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Candidates Discuss Policy For Economic Development

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a four-part series featuring the three mayoral candidates.

Has the economic development of the city’s downtown and residential neighborhoods been moving in the right direction?

The Post-Journal asked each of the three candidates running for mayor, Andrew Liuzzo, city councilman running on the Libertarian Party line, Eddie Sundquist, local attorney running on the Democrat, Independence and Working Families Party lines, and David Wilfong, county legislator running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, “What’s working about Jamestown development policy? What’s not working, and how would you change it?”

Liuzzo started the discussion by talking about the $10 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. He said all of the funding that the city received to improve the urban core has been positive, but he is concerned about how most of the money went toward nonprofit organizations and not toward properties that contribute to the tax levy.

“A third of our population is living below the poverty level and we are focused on entertainment downtown,” he said. “The course we are on will not bring quality of life or jobs or growth.”

Liuzzo said, if elected mayor, he will recruit the brightest and the best to work for his administration with the sole purpose of making the city better for everyone.

“I’m not interested in making appointments through politics and friendships and favors,” he said. “Some of the most productive years of our city, from 1938 to 1964, was when the mayor and the council were third-party representatives. Stanley Weeks was one of those third-party mayors. They weren’t beholden to party politics.”

Wilfong also said the development downtown has been nice, but has mostly been to the benefit of the hospitality industry. Furthermore, he said the jobs that accompany the new developments aren’t high paying jobs like ones found in manufacturing.

“One thing we have to do … is find viable employment options for our folks. Historically speaking, the hospitality industry are minimum wage jobs. I think we have been taking the low hanging fruit,” he said. “When it comes to the downtown, I think we are at our end. Do we need another brewery? I’m afraid of the saturation of that business because I’m a business person.”

Wilfong said city officials need to change their focus to bring high paying jobs back to Jamestown.

“We need to bring manufacturing back to Jamestown. We got to bring those jobs, and put money in people’s pocket and we will move forward. I don’t think the development group is looking for that,” he said. “We need to be more business friendly on manufacturing. Companies where people get decent paying jobs, not minimum wage jobs or people making a little bit better than minimum wage. I’m talking people who make $20 an hour.”

Sundquist also commented that he likes the more lively downtown that has been created in recent years, but believes the city’s development department is stuck in the past.

“When I look at our development policy for the city, we’re using an economic model that was built for the early 1900s. As a city we are not business friendly and we need to become business friendly. We need to revitalize our economic development model for the 21st century,” he said. “If you have ever dealt with our development department’s loan application, you will notice the first form they give you is how you buy equipment. Businesses are no longer operating that way. They need working capital. They need the loan to assist with payroll. That is where we need to move to support our existing business and startups.”

During the rebuttal portion of the debate, Wilfong talked about how the city of Jamestown should have a member on the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency.

“Talking about what’s going on with development, don’t we already have an IDA for that? Don’t we already have that? Aren’t’ we duplicating services? Instead of having a director, they should be a part of IDA at the county level. People who live in the city also live in Chautauqua County,” he said. “So if we can build that partnership instead of what we have now where the city of Jamestown stands alone and doesn’t know what’s going on. Why don’t we have that individual sit on the board of the IDA so they know what is going on.”

Liuzzo said city officials need to focus on the greater Jamestown area.

“Stop thinking about this artificial line that we have. Those boundaries we have with our neighbors,” he said. “If you want to talk about Lucy and the (National) Comedy Center during the summer then lets talk about Ashville and Frewsburg in the fall for hunting. Lets talk about fishing and swimming on Chautauqua Lake. Lets talk about hiking trails in the fall. Lets talk about Peek’n Peak in the winter for skiing. Lets talk about the wine trails up in Westfield. Lets encompass the whole area. I know Chautauqua County has been pushing that. We have to be part of that.”

Because of Wilfong’s point about having a member of Jamestown’s development department on the IDA board, Sundquist asked why the county legislator hasn’t made that proposal while being a member of the legislature.

“You’ve been a part of the legislature for six years. It could happen, but it hasn’t,” Sundquist said. “Jamestown is excluded from those conversations. Like Jamestown has been excluded in conversations about the (Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport), even though we call it the Jamestown airport.”

CLOSING STATEMENTS

At the end of the debate, The Post-Journal gave each candidate an opportunity to discuss why they should be mayor. Wilfong said he should be mayor because he has been a member of the Chautauqua County Legislature for five and half years and has been successful in lowering the property tax rate for the county each year of his tenure.

“To get there, I’ve worked in collaboration with folks from the north county and the south county, Democrats and Republicans. You can see that type of government at the county level. It functions well,” he said. “When I was first elected, there was the issue of the county home. I told my constituents what I would do. I would go to Mayville and lower property taxes, get rid of wasteful spending and eliminate the county home. I’m the only candidate who has done what he said he was going to do as an elected official.”

Sundquist said he is proud to be a Jamestown native and he jumped at the opportunity to return home after seeing the world and acquiring an education.

“I’m’ running for mayor because I believe that not only can I grow the city, but move it into the future,” he said. “Many folks have spoken about the problems in Jamestown and we do have challenges ahead, but we need to look toward the future and what lies in front of us. We have a strong base of growth in the city and we have the opportunity to make it even better. My goal is to work toward developing a city for the future.”

Liuzzo said he ran for the Jamestown City Council more than two years ago because he wanted to see how the city works and because he wanted to make a difference. Now he wants to make a difference as mayor.

“I asked what the city wanted and I have listened. I will continue to do that as your mayor. I stood alone at City Council meetings asking questions Jamestown citizens deserve answers to. My values haven’t changed. I ran to represent the citizens of Jamestown and not a particular party,” he said. “The public will be heard and not ignored. My administration will give answers to the residents, not hide or doublespeak.”

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