Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bob Tigro - Candidate for Phoenixville Borough Council - North Ward

Karen,

First, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to post a message on your blog about my candidacy for Council from Phoenixville’s North Ward. My family and I are nineteen-year residents of the Borough. We chose Phoenixville as our home and found good schools, diverse neighborhoods, and a sense of community. My wife Linda and I just celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. My community involvement has included being a past Vice President of the Phoenixville Jaycees, a leader with Cub Scout Pack 119 and currently with Scout Troop 58 where our son, Ryan, is an Eagle Scout. I also was a Borough Council Member from the North Ward for four years (2001-2005), during which I served as Council President and Chairman of the Police and Personnel Committee.

As a former elected official, I am proud to ask for your vote based on my track record in office. During my Borough Council tenure, I never voted for a tax increase larger than 6.8%. I voted for a 0% tax increase in 2004 and a 20% TAX DECREASE in 2005. I voted against the tax increase of 2006. My opponent, after taking office in January of 2006, voted to reopen the budget and voted YES to balance the budget by increasing the Borough’s hoped-for revenue, instead of decreasing the planned spending. That just set the stage for the increase of 18.65% in 2007 for which he cast a YES vote. He also voted YES to the 2008 Budget increase of 14.87%. In all, he has voted for 46% tax increases during his term. Now we have an $840k deficit looming and a police pension contribution in arbitration, which may require yet another large taxpayer outlay. I will let you, the voters, figure out who is the fiscal conservative.

My opponent would have you believe that he was a major architect in saving Friendship Field as open recreational space. In fact, I brought the issue of the Borough’s acquisition to the Council floor, and pressed Council to its ultimate passage of the motion.

My opponent wants to take credit for the reconstruction of Andre Thornton Park. The vote to approve the grant expenditure for that park, for which I voted yes, was during my last year on council (2005). Four years later, on my opponents ‘watch,’ the park is still under construction. Since the new Gay Street ‘high’ bridge will be opening in just days, I will note that while I served on Council, I, other Council members, and the manager personally went to their Penn DOT’s King of Prussia office and pleaded the Borough’s case to replace the rapidly deteriorating bridge.

When I was on Council, we interviewed publicly for the best possible appointments for boards and commissions. We did not hire our political friends and donors. We set aside funds to purchase the fire department’s new ladder truck. I early on negotiated the deal with Comcast that brought the Education and Governmental Channel to our cable TV service. In my very first year on Council, I was charged with the responsibility of negotiating both the police and non-uniformed labor agreements; both received unanimous passage by council members of both parties. New labor agreements will need to be negotiated next year.

Our government’s responsibility is to provide services to our community. But, when we see that revenues may fall short, we must have the courage to evaluate all areas of our budget for possible spending decreases. I believe that I have the experience, leadership and negotiating skills that are key to keeping Phoenixville moving forward in a fiscally sound manner. I have walked the walk. I ask for your vote on November 3 for the North Ward Council seat.

If anyone would like a clarification or discuss the issues, please feel free to contact me at either my home 610-933-3482 or my cell 610-633-3486. Thank you, I appreciate your consideration.


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Bob Tigro is the Republican candidate for Phoenixville Borough Council in the North Ward.

6 comments:

andthetruthshallsetyoufree said...

I should have voted for him four years ago. I will this year.

Anonymous said...

From another section on Karen's blog:
"Questions for candidates:

1. Your personal opinion of the Library's expansion plans?
2. Development of the Phoenix Iron Co.'s land?
3. Trash hauling fees?
4. Enforcement of traffic, parking, pedestrian crossings, and other safety laws?"

Karen said...

I received via email Bob's responses to questions posted.

Thanks, Bob!

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1. Your personal opinion of the Library's expansion plans?

My own personal opinions regarding the library are that I do not believe that enough research, discussion or consideration have been given to alternate sites for satellite locations or looking to acquiring adjacent properties. Turning a major thoroughfare into a cul-de-sac cannot be the only alternative that merits consideration.


2. Development of the Phoenix Iron Co.'s land?

I would love to say commercial or retail; my fear is that window may be closed with the development and opening of the main street style complex up in Collegeville this past week. A similar Brownfield site was developed in Conshohocken about ten years or so ago and they were able to secure a FedEx Facility. I am not saying that I want to see a major delivery service arrive here, but we may need to start looking industrial. The owner of the property must be the moving force; the borough can only decide what is allowed. The borough has neither the funds nor the skills to take on the role of developer.


3. Trash hauling fees?

Being on Council when this topic was in its infancy and assisted in bringing it to fruition, I would want to continue to revisit the economics of the program a year prior to entering into a new personnel agreement. If we are providing a service at a savings to the residents of the community, fine; if we are not cost efficient, then we would need to look at other options and prepare for the future.


4. Enforcement of traffic, parking, pedestrian crossings, and other safety laws?"

The Borough needs to be serious about reasonable enforcement of laws and ordinances. We need to ensure that our police and codes enforcement personnel do their jobs in a competent, polite, and professional manner. These are some of the basics items that local government needs to provide to its residents.

Anonymous said...

Finally someone who has put some thought into what goes on in this town!

Anonymous said...

Mr Tigro,

A hot topic for 20 months has been the HUD Housing at Starr and Bridge Streets. The project was pushed through many phases with meetings out of the sunshine resulting in zoning changes and applications filed on land in ownership dispute. This project had many conflicts of interest with planning/applicant and church politics. With that being said, as a council person, would you consider endorsing the zoning for that parcel, back to historic with the significant legal results that clearly stated, to council, the land should not be sold legally?

How do you feel about another HUD project in the downtown gateway into the revitalized district?

Would you be willing to listen and read the facts without being swayed by Father Evans?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Tigro,
A hot topic for 20 months has been the HUD Housing at Starr and Bridge Streets. The project was pushed through many phases with meetings out of the sunshine resulting in zoning changes and applications filed on land in ownership dispute. This project had many conflicts of interest with planning/applicant and church politics. With that being said, as a council person, would you consider endorsing the zoning for that parcel, back to historic with the significant legal results that clearly stated, to council, the land should not be sold legally?

How do you feel about another HUD project in the downtown gateway into the revitalized district?

Would you be willing to listen and read the facts without being swayed by Father Evans?