Mayor Smith & $20 Million

Just so people don't think I tied completely up in the Citizen Who Oppose The Pearce Recall, here is my though on the $20,000,000 fund just established to support development along the light rail line.

I ran into Mayor Smith the other morning at KJZZ radio and heard that he and other mayors made announcement of this fund and my curiosity got peeked. 

The fund is called "The Sustainable Community Development Fund" and it is my understanding that it is being funded with private money.  The funds purposes is to promote development along the light rail corridor.

As Mayor Smith said, he expect the fund to show that development along the can "create a sense of place".

I believe that is what is needed a sense of place and this is step in the right direction. If you are going to have the kind of growth that is expected you need to get those one, two or three projects off the ground and as they are successful others will come.

Like the Mayor I want to see project that are more than just the ordinary, projects that are bold and push the limits.

Mayor Smith you are doing a great job keep up the good work.

Mesa Getting Tough On Businesses In Mesa

The City of Mesa is moving in reserve with private business in the city adding cost while providing no way for business to pay for improvements.

After coming so far to streamline and work with business, the majority of the council voted to put new requirements on convenience stores doing business in the City of Mesa.  The new requirements may just put some businesses right out of business or cost them to spend a substantial amount money to come into compliance.

I personally don't believe that it is fair to change the rules in the middle of the games and make ordinances retroactive. I also don't think that it is fair to require a mom and pop store to choice between food on the table and a citation or the potential of being put out of business.

The three council members who voted against the tougher measures and whom showed a desire work with businesses owner and implement the regulations agreed to by the police and public are Mayor Scott Smith, Dave Richins, and Alex Finter.