LEWISTON – There should be plenty of money to go around in the city’s budget without raising taxes, according to Ward 1 candidate John Butler.

Butler said the city just needs to consider its spending more carefully. Paying attention to what the city actually needs, versus some of the extras, should let the city continue to fund what’s important without requiring more taxes.

“You have a bag of money, and a bag of bills,” Butler said. “When the bag of money runs out and you still have bills left over, that’s when you have a problem.”

Butler said he would work to identify the city’s top priorities if elected. He’s one of two candidates vying to replace outgoing Councilor Roger Philippon in representing the city’s Ward 1.

Cities have three levels of spending, Butler said. State and federal mandates have to be paid; the city has no choice. Everything else is either a need or a want. Cities decide which services are which and make sure the needs get paid first.

“You need a community dialogue to determine what are needs and what are wants,” Butler said. “Then you have a picture, and you can really decide if it’s worth it to raise taxes. You can decide what really is an important program, and if you have to raise taxes to pay for it, it’s a city decision.”

Butler said he puts safety and roads in that essential services category.

“At its most basic, you need to get by,” he said. “You need safe roads to travel. If someone breaks into your home, you need police. If your house catches fire, you want the fire department to respond.

“Are you required to have a library? I don’t know about that.”

Business growth and economic development are important, Butler said, but he favors more moderate incentives in tough times.

“I think these are tough economic times,” he said. “Unemployment is stable, but many people are working two jobs to make ends meet. The same goes for people here already in business. So we still need to encourage more businesses, but with a more moderate approach then we have.”

He’d do that by boosting the city’s image at home and around the country. Businesses need to know that Lewiston is a good place to call home. Incentives such tax increment financing deals should have obvious benefits.

“If you offer a company a TIF, there needs to be a clearer benefit for the city,” Butler said. “We need to see exactly what benefits we get. There needs to be more give and take.”

Butler said he faulted Mayor Larry Raymond for “skipping some steps” when he issued his letter to the Somalis last year. The sentiment should have been discussed publicly with the City Council, he said.

“I think he skipped some steps, and that’s fine to do as an individual,” Butler said. “But as the mayor, you need to perceive things differently.”

Butler also said he doubts individual councilors could have helped make the situation better.

“It was a Pandora’s box, a floodgate,” he said. “Once it was opened, there was no stopping it.”

Butler said he does welcome diversity in the city. Using city money to help pay for it is another matter.

“It’s another thing we need to decide as a need or a want,” he said. “Should the city encourage diversity? Yes, but I’m not willing to sacrifice Head Start (a federally funded child-care program) to encourage diversity.”

– Scott Taylor

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