Q&A: Bruce Williams, Incumbent Mayoral Candidate

Throughout this week and next, we'll be running Q&A's with candidates in the Takoma Park City Council election. Any of the candidates that responded to our questions will be posted.

Incumbent Mayoral candidate Bruce Williams sat down with Patch to answer questions before the Nov. 8 election.

1. Where would you cut the budget? Can the city progress with programs or does it need to simply maintain its current services because of budget
issues?

I think we should look at revenues and expenses together--cutting things from the budget depends on what our revenues look like.  In the face of reductions in revenues from the State and the County, we cut positions.  On the other hand, we have added two new speed cameras, and we may be able to shift some public safety expenses over to the Speed Camera Fund.  It is a balancing act, and we keep expanding the scope of the budget discussion in order to consider alternative approaches.  We've added the Sustainability Coordinator contract position, and when it is filled, we'll consider how we want to proceed with that, which is another part of the balancing act.

2. Name three things you would propose as a council member to improve
livability in Takoma Park.

     1.  Look for ways to encourage businesses to locate to Takoma Park--attracted by the planning that is taking place around Takoma Langley and the Purple Line and bus transit center, and attracted by the vibrant Main Street area in Old Town/Takoma Junction.  Find more new restaurants to open here to address the desires of our residents for good dining options in close proximity.
     2.  Expand the type and number of stormwater projects on both public and private property, to decrease our runoff and contamination of the Bay, while keeping in mind that we will need to figure out how to expand our ability to design and manage such projects given the fact that our staff currently has more than enough work to do the projects currently in the pipeline.  This is an area that the Sustainability Coordinator might consider.
     3.  Look for new allies and new approaches to get our fair tax duplication payments from the County, so that the financial burden on our taxpayers is lessened, making it more affordable to live here and to conduct business here.

3. With the County Council adopting the CR Zone what would you like to see happen to the Takoma Langley Crossroads? Where is the balance between development and livability?

Adoption of the CR zones is only one of the pieces of the puzzle--we're still working on the Sector Plan, and the Design Guidelines that go with it.  I'm confident that we can get all the pieces to fit with one another.  Then there is the coming county-wide zoning code rewrite, which the Council will be briefed on in January.  That will address what happens in all the other zones besides the CR zones.  Once we understand what those might be, we can better address the question of how commercial and residential areas fit together.  We have to remember that our City is an attractive area for residents because we are close to commercial areas and transit--making our neighborhoods more livable.  Getting the details right--whether talking about the Crossroads area, or the areas around the Metro, involves getting input from everyone--residents and businesses.  If we want more restaurants and shops that we can walk or bicycle to, our neighborhood connections to them have to work, while making sure that some parts of the traffic generated by those businesses doesn't inundate the neighborhoods.

4. How do you see the Takoma Junction developing? How would you quell the traffic issue?

Takoma Junction has been an issue that I've been dealing with since my days as one of the Co-chairs of the SS Carroll Neighborhood Association around 1990.  We were addressing light timing, crosswalk location, parking, and commercial development then, and we were continuing the efforts begun by others in the early 1980's when the Junction was improved with new sidewalks, street lights, and the gazebo and park.  The City bought the "Zarpas lot" after I got on the Council in 1993, in order to make sure that the public had more of a say in how it was developed, rather than fighting what a private developer might propose.  The City aided the TPSS Coop in moving to their current location, and I assume that their expansion plans will be part of the mix of what is considered going forward as we talk about development in the Junction.  My best answer to the traffic issues in the Junction is to get the State to agree to set all of the lights to blinking red for a sufficient time to evaluate whether having essentially an all-way stop configuration is the best solution.  The cost will be almost nothing, and the potential is there.  This also means that we don't have to wait even longer than we already have for the State to upgrade the control systems for these lights in order for the State to hand control of them over to the County.  This handoff would allow the County to integrate them into their management system, which would be much better for us.

5. With tax duplication being such a big issue with residents, how would you make city services worth the extra money residents currently pay? If the county is providing a better service do you think the city should drop that service?

We recently looked at the possibility of changing the solid waste and recycling program over to the County, but found that it would cost residents more than they are paying now--we did this before we authorized the renovation of the Public Works facility that is now coming to a close--the administrative staff moved back in this week.  We know that our police services provide an enhanced level of services over what we would get from the County.  The duplication payments are supposed to be set up so that the County reimburses us for those services that they would provide, while any enhanced level is on us to pay.  The problem is that we don't think that they are reimbursing at the proper level to reflect the services that they would provide.  If we get that problem fixed, I think the enhancements that we provide will be much clearer, and acceptable.

6. What issue is most important to you? Just speak your mind on this one and let the readers know why it is important for you to be sitting at the dais after the November election.

The job of Mayor is different than the job of Councilmember for a ward.  I set the Council agenda, and run the meetings.  I try to be even-handed in my approach, and I try to make sure that our process for considering and discussing issues brings all of the parties and concerns to the table.  I handled more of the constituent services aspect of the job when I represented Ward 3 for fourteen years.  Now as Mayor, I need to address more issues with the institutional entities such as WAH, WAU, and Montgomery College.  I also spend a lot of time dealing with other levels of government--other municipalities, Montgomery County, the State, and other governments and associations in the metropolitan region.  I still address many issues that individuals bring to me, and I always enjoy visiting our local schools so that I can talk with kids.  However, I do spend many hours each week working with leaders from all around our area, making sure that our needs are addressed, and I work at building and enhancing links with current and potential allies who can help us get where we want to be as a community.  I hope that my efforts will lead us to being a more sustainable community for the long haul.