In order to prepare for the position of District 4 City Councilman, it is necessary to learn how the municipalities operate. These are some of the steps that I have taken:
- Since making the decision to run in March, I have attended all City Council meetings, except Sept. 5th.
- I attended the OCRA regional conference in Knightstown, Indiana (home of the Hoosier Gym) to learn about grant opportunities and network with other small town leaders to exchange ideas.
- Met with and have had numerous phone and email conversations with leaders of other communities including Washington, Evansville and Bloomington. The purpose of these meetings was to gather ideas and strategies on how they budget, finance and, in general, run their cities.
- I have met or will meet with heads of the Boonville Police and Fire Department and other departments to assess their needs for the future.
- Have attended most County Council meetings to learn how their business will affect the City of Boonville. This has become especially important as they debate and discuss the Public Safety LIT (Local Income Tax).
- Have met with and had several phone and email conversations with an experienced city financial planner. In those meetings, we have discovered several areas where the city can do better and we are continuing to do a thorough analysis of the proposed 2020 budget.
- I have researched all of the outstanding debt and along with the other members of the Republican Team, we have begun formulating a plan to reduce debt and use the savings to apply for grants without increasing the tax rate or incurring more debt.
