We are in the campaign season - my opponent has already promised to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars the City does not have which will lead to double digit tax increases and large City debt. We spent the last 4 years reducing City debt by 57% and tax levy rate by 30%. I understand he has been here only 2 short years and never has attended a Council meeting or any other City meeting so perhaps he is unaware of all the hard work and sacrifice we have all made to get Isanti on the right track.
This is the typical political tactic of promising everything and later either raising taxes to cover it or breaking the promises made. Raising taxes to cover his promises will drive businesses away and potential home buyers will look elsewhere in a housing market saturated with for sale signs.....
My opponent's statement that there is nothing to do here is also wide of the mark. I write often about Redbird Baseball, Cambridge/Isanti youth baseball, Cambridge/Isanti soccer, BMX, Skate park, Ice Arena, Isanti Park and Trail system, Community Ed, fishing and boating on the Rum to name just a few. As an example this past Tuesday night the soccer fields and BMX track had hundreds of people participating in family activities. I am taking my son and daughter to swimming , basketball and t-ball all week long. He sounded a bit derisive about our fantastic bowling alley and let me tell you Mike and the whole group there do a fantastic job with dining, bowling, volleyball and horseshoes that provides family fun everyday. I am not sure if my opponent has children or not but I would suggest if he is looking for family friendly fun he should contact any of our great community groups or volunteer and give a helping hand instead of criticizing the selfless hard working volunteers that make it all happen. His view that kids can either bike, bowl or play in streets leads me to believe he does not know us at all.
His comments about businesses and open spaces was interesting as well. We have about half a dozen family oriented restaurants and of course we want more and are working towards that with a number of projects and incentives. I just announced at my Mayor's Employer and Employee luncheon yesterday another program providing $350,000 to help bring in new businesses and to expand our existing businesses. This will help grow our over 1,400 job base in the City.
I am not sure what he means by wasted open space. There are a number of open areas in the City that are privately owned and not controlled by the City nor should they be. We can not have a government "taking" control of private land. The City's industrial park is nearly full and we are moving forward with exciting new rail industrial development that will provide even more good paying jobs for our Citizens. The open retail space is an issue in every community and especially in the north metro area. I understand my opponent has only lived in Isanti 2 short years and does not understand what the City looked like when I first took office. Main Street was roughly 50% empty and good paying businesses like Ever Cat, Pat's Small Engines, Hockert Sales and Isanti Retail Meats (to name a few) did not even exist.
We will continue to add to the 30 plus businesses we have attracted to Isanti since I took office and improve our job and tax base. I will forgive my opponent's myopic view of things because he has such a limited experience in the City of Isanti and our county. I just hope he would do his homework a little before offering to spend money we do not have.....
We face roughly $500,000 in lost revenue for 2011 due to LGA cuts and property value reductions. Isanti's overall market value is going down by 12% do to the collapse of property values throughout the County, State and Nation as a whole..... This is something all communities are facing..... my budget plans the last few years have cut cost and we enjoy a budget reserve that with discipline can get us through the tough times. Government has to learn to say no and live within its means otherwise more and more families will be taxed out of their homes. It is worth noting, since I am not sure if my opponent knows, that the biggest source of city revenue is property taxes and that property taxes are terribly regressive and harmful to our most vulnerable Citizens. With County unemployment bouncing around 12%, Social Security dependent Seniors not getting a cost of living increase for 2 years - this is the worst time to elect a tax and spender with a legacy building agenda.
These are tough times to be in local government when you have to say no to a lot of fun ideas. It would be nice to do more but we must always remember we are spending someone else's money. This is not the time to expand City staff or City government.....
About Me
- George
- I have served the City of Isanti as Mayor since 2007. We have accomplished great things together and I look forward to building on our success. United, we move forward to a better future. You may contact me at 763-442-8749 or e-mail me at george@georgewimmer.com.
9 comments:
Where do these people think the money comes from? They just want to steal our money for their toys!
This guy was not even here when you stopped the bad developers from stealing from the city. How quick people forget how bad things were before you were Mayor. You fight for us all the time and give so much of yourself. You have to win cause I can not imagine Isanti without you as our great mayor. Everyone please help george win
I have never seen so many Is then reading that guys announcement. Does he know he is working for the people and not himself. This guy will drive Isanti right off the cliff.
Sheesh! Just what we need - ANOTHER big spender with big ideas, who's completely oblivious to the current state of the economy and the negative impact it has already had on a great number of citizens in the very town that he's wanting to represent! Seems to me that he's more worried about entertaining his little darlings than he is about anything else.
Obviously this fellow doesn't remember the subject of waterparks & swimming pools being discussed at previous council meetings. If he had, he would've remembered that you (George) DID your homework and, based on facts which were supplied by cities that actually HAVE those facilities, found that they are NOT a money-maker for the city, but rather a money-losing proposition. Obviously contractors of all types are well aware of this fact or much like Walmarts & McDonald's, they'd be popping up everywhere!
I was born and raised in this town (since 1960), and that fellow would REALLY be pulling his hair out if he had to live here back then vs now! Back then the only "park" we had was the elementary school playground! There was no bowling alley, no tennis courts, no basketball courts, no skateboard park, no BMX track, no soccer fields, no hockey arena, etc, and we actually survived! Imagine THAT!
If that guy wants a water park so bad and thinks it is needed then he can invest in it himself. Leave my money alone!!!
Why is it every couple years someone comes along and finds new ways to spend our money when we can barely afford what we already have. I am working the census right now cause I had been out of work for 9 months and need to make some money. Thank God my wife has a job or we would lose our house.
George has always been there for us and it will be a cold day in hell when we are not there for him.
I never heard of this guy before and never see him at any City events. Does he do anything in town or help anyone here? I can not walk out my front door without seeing George or seeing all the great stuff he helps sponsor. George got $2,000 for us seniors from the Arctic Plunge. Any Mayor that freezes his butt to bring money for us has my vote!!! George you are the best thing that has ever happened to Isanti. Keep up the great work.
George, If you have done so much for our community why is there a new strip mall sitting empty on 65? Why havent you done anything to bring business here, and if you had done your homework you would know that business supports community not the other way around, families do not pay enough in taxes to support thier needs, thus the need for more businesses who in turn pay taxes that offset family cost. With Cambridge and North Branch growning and expanding, we need to get on the band wagon or hope someone swoops in and saves us!
We anonymous we have brought in over 30 new businesses to Isanti in my first 4 years as Mayor. Perhaps you have lived here only 2 years like my opponent and do not know what the City or Downtown looked like before I became Mayor. The strip Mall on 65 has been empty for a very long time and is in a tough spot without proper connections to the City. After I became Mayor we developed a multi-model plan to address this problem and many other poor planning decisions that we inherited.
I have no idea where your comment comes from about not understanding the importance of businesses to a community. That has been my number 1 focus and I often talk about developing local business as the key to Isanti's future success. I have written and spoken at length about the tax advantages of a strong business climate and the problem of bedroom communities. Perhaps you should read a little more of my 5 years of blog and other writings before you make such a foolish mistake again.
We continue to bring in new business and develop future expansion. It is the number one goal and our number 1 success. That is why we won the Economic Development Association of Minnesota's Business Recruitment Award. I am not sure what my opponents track record is.
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