Pingree mayor looks forward to peaceful, budget-minded term

Pingree Grove swore in its new mayor Monday evening. Beforehand, the Daily Herald asked Greg Marston five questions that examine some of the most important issues facing the village.

Here are his complete answers.

Q. You were the only candidate who ran for village president. How will you make sure you speak for all residents?A. I have represented all residents of Pingree Grove as village trustee since 2007 and look forward to continuing to do so as their mayor.Q. Village board meetings have been contentious in the past. How will you ensure a climate of goodwill and cooperation within the new board?A. I recognize that the board of trustees have the overall governance responsibility for Pingree Grove, but to enable our village to function successfully the board of trustees and mayor will need to work together in a climate of mutual goodwill, respect, trust and collaboration. One step toward this goal is releasing the meeting agendas earlier in the week, which will allow for greater participation and improve the overall communication process. Q. The village's budget is projected to be in the red for the second year in a row. How will you make sure the village spends within its means moving forward?A. During my administration I will put forward a balanced budget for the village board's consideration. This stark policy change will communicate to the village board that their mayor will be part of the budgetary solution.Q. You have said that you believe the village's special service areas create unfair taxation among residents. What system do you want to implement instead?A. It is my belief that Pingree Grove is best served to grow out of the current taxation system. There are two components: First is residential growth and the second is commercial development. As Cambridge Lakes South adds new homes we'll be able to decrease the homeowner tax burden as it will be shared among a larger population. Secondly, commercial development of Route 47 will eventually enable us to eliminate the SSA maintenance tax.Q. You have said you want to attract more commercial development along Route 47. How will you do that, and what kind of development are you envisioning?A. I plan to overhaul the village website and allow our commercial properties to be searchable via the Internet. Additionally I intend to offer incentives such as sales tax revenue sharing with developers. The type of development will be greatly determined by the economic conditions.