John McKenna, candidate for Carson City supervisor Ward 3, said the economy is the biggest issue facing the capital city.
"We don't know what tax revenues will be available in 2011-12 and what demands will be placed on us by the Legislature. That worries me. Will we have all the services we need?" McKenna said. "We need to be more careful when giving out dollars."
"Secondly," he said, "how much do we want to pay to get businesses into town? In this type of economy, we want to get the most for our money. Sportsman's Warehouse didn't even make it to an opening."
McKenna believes city government can make the most of the difficult circumstances by re-examining its core values.
"This is an excellent, unprecedented opportunity for the whole town to sit down and re-think itself," he said. "Our supervisors did a good job of cutting during the last budget, so if things get better, do we hire those jobs back or do we have a chance to re-think things like services and the cost of those?"
He said the City Center Project also needs to be closely scrutinized.
"I would like to see the facts, the contracts and the lease costs. The city needs to figure out what it will cost for a new library," he said. "I think we should hold the 1⁄8-cent tax in reserve, not spend it right now, keep it in reserve until we know that the city can provide basic services. I don't think it's time to go spending."
It's all part of good business practices, said McKenna, a certified public accountant. He advised a different approach, in the event the economy turns around and more revenues become available.
"Should we plow them back into debt reduction? We could also restore reserves. We don't have a lot left over right now if we have another downturn," he said.
McKenna said he will bring solid business sense to the board of supervisors.
"My overriding philosophy is that we need to get ready for a new-world economy. Kids today will have to face different challenges than we faced. Carson City should be lean and cost-effective. What if libraries become obsolete in 20 years? If we have a 40-year debt, then we've put a burden on future generations," he said.
"We need to get back to frugalness and pay-as-you-go, and we need to be sure whatever we do will have a benefit to us in the future. Things are changing really fast, and we can't predict the future anymore. When things look bad, it's a chance to re-think," he said.
If elected, he hopes to bring a new dynamic to the board of supervisors.
"I have an ability to bring out a different side to issues so matters can be looked at from a different perspective. Part of my work as a CPA is to understand the question and get to the bottom of it," he said.
McKenna said he also hopes to increase citizen input into the city's decision-making processes.
"My belief that everyone's opinion is valuable and contributes to the success of Carson City and makes government more responsive," he said.
McKenna, 65, will face lawyer Day Williams in Tuesday's general election for the Ward 3 seat being vacated by Pete Livermore.