Jotham S. Stein: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: St. CharlesWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: St. Charles AldermanAge: 49Family: Married to Victoria Stein. One child, Gershon Stein, who is 9 years old and a third grader at Davis Elementary School in St. Charles.Occupation: Local Area AttorneyEducation: A.B., Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, 1984.J.D., Stanford University Law School, 1991.Civic involvement: Davis Parent;Community Advocate;Coach St. Charles Baseball;Sponsor Tri Cities Soccer and Scarecrowfest;Local Area AttorneyAggressively opposed Shodeen 8 story mega apartment complex proposed for the old St. Charles Mall sight.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 LOWER PROPERTY TAXES IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES. In tough economic times such as these, property taxes should be lowered, not raised, and I will work to make that happen. Recently the City Council raised property taxes yet again - despite St. Charles having the highest property tax rate in the Tri-Cities area and despite the fact that unemployment is high and both property values and residents' income have declined. I was the lone voice at the recent public hearing who argued against the property tax increase.Key Issue 2 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY - Fiscal Responsibility begins with ensuring that every dollar spent benefits all of St. Charles, and I will work to make that happen. Recently the City Council raised property taxes so that it could pay $1.7 million to a consulting firm that will study the Red Gate Bridge project - a bridge that will not reduce truck traffic through the City - a bridge to nowhere. To make matters worse 7% of your tax dollar goes to the bridge to nowhere fund. At the same time, the City Council eliminated Spring Clean-Up, a City service all residents enjoyed. In tough economic times, fiscal responsibility is critical.Key Issue 3 RESTORING SPRING CLEAN-UP. I believe the City Council should not get paid until the budget is in order and City services, like Spring Clean-Up, are restored.Questions Answers Explain whether you or do you not support the construction of the Red Gate Bridge project and the funding mechanism the city has established for its construction?I do not support the construction of the Red Gate Bridge project in tough economic times and at a recent City Council meeting I opposed the Council's decision to spend $1.7 million on a consulting firm to study the project. The bridge will not reduce truck traffic through downtown. Furthermore, in these tough times - with high unemployment and decreasing property values and income - it is wrong for the City to raise taxes and allocate 7.5% of every tax dollar for the bridge to nowhere fund.How should the old St. Charles Mall property be redeveloped, if at all?The old St. Charles Mall property should be developed responsibly in a way that allows a future developer a reasonable profit, but also meets the needs of all St. Charles residents. I actively opposed Shodeen's proposed 8 story mega apartment complex at multiple Planning Commission hearings and before the City Council because the mega apartment complex was unreasonable, would have fundamentally changed the neighborhood for the worse, and would have overburdened the schools, including Davis Elementary School (which already uses portables for its fifth grade classes).Do you support the current vision new ownership has for Charlestowne Mall? What should the city do to help the vitality of the mall and the attractiveness of the Oliver-Hoffman property?I have no idea what the ""current vision"" for the Charlestown Mall is, and I wonder whether, in fact, there is truly a ""new vision."" On a recent visit to the Mall, the Mall seemed even more empty than before. Nevertheless, the City should work hard to help the Mall's new owners attract businesses to the Mall.The city is projected to finish the fiscal year with a small budget deficit. What, specifically, must the city do in the next fiscal year to avoid a deficit? Would you support the creation of new taxes to shore up the budget?I do not support the creation of new taxes in these tough economic times to ""shore up the budget."" The way to ""shore up the budget"" is to cut wasteful spending, such as the $1.7 million the City recently spent on a consulting firm to study the Red Grate Bridge project. St. Charles has, by far, the highest property tax rate in the Tri Cities area, and at a public hearing, a senior City administrator stated that he had no idea why that is. No City Council member inquired further. Effectively running a fiscally sound City requires that the City Council and administration understand basic issues such as these.Explain your reasons for whether you do or do not support the creation of a stormwater management fee or tax in St. Charles to create funds to address flooding problems?I believe it is wrong in these tough economic times, when residents are hurting, to increase property-related taxes, and thus, I would oppose a new stormwater tax at this time. I would be willing to revisit this issue when the economy improves and residents are not hurting as much as they are today.