Improving city finances amid Act 47

The key to Reading coming out of ACT 47 is for the Mayor and City Council to develop a strategy together and work towards achieving success in the best interest of the people.

There can no longer be wasteful spending of large proportions even before discussionsbegin. Wherever possible we need to tighten our belts. My administration will be charged with eliminating waste wherever possible.

There needs to be limitations on spending, and we need cooperation from the police, fire, EMS, vendors we do business with in our future contract negotiations. Each has always showed a willingness to cooperate for the best interest of the people in the past, and I have no reason to believe they will not continue to do so.

Revenues need to be increased by creating economic development opportunities which lead to new and exciting ventures coming to Reading. The Railroad Museum and associated plans can and will attract visitors back to Reading. The potential for revitalizing ourcity is unlimited and is the key to the future.

We must improve the perception that Reading is unsafe. We will launch a media campaign to dispel this and we will use our resources to reduce crime. Those resources include our people. Encouraging people to get involved in the safety of their neighborhood has to be made a larger part of the plan regarding community policing.

Blight must be cleaned up so every neighborhood can be proud of its appearance. The RAWA must be stopped from turning off the water as they cause much of the blight when theydo. RAWA needs to be lifted up to realize their actions have consequences.

We need to take full advantage of our assets, like water, and attract businesses who use large quantities of water to produce products like soda, juice, etc. We will look towards what has been done in the Lehigh Valley to attract manufacturers which brings lots of jobs and use large quantities of water. We must define what the asset value of RAWA is, and increase it by expanding the sales.

Increasing our revenues at a rate equal to that of reducing our expenditures will surely be a major step in the right direction.

Above all, the water rates of the people of the City of Reading must be affordable and not higher than the rates that we sell to other boroughs, municipalities, and private enterprise.

This can be accomplished by following the guidelines of the Pennsylvania Utility Commission. Presently, House Bill 1326 was passed in the House of Representatives and on its way to the Senate. This is legislation that the legislators believe is necessary from experience dealing with the various water and sewer systems in the state who maintain poor business practices.

These reforms will mean much tougher control over the Water Authority and mean real evaluations will be done by real people, not some lawyers being paid to evaluate the system. It is my general understanding that the amount that RAWA can give the City is based on the evaluation of its system. The higher that goes the more they could be giving. It matters down the road.

But it also matters now. If they kept the valuation low to avoid having to give more money to the city. We will have to find that out some day. Again, I reiterate if we follow the PUC Guidelines, not only will we have accountability but it will reduce our water rates drastically.

We have a huge stock of homes also needing to be used to attract new owners who otherwise cannot afford to buy a home. Programs must be put in place to support anyone whom has employment, is willing to work to improve a property, and wants to own home to beable to fulfill the American dream of home ownership.

Every time we turn around a property we put another home back on the tax rolls and increase our revenues. We need to turn the pattern around in the right direction and encourage people and make sure we are not pushing people down. We need to lift them up by supporting them.

I will ask RAWA to consider how they can participate in this process once they have stopped causing the problem. They offer reduced rates to attract businesses, why not offer reduced rates to attract new homeowners of blighted property? Much of the money required to do this is already in the City. It just needs to be distributed differently than it presently is.

We need to turn our ideas in reality. Together we can do this.All of the above is wonderful but as I have said numerous times on the campaign trail,

it all must begin with forensic audits of every department, beginning with the RAWA and the Parking Authority and reaching into all departments as need be. We need to know what the real numbers are, not what we think they are or want them to be.

There needs to be a clear accounting of past expenditures and if discrepancies are found they need to be handled internally and criminally if need be. The results of these audits are critical to going forward. We cannot plan for the future based on inaccurate data.

Positive Change is already occurring as a result of the people’s voice being spoken in the Primary election. I am confident the people of the City will follow through on November 3rd to see our dreams of a better Reading come true.