Ward 2, Taylor Pond area

Address: 239 Lake St.

Personal: Married, two children

Occupation: Therapeutic recreation specialist

Education: B.S., Green Mountain College, Poultney, Vt.

Political experience: None

Community organizations: Director of alpine ski racing, Lost Valley Ski School; Hebron Academy ski coach

Bowles says focus to be on people, not bricks

AUBURN – The city’s budget priorities have favored bricks and mortar for the past few years and it’s time to change that, according to candidate Jodd Bowles.

“These people had a vision for the city, and they’re close to getting it,” Bowles said. “A new city building, a new riverwalk, another parking garage – these are all things they’re trying to do without raising taxes. I think they assumed there would be all these new property taxes, but it hasn’t happened.”

All other city departments pay the price, he said.

“I think the schools, the police, the fire department, they’re not supported as strongly as they should be,” Bowles said. “They’ve all taken hits in the budget this year, but we can still build this brand-new city building and make all these other improvements. Everything else is supposed to wait.”

Bowles said he hopes to help get the city back on track.

“But it depends on who else sits on the council,” Bowles said. “If we get some new faces on there, we have a

real shot at changing things. If I’m all by myself, at least I can ask tough questions, probe and make up my own mind.”

The current council insulates itself from the rest of the city, he said.

“They get a slanted view of what’s going on and what’s important,” he said. “If they don’t hear from people directly, I don’t think they can make informed decisions.”

Bowles said he’d make some changes to the City Charter, perhaps taking away some of the mayor’s power.

“Basically, he should be a figurehead,” Bowles said. “He seems to be taking on a lot more than that. The city manager is the one who is supposed to be accountable, and the City Council is the one that should be making appointments. But he appoints people to committees, to the school board. I think it’s too much.”

Schools and public safety are the city’s key responsibilities, Bowles said. Those would be the first city services he’d move to save if voters approve a 1 percent property tax cap.

“Parks and recreation, as much value as I see there, is all nonessential,” he said. “You have to think about people’s houses burning down, or police protection and programs for children.”

He also favors having the city spend more money to keep up what they have. That includes maintenance on cars, repairs to roads and training for staff.

“Those are the things they’ve cut the last few years,” he said. “That’s another one of those short-term things you can do to make things look good on the budget. I think that’s why they’ve abandoned it.”

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