Name in the hat :: DeKalb County Online

About that open 3rd Ward alderman seat on the DeKalb City Council:

From: Mac McIntyre
To: Povlsen, Kris
Sent: Thu Dec 17 10:42:13 2009
Subject: 3rd ward

Mayor Povlsen,

It is after much consideration that I submit my name as a potential candidate as acting alderman for the third ward. I am often critical of city business and that may be a factor to not consider me for the position. But it won’t be said that I did not step up to offer my services. I do not stand on the sidelines and complain.

I have the ability and desire to represent the 3rd ward and serve the citizens of DeKalb. I am very familiar with the 3rd ward and consider myself to have working class values prevalent in our neighborhood.

In serving on the finance advisory committee I believe I have established two needed traits for the position. I attend meetings and I do so prepared and ready to intelligently contribute. I am not afraid to make unpopular decisions based on due diligence of the issues at hand. I have multimedia communication expertise with emphasis on the Internet that would prove an asset to the council.

Thank you for your service to this community and for your consideration of this correspondence. Such decisions are not easy but you’re up to the challenge. I’m sure you have an impressive list to choose from.

Mac McIntyre

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From: Kris Povlsen
To: Mac McIntyre
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: 3rd ward

Thanks Mac. I will certainly put you on the short list for the Council to consider. I will stay in touch with you. Kris

So my name is officially in the hat for 3rd Ward alderman. The Mayor will choose from a half-dozen or so 3rd ward residents who have expressed interest in filling the seat opened by Victor Wogen’s resignation. The city council must approve the Mayor’s appointment by majority vote.

As I stated in my email to Mayor Povlsen I am sure he has an impressive list of potential appointees to choose from. Kay Shelton, for example, has publicly announced her declaration of interest in filling the 3rd ward seat. She is certainly qualified and committed to doing things right for the ward and the city.

The mayor will choose his appointment and the sun will rise the next day. There are better days ahead for DeKalb because of the increasing engagement our citizens have in their local government affairs.

My priorities include:

To provide 3rd ward residents with safe streets, sidewalks, alleys and neighborhoods.

To identify and assist all neighborhood groups with civic engagement.

To represent the concerns of 3rd ward residents at meetings and discussions of community business.

To hold public investment in technology to higher standards of accountability as it relates to government efficiency and transparency.

To expand citizen engagement with consideration of recommendations of the full EPI Report.

To hold the line on tax or fee increases until expenditures are in line with revenue projections.

To substantially reduce or eliminate all non-essential public expenditures.

To address trust concerns between staff and council expressed during the EPI sessions with City staff, council and members of the Finance Advisory Committee.

DeKalb must improve its overall financial picture, including its long-term unfunded liabilities and risk management policies before further entering the debt market and committing to inter-generational debt.

The bigger picture:

The City should not continue to make huge investments in speculative real estate development that requires inter-generational debt not secured or at least matched by private investment. A more healthy more productive partnership might be between the corporate and private residents within the respective qualifying boundaries and their local government relative to CDBG-R and/or TIF funding. A financial plan that provides traceable and accountable return on investment must drive any such programs be it Capital Improvement or Local Economic Recovery.

Did you know?

Within the parameters of CDBG-R and/or TIF there are existing funding resources available to generate local sales, circular cash flow and tax revenues based on local economic recovery (instead of rate increases) to:

create local job demand and enhance local job retraining resources;

reduce local demand for energy thereby providing energy saviings;

refurbish blighted homes within the neighborhoods;

provide incentive for those who work in DeKalb to own and live in a home in our city.

Why did I put my name in the hat?

I was in attendance of the city council meeting where Mayor Povlsen publicly asked for 3rd ward residents with ideas to step up and put their names in the hat.

As stated, it won’t be said that I did not step up to offer my service. I did not just stand on the sidelines and complain. I am informed, prepared and ready to intelligently contribute as 3rd ward alderman. I am not afraid to make decisions based on due diligence.

If appointed I’ll do my best and do so honorably and honestly. If not I’ll do the same.