Taxes in Moscow and City Growth: Candidate Forum at New Saint Andrews College.

“Ultimately if the city has extra money, we should give it back to the people,” James Urquidez said on Friday at the City Council candidate forum hosted by New Saint Andrews College. “The money belongs to the people,” Urquidez said, “and so we should treat it as such.”

The candidate forum was held Friday afternoon at the Nuart Theaterdowntown. New Saint Andrews College has hosted a student-led forum for candidates for many years. All the candidates expressed their appreciation for having such a forum.

The student-led panel invited the candidates to introduce themselves and then the student panel asked a series of questions to each candidate.
James Urquidez, owner of Classic Wood Floors and Carpentry, explained that he has a background in small businesses and helping the community. He has helped a variety of people including those with criminal or addiction issues. He described himself as frugal but generous. He said he tries “to get two dollars out of every dollar with the purpose of being able to give generously.”

During the question time, one student from the panel asked Urquidez about taxes in Moscow. Urquidez said this issue affects him personally. He explained that while he was walking through his neighborhood campaigning he met a widow who said, “I only make so much and my taxes are going up.” Urquidez explained that Moscow has a lot of older people in town so he thinks it is important to think about them. He also mentioned that he is concerned about the burden on young families. He acknowledged that the current City Council members have probably considered these things but these are things that he thinks about.
Brandon Mitchell, a small business owner who owns several Jiffy Lubes in the area, said he wants to encourage small businesses in town.
During the question time, one student asked Mitchell about his plan for local businesses. Mitchell said he thinks that small businesses are a key way to encourage growth and keep the small town feel of Mocow.

Mitchell also brought up concerns about property taxes. He said, “As property taxes go up, people don’t want to move into this area.” He said that will harm the growth of the city by turning people away from coming here to build and work and be part of the community.

When asked about the parking issue, Mitchell said he believes that business owners are creative people and so they should be consulted in order to find a good solution. He said he knows about the issue first-hand and he has worked on the issue. He said other local business owners could also help work on a solution.

Anne Zabala, the only incumbent candidate, has served on the city council for the last two years. She said she wants to encourage open communication between the City Council and the community. She said, ”It is easy to live in a bubble where you are hearing what you already agree with.” So she said she encourages good, open communication.

During the question time, one student asked Zabala about the issue of educational institutions being downtown. Zabala said she appreciated the recent survey of the community and businesses because she is interested to know what downtown businesses think and she wants to hear from the people.

Zabala also mentioned that this was the first survey that the city had done in recent years. The city does studies on housing issues and parking issues but those are different from this kind of survey. If further issues arise, Zabala said she would love to use surveys again. 

Sandra Kelly, who works at Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute, said she was passionate about the issue of climate change. She said she didn’t think the city was doing enough on the climate issue. She said, “I would rather get to the point where the government is doing too much and we need to have a conversation about how to back off.” She explained that climate change is a huge issue.

When asked about the taxes in Moscow, Kelly commented that nobody likes to pay taxes, but she said that she also recognizes the need for the police and firefighters. She said she doesn’t want to raise taxes but she is not sure where things can be cut.

According to her Facebook page, Sandra Kelly will be attending a Drag Show party for City Council candidates on Oct. 9.

Kelsey Berends was not present at the candidate forum but her representative Lauren Wallace read a statement. Berends works at Emsias the Manager of HR & Talent Acquisition. Berends is interested in promoting growth in the city that encourages families and the community.

Maureen Laflin, a lawyer, was not present at the candidate forum but her representative Jay Johnson read a statement. Laflin is a tenured professor at the UI College of Law. She is hoping to encourage growth in the city and to use her background in conflict resolution to help the different voices in Moscow.

The six candidates are running for three open seats on City Council. Each seat is for a four-year term. The city council election is November 5.