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What makes you the best candidate for City Council?
I previously served eight years as the city treasurer and eight years on the City Council. Citizens have asked me to come back for they know I work for them.
What should be the city’s top priority now, and how can it be achieved?
We have a huge $90 plus million unfunded retirement challenge that takes away from the many positive accomplishments we have met and overcome in our audits. Spending must be controlled and a plan developed to match the challenge.
What do you think will be the city’s most pressing issue in 10 years, and how can the city prepare for it?
We must stabilize our work force – especially police, fire and general wage due to low salaries. We have come a long way in resolving teacher’s salaries and that same commitment must be placed upon the aforementioned employees.
Should Portsmouth lobby for a light rail crossing through the Midtown Tunnel? Why?
Yes, but the lobby effort should come from all of Hampton Roads cities. We are a region of 1.7 million citizens separated by water everywhere. Light rail has the greatest potential to join 17-18 political jurisdictions leaving only the challenge of revenue sharing to be resolved.
Should the city and state raise more money to pay for transportation projects? If yes, how?
Yes. Hampton Roads has among its unrivaled assets, the location of the largest contingent of military together with a consolidated port operations that serve 60 percent of America overnight. While somewhat dated numbers, Virginia’s port handles approximately 1.5 million TEU’s and with port expansion first by Maersk followed by 2017- 2027 developing of Craney Island; Virginia’s ports in 2027 shall be handling approximately 10.5 million TEU’s. So, we all should carry the burden by adding an increase to the sales tax.
What would you do to improve conditions in Portsmouth’s neighbor- hoods?
The City Council must assume the role as the visionary and engage citizens from neighborhoods and stop relying upon consultants that cost millions of dollars. I am sure it will work because citizens worked on and completed the “Comp Plan”. And it has been my observation that citizens will support and agree to pay for something that they were a part of – from the ground up.
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Someone should ask...
How Mr. Whitehurst shamefully continues to campaign for city office by defending his horrendous career as well as convincing residents that his liberal "tax & spend" policy will help promote economic development while local homeowners are suffering from over-inflated home assessments? For someone with a so-called economics background, Mr. Whitehurst should figure out by now that when you attract new businesses into the area (e.g. Maersk shipping ports), that local taxes should DECLINE because you are widening the tax base - NOT going DEEP into homeowner's pockets. Then again, it's obvious Whitehurst doesn't care about anyone since he's too busy pocketing $10K from developers like Ms Lucas and then blames everyone else for the economic development decisions/results he took part in.
Folks, please don't vote this bum into office - he certainly has not earned your vote on 6 May 2008....
Another Candidate the loves to Tax Portsmouth residents
When is Portsmouth going to reject the tax happy politicians that have raised property taxes in Portsmouth to the highest level in all of Hampton Roads?? When are we going to get a candidate that is against raising our taxes to fund the highest teacher salaries, police salaries, fire department, etc, etc,