Candidate Charles Soule is all for economic redevelopment, but the city’s pace over the past few years has been too fast, he says.

He wants to see the city slow down and devote less money to attract new businesses.

“Let’s finish what we’ve already started before we start something new,” Soule said. “The city is investing in all this new infrastructure, and it’s coming at the expense of taxpayers and of education.”

His solution would be to wait on new projects, and to devote more of the city’s money to the schools and police. He also favors creating a city-run prescription drug program to provide life-saving medicine for people who might not be able to afford it.

He likes the idea of creating a clean election fund for Lewiston candidates. In fact, Soule said he’d like to see the entire form of city government changed. Currently, the mayor does not get a vote on the City Council unless there is a tie among councilors.

“He should at least get a veto over the council’s decisions,” Soule said. “Then, councilors would have a month to come back and figure it out and override his veto.”

He acknowledged that would mean rewriting the City Charter and a total change of thinking. It’s necessary, however, to reconnect the city to the people, he said.

“Right now, people don’t hear about projects until they’re almost finished,” he said. Citizens need to be involved in every step of a development project, according to Soule, who cited a planned retail development at Exit 80 on the Maine Turnpike as evidence.

“I call it the phantom big box because nobody’s seen anything about it,” he said.

Soule said he’d reconnect with the voters four times every year, at a quarterly dinner and dance. That would be an opportunity for people to find out what’s going on in government, and would be a good use for the Colisee.

The Colisee, according to Soule, turned out all right. The city spent a lot of money there, but it was worth it, he said.

“I didn’t think it was, originally, but I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “Eventually, I think it will come to be a useful public asset.”