Candidate Q&A: Terry Morrison

What makes you the best candidate for City Council?

I bring nearly 28 years experience of public service to the city. My training is in administering and managing contract expenditures, which are funds provided by the taxpayers, as well as responding to citizen’s concerns and helping them resolve problems. I have always committed to making myself accessible .

What should be the city’s top priority now, and how can it be achieved?

The city must address soaring assessments and offest the rising costs to property owners, particularly those on fixed incomes. We can best achieve this by increasing revenue through business growth, including an aggressive tourism program. We must be smart in how we decide which businesses we need here – business that is likely to attract customers from all over and not drain the customer base from other operations elsewhere in the city.

What do you think will be the city’s most pressing issue in 10 years, and how can the city prepare for it?

Transportation . The new port facility will be built on Craney Island most likely by then, and right now, there is only one way in and out of Craney Island. We need to start preparing for this now. Without effective dialogue between the council and the legislature, commercial, as well as residential traffic will be seriously hampered.

Should Portsmouth lobby for a light rail crossing through the Midtown Tunnel? Why?

Yes. Many people in Portsmouth have to cross the Elizabeth River to get to work. If they work in Virginia Beach, they are likely to be in traffic for as many as two hours every day. With gasoline approaching $4 a gallon, there must be relief for commuters. With light rail crossing through the Midtown Tunnel, the southside cities will be connected.

Should the city and state raise more money to pay for transportation projects? If yes, how?

My expectation is that the state will do more to provide the needed transportation structure. For several years, the legislature has allowed philosophical differences hold up needed projects. There is no ingress and egress for trucks to effectively access Craney Island. Midtown Tunnel traffic goes from four lanes to one at the tunnel entrance. I support the proposal in the General Assembly to raise the sales tax so that we will not sit in increasing gridlock for years to come.

What would you do to improve conditions in Portsmouth’s neighbor- hoods?

The best way to improve neighborhoods is to do away with blight and clean them up with new development. Last year, the General Assembly changed the definition of blight, making it much more restrictive on cities . City Council should lobby legislators to soften the language on blight or change the definition back to what it was .