DAVID KURTZ ON THE ISSUES

Let's make Biddeford

safe and affordable

for everyone.

SAFE

SAFE FOR RENTERS. 55% of Biddeford rents. 100% of Biddeford deserves a voice. I want this city to be known as a great place to be a tenant.

SAFE FOR OWNERS. The homeowners of Biddeford deserve to have the best services for the lowest property taxes. City leadership should cut excess, address inefficiency, but also reward cost-saving and support strong public goods.

SAFE FOR DEVELOPERS. Builders and businessess need consistency, honesty, professionalism, and continuity of service. Anything less is not a business-friendly atmosphere.

SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS. Businesses, residents, visitors - everyone needs walkable streets. We need to complete the Riverwalk. We need to build the pedestrian bridge between Pearl Street Park and Factory Island. We need better sidewalks - especially for people in wheelchairs. We need better wayfinding... everywhere.

SAFE FROM DRUGS. We need to keep the rough stuff away from Main Street, away from kids, away from businesses, and give addicted people a way out.

SAFE FROM CRIME. We ask a lot of the Biddeford Police Department. We need to give them appropriate resources - as well as finding ways to ask less of them, by relying on other first responders wherever appropriate.

SAFE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. We need a thriving Main Street. This means consistency for businesses, fully-occupied local residences, and a fully-supported Heart Of Biddeford,

SAFE FOR EVERYBODY. We need a Biddeford that is safe for everybody. Safe for women. Safe for people of color. Safe for queer people. Safe for trans people. Safe for people of every religion and no religion at all. Safe for people who weren't born in Biddeford. Safe for people who weren't born in America. Safe for people who are seriously down on their luck. It's a moral duty. It's the only way to be a good neighbor. (And it's great for tourism and for property values... just sayin'.)

SAFE FOR MY MOTHER. My mom lives in Ward 5. So you're damn right I'm committed to keeping this city safe and affordable!

AFFORDABLE

AFFORDABLE FOR RENTERS. Just as businesses and homeowners deserve consistency, so too do renters. I want Biddeford to be known as a great place to be a tenant. It's hard to square that with double-digit rental increases.

AFFORDABLE FOR OWNERS: The only good way to bring down everyone's property taxes is to bring new units to market and into the tax-base. The homeowners of Biddeford need planned and thoughtful growth.

AFFORDABLE FOR PARENTS. We need our parks to be safe and clean so children and families can enjoy them. We need to support those organizations which provide incredible services to parents and children, starting with the miracle that is the McArthur Library.

AFFORDABLE FOR SENIORS. A lot of the people moving to Ward 5 are seniors or people preparing for retirement. They want to downsize, they want to be somewhere walkable, they want to be somewhere social. We need to make sure they have a safe and affordable downtown - and that their cost of housing is as predictable and consistent as we can manage in a very crazy world.

AFFORDABLE FOR WORKERS AND TRADESPEOPLE. If you work in Biddeford, you should be able to live in Biddeford. This benefits everybody. It builds community, it reduces traffic, it supports the economy coming and going. This means building new workforce housing.

AFFORDABLE FOR BUSINESSES. We need city support for small and new businesses; clear and consistent code enforcement; and clear and consistent taxation.

AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK. The best way to get people off the streets is to give them a bed to sleep in and a place to store their things during the day. This dramatically increases employment and dramatically decreases drug use - leading to more stable housing, and a better Biddeford for everybody.