First I would like to express my deepest regrets that a candidate with a 11 year voting record on the board of Mayor and Alderman would stoop to the levels this letter clearly plunges to. Serving you as a Alderman the past 3 years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have fought hard to ensure each vote is cast with integrity and only after being properly evaluated.
This summer I have campaigned on various issues that I feel are extremely important to the future of our community and I have been very open to the fact we need new leadership. We need leadership with fresh ideas, an open mind, and someone willing to lead with the many rather than be led by a few.
Mayor Superstein's letter clearly shows that her record is not strong enough on its own to bolster a proper re-election campaign. Instead she has chosen a path of misconception and at best a disingenuous twist of the truth.
I am running for Alderman, not Mayor and to this point I have interjected my opinion only on the issues, concerns, and thoughts that will move our city forward. With that being said, I can not in good faith allow the Mayor to spread so many untruths without offering the public the real facts of each matter.
Mayor's Claim: We LOWERED taxes in city from 2.42 to 2.29 in 2010.
The FACTS: While it is true that we did lower the tax RATE in 2010, we did this ONLY after your property values had increased thus the savings for each resident was a staggering $0. While the Mayor's statement is not exactly false, it is designed to mislead voters into thinking we actually experienced a tax cut.
Mayor's Claim: Lonnie Norman, Sam Miller, and Ryan French wanted the city to buy a fire truck for $1,000,000 with no plan to pay for it.
The FACTS: This is simply untrue, and is not supported through the minutes of the Board of Mayor and Alderman. While attempting to smear my fiscally responsible voting record the Mayor fails to mention that the ONLY discussion of a city fire truck on my behalf was during a vote to build a new city police department costing around $2.5 MILLION (that Mayor Superstien VOTED FOR). As the minutes will support I laid out a detailed financial report that outlined why the city DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS to support a $2.5 MILLION dollar project without a tax increase, and my concerns that a new police department was not at the top of our priorities as a city stating that we had needs to address like "sidewalks for children to walk to school on, and a firetruck to secure our safety rating would not be dropped". While I am pleased that we do have a stop gap firetruck right now the fact of the matter is that the truck our Mayor is touting as slightly used is 30 years old, and can not be used for rescue.
Mayor's Claim:We have created 482 new jobs in Manchester/Coffee County
The FACTS: 482 new jobs have been created in the past 5 years in the entire County, however not all 482 jobs have went exclusively to Coffee County Residents let alone Manchester Residents. The reality is that we have seen less than 100 jobs created IN MANCHESTER the past 5 years.
Mayor's Claim: We are saving $18,000 by moving the elections to only even years.
The FACTS: We are saving with moving the elections, there are no doubts about that. However our city has NEVER spent more than $13,000 on any election and this is supported by receipts and line item budgeting obtained from our city Finance offices. Also the Mayor neglects to mention that the legislation she pointed out and supported EXTENDED HER TERM 1 FULL YEAR WITHOUT A VOTE FROM THE PUBLIC.
In 2009 I presented a plan to the Finance Committee (supported by the minuets of the finance committee) that would have allowed the city to move it's elections to even years without the extension of terms our officials were currently elected to. My proposal was rejected and the legislation was presented to extend the terms of the Mayor, Alderman Thomas, and Alderman Patton.
Mayor Superstein touts this legislation as cost savings however refused to answer my question as to how the city can save money by requiring a Alderman to step down before running for Mayor in the city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOHDnzN1VBM&feature=g-upl
Moving forward I refuse to get caught in the cross hairs of negative, divisive, and untrue claims. Instead I will continue to knock on doors and spread the word of what I feel can be a better Manchester. This election is far to important to get caught up in disingenuous mudslinging, but I feel the public has a right to hear the TRUTH on these claims.
Ryan P. French
(931) 273-6639
www.facebook.com/ryanpatrickfrench
www.RyansReasons.com
The FACTS: While it is true that we did lower the tax RATE in 2010, we did this ONLY after your property values had increased thus the savings for each resident was a staggering $0. While the Mayor's statement is not exactly false, it is designed to mislead voters into thinking we actually experienced a tax cut.
Mayor's Claim: Lonnie Norman, Sam Miller, and Ryan French wanted the city to buy a fire truck for $1,000,000 with no plan to pay for it.
The FACTS: This is simply untrue, and is not supported through the minutes of the Board of Mayor and Alderman. While attempting to smear my fiscally responsible voting record the Mayor fails to mention that the ONLY discussion of a city fire truck on my behalf was during a vote to build a new city police department costing around $2.5 MILLION (that Mayor Superstien VOTED FOR). As the minutes will support I laid out a detailed financial report that outlined why the city DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS to support a $2.5 MILLION dollar project without a tax increase, and my concerns that a new police department was not at the top of our priorities as a city stating that we had needs to address like "sidewalks for children to walk to school on, and a firetruck to secure our safety rating would not be dropped". While I am pleased that we do have a stop gap firetruck right now the fact of the matter is that the truck our Mayor is touting as slightly used is 30 years old, and can not be used for rescue.
Mayor's Claim:We have created 482 new jobs in Manchester/Coffee County
The FACTS: 482 new jobs have been created in the past 5 years in the entire County, however not all 482 jobs have went exclusively to Coffee County Residents let alone Manchester Residents. The reality is that we have seen less than 100 jobs created IN MANCHESTER the past 5 years.
Mayor's Claim: We are saving $18,000 by moving the elections to only even years.
The FACTS: We are saving with moving the elections, there are no doubts about that. However our city has NEVER spent more than $13,000 on any election and this is supported by receipts and line item budgeting obtained from our city Finance offices. Also the Mayor neglects to mention that the legislation she pointed out and supported EXTENDED HER TERM 1 FULL YEAR WITHOUT A VOTE FROM THE PUBLIC.
In 2009 I presented a plan to the Finance Committee (supported by the minuets of the finance committee) that would have allowed the city to move it's elections to even years without the extension of terms our officials were currently elected to. My proposal was rejected and the legislation was presented to extend the terms of the Mayor, Alderman Thomas, and Alderman Patton.
Mayor Superstein touts this legislation as cost savings however refused to answer my question as to how the city can save money by requiring a Alderman to step down before running for Mayor in the city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOHDnzN1VBM&feature=g-upl
Moving forward I refuse to get caught in the cross hairs of negative, divisive, and untrue claims. Instead I will continue to knock on doors and spread the word of what I feel can be a better Manchester. This election is far to important to get caught up in disingenuous mudslinging, but I feel the public has a right to hear the TRUTH on these claims.
Ryan P. French
(931) 273-6639
www.facebook.com/ryanpatrickfrench
www.RyansReasons.com
Good for you. We need more like you that presents the issues as they are, not as the candidate wants them to be to further their objectives. I so hope the Mayor is replaced. You should address the issue of the land that was purchased to extend the Greenway. This money could have been spent much more wisely than to give Bonnie Gamble what she wanted. Once more, thanks for the honesty. It is extremely refreshing.
ReplyDeleteRyan, you are a good person who looks out not only for the well being of the older residents but for our youth as well. Mayor Superstien has never done anything to impress me and I honestly think its time to get a new mayor for the city of Manchester. Change can be a good thing when you have a team of members to support you and back you up. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have the new sidewalks in town. I alone think that was a wonderful and great idea. You are also looking for newer ways to more business and revenue in the city. To me it seems like the only thing holding you down is the current mayor. It seems like everytime you get a great idea, it gets shut down. And as far as a new firetruck, SCREW a new police statioin!!! I personally would rather have that money spent on a newer firetruck that can help save lives!!!
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