DAVID KURTZ ON THE ISSUES

Let's make Biddeford

safe and affordable

for everyone.

SAFE

SAFE FOR RENTERS. 53% of Biddeford rents. 100% of Biddeford deserves a voice. I want this city to be known as a great place to be a tenant - where everyone's rights and responsibilities are clearly laid out and cleary respected.

SAFE FOR OWNERS. Just as renters shouldn't be subjcted to gigantic increases in rent, so too owners shouldn't be subjected to gigantic increases in property taxes.

SAFE FOR CARS. We need to make sure this construction gridlock never happens again. We need better planning, better communication, and better coordination with Saco and the State.

SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS. Businesses, residents, visitors - everyone needs walkable streets. We need to complete the Riverwalk. We need to build the pedestrian bridge between Pearl Street Park and Factory Island. We need to consider an elevated pedestrian bridge across Main Street. We need better sidewalks - especially for people in wheelchairs. We need better signage... everywhere.

SAFE FROM DRUGS. We need to keep the rough stuff away from Main Street, away from kids, away from businesses, and give addicted people a way out.

SAFE FROM CRIME. We ask a lot of the Biddeford Police Department. We need to give Chief JoAnne appropriate resources, as well as appropriate oversight.

SAFE FOR BUSINESSES. We need our downtown stores to know that their rents aren't going to double overnight. We need a thriving Main Street, not an empty one.

SAFE FOR EVERYBODY. We need a Biddeford that is safe for everybody. Safe for women. Safe for people of color. Safe for queer people. Safe for trans people. Safe for people of every religion and no religion at all. Safe for people who weren't born in Biddeford. Safe for people who weren't born in America. Safe for people who are seriously down on their luck. It's a moral duty. It's the only way to be a good neighbor. (And it's great for tourism and for property values... just sayin'.)

SAFE FOR MY MOTHER. My mom just moved to Ward 5. So you're damn right I'm committed to keeping this city safe and affordable!

AFFORDABLE

AFFORDABLE FOR RENTERS. We all know that Biddeford rents have exploded. Some of that is because we're a more desirable place to live. Some of that is because everything has gotten more expensive. But a lot of it is just straight up price-gouging. We need controls, or people are going to keep getting forced out of their homes.

AFFORDABLE FOR BUYERS. We cannot have artificial scarcity in a housing crisis. Either sell 'em or rent 'em! There need to be financial disincentives for sitting on empty units - especially in the big developments.

AFFORDABLE FOR OWNERS: There used to be a time when Biddeford needed to throw incentives at everything just to bring in developers and jobs. That isn't true any more. We need to stop giving million-dollar incentives (at taxpayer expense!) where they aren't needed.

AFFORDABLE FOR PARENTS. We need our parks to be safe and clean so children and families can enjoy them. We should be so proud of our library, and should give them the resources to do their critical and just wonderful work. The city should strongly encourage affordable childcare.

AFFORDABLE FOR SENIORS. A lot of the people moving to Ward 5 are seniors or people preparing for retirement. They want to downsize, they want to be somewhere walkable, they want to be somewhere social. We need to make sure they have a safe and affordable downtown - and that their cost of housing is predictable and consistent.

AFFORDABLE FOR WORKERS AND TRADESPEOPLE. If you work in Biddeford, you should be able to live in Biddeford. This benefits everybody. It builds community, it supports the local economy, it reduces traffic, it reduces labor shortages, and it helps get people off the streets and into stable housing.

AFFORDABLE FOR BUSINESSES. We need city support for small and new businesses; clear and consistent code enforcement; and clear and consistent taxation. Most of all, there needs to be full transparency in city government - without even a hint of favoritism or backroom dealing.

AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK. The best way to get people off the streets is to give them a bed to sleep in and a place to store their things during the day. This dramatically increases employment and dramatically decreases drug use - leading to more stable housing, and a better Biddeford for everybody.