Mount Vernon’s finances are already sound, stable, and well managed by the mayor, city auditor and city council. Performance audits here would be an expensive solution in search of a problem.
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