Mayor speaks to business group

Mayor Dayne Walling was the featured speaker at the East Side Business Association meeting Feb. 9. Walling limited his remarks to what he said were the two major issues facing the city — public safety and the economy. He answered a wide variety of questions from the audience.

"We are facing two simultaneous challenges," Walling said. "The economy that is taking longer than expected to recover and a sense of lawlessness in too many of our neighborhoods."

Walling cited three areas his administration is focusing on in the public safety area.

First, tough enforcement of the law that includes re-opening the city jail.

"As you know, there will be a two mills tax proposal on the May ballot that will bring in about $2 million a year in revenue — enough to fund the jail," Walling said.

"Without jail time offenders are back on the streets," Walling added.

Second, the mayor proposed developing strong deterrents to crime in partnership with non-government and faith-based organizations.

"The boys and girls clubs are touching the lives of thousands of kids here," Walling said. "And the Cease Fire initiative is aimed at changing lives of nonviolent offenders."

Lastly, Walling commended the neighborhood associations that have initiated crime watches and volunteers that have joined the Blue Badge initiative.

The mayor conceded that he hadn't been able to meet his community policing objectives due lack of personnel.

In terms of the local economy, Walling distributed a job growth and investment document outlining gains made in the private sector and the dynamic growth in the service sector replacing many lost manufacturing jobs.

"Our 2010 goal was to create at least one new job every single day. That goal was reached nearly three times over," Walling reported.

The report also projected the creation of 1,000 new jobs in 2011.

David Caswell asked why Genesee County's Sheriff Pickell's recommendation to use Midland County's jail wasn't being considered as an alternative to the millage.

The mayor explained that the cost of housing an offender at the Midland County facility was the more expensive option because the city would be responsible for the entire length of the sentence. The city is only responsible now for the pre-sentence stay and the county picks up the remainder of the sentence housing.

Dan Smith asked the mayor why Flint residents were responsible for the $2 million in back taxes from the Genesee Towers lawsuit.

Walling explained that the back taxes were not in the millions — only a few thousand dollars. He said his goal for the building is to find a suitable tenant in the next few months. If that is not possible the building will be demolished.

"It would be a big expense for the city to maintain the facility," Walling added.

About increasing the city income tax rather than a millage for the county jail, the mayor said it was being considered especially with the decline in revenue from property taxes.

"Before we can institute an increase in the income tax we need approval from the state," Walling said. "Then the city council would have to vote to put it on the ballot and  citizens would have to approve the measure," Walling explained.

Landlords complained about the higher property taxes they have to pay while the properties are undergoing continuing vandalism.

"In Flint 45 percent of the housing is landlord-owned," a member said. "With the city's high legacy costs and its past debts, the solution has always been a raise in property taxes. When are you going to cut your entitlement programs?"

The mayor responded saying his administration is asking everyone to change from their Cadillac benefit packages to a more standard packages but the unions are not going along.

Another member asked the mayor why volunteers from the Blue Badge training programs and requests for crime statistics were being ignored by City Hall.

The mayor said the city is working on a new process for crime statistics that should make the reports available to registered groups by the first day of the month for the previous month.

"An online version of the crime stats will be available after the second month," the mayor said.

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