Taxes, economic woes at center of St. Charles mayoral race

The downtown of the economy supplied the ammunition for the first disagreement between the two candidates for St. Charles mayor Monday.

Challenger Jotham Stein called out Don DeWitte in a written statement, saying the incumbent mayor has done a poor job of preparing the city for "trying times." However, DeWitte cited several financial moves that have benefitted residents during the first term of his administration.

Stein's statement cites letters sent to three out of four of the city's largest employee unions that warn of potential layoffs as the city moves through its budget planning process for the next fiscal year. The letter points to a "significant shortfall in anticipated revenues" as potentially forcing the city to consider "a number of unpleasant options" in the coming months. It then invites the unions to provide input on any alternate solutions by joining city staff in a labor-management meeting.

"Don DeWitte has mismanaged our city's finances and, as a result of his actions, he is planning to cut police and fire department services at a time when our population has increased," Stein said in his statement. "DeWitte irresponsibly cut the city's food and beverage tax a few years ago without planning for the future and now, in the most trying times, he has raised property taxes on us and is cutting city services."

Asked to state his position on the food and beverage tax in the future, Stein pledged to not raise any taxes in 2009. He said other areas of the budget must be cut in the short term to solve the problem. That should not include slashing police or fire department staffing, Stein said.

DeWitte said the possible impacts of the financial crunch the city faces were presented to city employees back in November. Those staff presentations included the potential for layoffs as a "last resort."

"I make no apologies regarding the tax reductions we have implemented, and the city council has approved, over the last four years," wrote DeWitte in response to Stein's accusations. "In addition, his statement that I have 'raised property taxes' is blatantly false. The city's property tax rate was reduced by 3 percent in 2006, and has remained constant since that time, also having been approved by the city council. This reduction followed a nearly 50 percent increase in the city's tax rate during the previous administration's eight years."

DeWitte also called on the city's unions to negotiate in good faith directly with the city and not through the election process. He also invited the public to comment on the budget by attending the public hearings on any proposed cuts. The first of those meetings is Feb. 17.