The city recently shot down a proposal to annex three areas. What are your thoughts on annexation? Should the city be promoting growth this way? How will the city pay for the additional costs of that growth? Are there other areas you think could be good to bring into the city?
The annexation of more areas around Seymour could potentially bring in more revenue for the city but would also increase the costs associated with having to provide city services to the residents of those areas. The costs at this time may be prohibitive when you consider the services such as trash pickup, sewer lines, and police and fire protection.
The city has been experiencing several years of increasing costs for health insurance because of large claims from employees. The mayor has said that drastic measures may have to be taken to help curb the problem. How would you propose the city tackle this problem? Should the city continue to offer health insurance or should employees be responsible for getting their own health care?
The health care issue, with the recent changes, has become a problem for a lot of employers and employees, so for the time being all options need to be on the table. But I would advocate for health care for all employees without reducing hours worked by any employees.
Seymour’s streets are showing the effects of yet another bad winter and many are in desperate need of work. The city has very limited funding available for road work. Do you believe the city needs to increase the amount of money it spends on road maintenance? How do you propose the city do that? Which roads should be addressed first?
Road repairs are always needed after harsh winter weather and the city has a certain amount of money to spend on road repairs. So I believe that the roads in the worst conditions, along with the most traveled, should be kept in the best conditions possible. There may be options out there where grants could be applied to repair roads also. I would be open to considering any new ideas on how to better maintain city streets.
How important do you feel it is for Seymour to establish a network of walking and biking trails throughout the city? A lot of time has gone into developing a trails committee and plan, but a lot of money is needed to put the plan in place. How should the trails be funded?
In regards to the walking and biking trails I think any idea to get not only kids, but adults also, to get outside and exercise is a good idea. The idea of having them throughout the city is a good idea but then the question of how to fund them comes up. One idea might be to work for private funding from area citizens and businesses.
What should the city be doing to revitalize the downtown and bring businesses to all the empty storefronts along the U.S. 50 corridor? What do you feel the city needs more of?
The downtown area of Seymour is getting better all the time. We have people buying and renovating several buildings downtown. A lot of time and energy has been put into making the downtown better and it may not be as fast as some would like but in my opinion great strides are being made in making downtown Seymour a better place.
What other projects/issues do you think city officials need to address?
There’s a growing concern with drug use in this area which is something we need to stay on top of for the health and safety of our community. I also am interested in finding ways to get children more physically active and fit, so I think we need to be working with the parks department to do that. I also am in favor of doing anything we can to help veterans.
Why did you decide to run for city council?
I decided to run for city council because I would like to help further the growth of Seymour and have an opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much over the years.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”David L. Pollert” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
David L. Pollert
Age: 48
Church and club membership: Member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seymour, Honorably Discharged U.S. Army Veteran, American Legion
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