I believe that you can only spend what you have. With my expertise running both for profits companies and non-profits companies, I understand budgeting and sound decision making. You can count on me to make transparent decisions. During my time as your Orono Mayor I have brought Best Practices to the City so we have better bidding for city projects and fully funded operations for continuity for the residents!

-- Roads budget from $0 to $1,000,00 per year. Now we can plan!

-- Parks budget from $0 to $250,000 year. Now we can upgrade & maintain our wonderful parks system!

-- Water & Sewer capital investment fund was almost empty and now it is self sufficient. We can always make sure our repairs are done proactively & preventative maintenance plans!

-- Capital improvement funds for our Police, Fire, Inspections, Public Works ... is fully funded so there will not be any interruption in the fantastic service that the city provides.

-- The main role of government is to protect our safety and provide essential services, such as roads and infrastructure. Regulations and ordinaces must be fair and equitable to all citizens, and the process should not be a burden to the citizens.

-- We must not forget that the staff at the city works for the City Council, and that the City Council works for the citizens. A good team is a must in order to create an efficient working relationship.

-- When I began my work on the City Council I found out that our bidding process was not proactive and I have worked hard to make sure we have a proactive process in place to make sure we get all qualified contractors bidding on all of our projects.

-- During the last 8 years I have seen a reduction in the overall costs of our infrastructure projects and that means we can get more done with the same dollars!!

 -- All of our city business units now have their own revenue & expense budgets so we can track how well they are run & if they have additional needs.

Orono is one of the greatest places on earth to grow up in. My 2 daughters (15 & 17) love this great community with its rural setting, lakes and lots of parks and open spaces. I want to make sure that they, and every other Orono resident, have fond memories for many generations. Preserving and maintaining Orono's open space is a priority that we cannot afford not to protect and keep maintained, because once you lose it you will never get it back. It is important that we preserve & improve all the great assets that we have in Orono like our Open Walking Parks, Lakes, Golf Course, Dog Park and School Relationships to name a few.

-- We initaited the Dakota Rail snow project 3 years ago so we could get year round use of the walking, biking etc... It was a great success & continues on to this day!

-- The Christmas Tree lighting was started 5 years ago with 30 attendees. Now we have 500 attendees and it has becaome a great community event for all ages!

LEADERSHIP

Leaders need to show consistency and determination. My votes on the City Council show that I don't waive my finger in the air to see which direction the wind is blowing before I vote. My core beliefs don't change on a meeting to meeting basis. I have shown time after time that my 1st concern is for Orono residents, and I will go out of my way to make sure that Orono residents have a voice. Whether it relates to new development, property variances, property rights, enforcement, common sense solutions, or any other matter affecting Orono I will always be on the side of the good for the Orono residents.

Transparency is one of the most important issues that need to be addressed at the Orono City Council. The public's trust in our City Government is a basic core issue that needs leadership and direction that will not be undone by political maneuvering. I am a firm believer on video taping all of the City Council & Planning Commission meetings. The vetting of most issues and variances get done at the Planning Commission level and the need for full transparency is a must. This transparency enables the public to go back and see how decisions are formed and made. As your mayor I have made this happen and I will continue to do it.

-- We are one of the very few cities that video tape City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings & Parks Commisssion meetings.

-- We started Coffee with the Mayor over a year ago to enable discussions on any and all topics.

-- We are also one of the few cities that allow unimpeded public comment at City Council meetings.

-- The city publishes all the budgets, video taped meetings etc... on the City website

This site is a Paid Advertisement by the campaign to Re-Elect Walsh for Mayor, PO Box 53, Crystal Bay, MN  55323-0053