Their Version and the Truth
Here’s the truth about our opponent’s campaign “platform”
Some of you may have gotten a door hanger recently from the Regular Democrats we’re running against in the primary election. It was surprising to receive one at all because we haven’t heard much from them the entire campaign season – a lot of people don’t even know who is running! So here’s a few things we’d like to clear up and make everyone aware of about this door hanger.
First, our ticket has three city council candidates, and one mayoral candidate, and our opponent’s ticket does as well. You all know our candidates by this point – we announced our campaign four months ago, and we’ve been all around the city since, connecting directly with you at your homes, back yards, local businesses, parks, everywhere! But for the sake of clarity you all know that Jason Woolf is running for City Council in Ward 1, Pascual Ortiz is running in Ward 2, Steve Cope is running for City Council in Ward 3, and Jared Hunter is running city-wide for Mayor.
Second, our opponents are current City Councilperson Danielle Carter in Ward 1, former City Councilperson David Trovato in Ward 2, current City Councilperson (and Council President) Reed Merinuk in Ward 3, and current City Councilperson (for Ward 3) Kyle Miller is running for Mayor.
Third, our opponents are highlighting a few reasons why they think they deserve your vote. These reasons leave out crucial parts of the truth to make it seem like they have worked hard over the last 1-3 years, but they’re not telling you the full truth. You deserve the full truth to make the right decision about who should represent you in city hall.
So let us walk you through their “platform” and we’ll fill you in on the full truth, then you can be completely informed about who to vote for.
“Worked with community and business leaders to bring Charlie Brown’s back to Woodbury”
Let’s be real here – the Woodbury Old City Restoration Committee (WORC) and Main Street Woodbury, Inc. (MSWI) were the real heroes behind bringing back Charlie Brown’s. Whatever hand the local government had in this rescue was extremely minute in comparison to WORC and Main Street, so much so that the City Council recognized the leaders of those organizations (via proclamation) for their hard work & dedication.
The Regular Democrats did not bring Charlie Brown’s back to Woodbury – dedicated community leaders did. You deserve a local government that is willing to put those leaders back in charge of our major community development efforts.
“Reestablished the Woodbury Fire Department for 24/7 city coverage”
The audacity of the Regular Dems to campaign on an issue that was created by the Regular Dems is laughable at best and a complete slap in the face to every taxpaying voter in the city at worst.
We all know the story at this point: the Mayor unilaterally suspended the entire Volunteer Fire Department last May (2021) after the City Administrator resigned. Funny thing is that the Mayor was not legally allowed to make that decision when she did; only the Fire Administrator can make that decision. At the time, the City Administrator was also the Fire Administrator, so when he resigned both positions were vacant. However, to cover up the Mayor’s terrible decision, the City Council passed Resolution No. 21-85 that retroactively made the Mayor the Fire Administrator.
After that, the city’s own lawyer (the City Solicitor) conducted an investigation into how the volunteers were suspended, for what reason, and what the course of action should be into fixing the problem. (By the way, a lawyer should never be allowed to conduct an investigation into their own client. It’s a major conflict of interest). That investigation ended in August 2021, but no public statement was given by Council, the Solicitor, or the Mayor. In fact, the entire local government did their absolute best to stay as silent about the issue as possible, infuriating volunteer fire fighters looking for answers and concerned residents worried about the city’s public safety.
In February, the City Council approved a $20,000 shared services agreement with Mantua to provide 24/7 fire coverage in Woodbury where many volunteers returned to their positions with part-time pay. The City Council also approved an ordinance changing the municipal code for the Fire Department (Chapter 20) that needs major improvements, including the dissolution of the Fire Administrator position and creating a Fire Chief to oversee the entire department.
The Regular Democrats did not bring back 24/7 city fire coverage, Mantua did; but Woodbury taxpayers are the ones footing the bill. You deserve to know the full story about how public leaders make every decision in this city.
“Stabilized municipal taxes through strong financial management”
This may be the most absurd campaign platform the Regular Dems have pushed yet.
Did you know that the Regular Dems have cost you, the taxpayers, over $110,000 in legal fees to deal with the Fire Department scandal we just mentioned above?
Did you know that the Regular Dems have cost you, the taxpayers over $130,000 in professional services contracts to find a full-time City Administrator? (Worse news: we still don’t have a full-time City Administrator after nearly a year of nation-wide searching)
Did you know that the Regular Dems have pressured local nonprofits and residents into paying ridiculous fees to host public events, like $300 cleaning deposits and application fees?
Did you know that the Regular Dems have created outrageous barriers to enter the emerging cannabis industry by requiring a $10,000 fee just to have a business application reviewed? (This doesn’t guarantee a municipal license and simply “gets your foot in the door” to be considered)
The Regular Dems are haphazard and dangerous financial managers and you, the taxpayers, have paid for it dearly. You deserve public leaders that have our city’s economic future and the community at the center of its vision.
Our opponents have the resources to plaster the city with as many door hangers and mailers as they want, but they can’t buy your vote and they can’t buy the truth. You, the taxpayers, are the only ones with the power to vote and choose the truth over everything else.
So, when you open up your vote-by-mail ballot or you show up at your polling place on June 7th, we highly encourage you to vote Column B for the Woodbury United Democrats – the candidates that will listen to your ideas, develop plans based on those ideas, work alongside you to put those ideas into action, and never hesitate from telling you the truth along the way.