10272007 - News Article - Clerk-treasurer questions mayoral campaign promises - Velazquez, Olson say Pappas comments not totally factual

Clerk-treasurer questions mayoral campaign promises
Velazquez, Olson say Pappas comments not totally factual
NWI Times
Oct 27, 2007
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/clerk-treasurer-questions-mayoral-campaign-promises/article_00be852f-9a6e-5108-b95e-39240cc38258.html
PORTAGE | With less than two weeks to go before Northwest Indiana's third largest city elects its next mayor, Clerk Treasurer Donna Pappas is rebuking the campaign of her own party's nominee .

"My concern is people are being promised things that we can't pay for," Pappas said. "They may be making them with good intentions, but I don't see them making them happen. Sometimes the enthusiasm to get elected will outweigh the common sense portion of it."

While Pappas, a Democrat, said both Democrat Olga Velazquez and Republican James Snyder should study the financial facts before making any campaign promises, she specifically attacked Velazquez's plans.

"She's the only one I've seen," Pappas said.

Improving sidewalks and the safety of the city's residents are among Velazquez's priorities. Pappas said with the city's current and projected financial situation, new sidewalks and hiring additional police officers won't be on the horizon for the city.

Mayor Doug Olson, also a Democrat, said it's Pappas who isn't putting forward all the facts.

"We have a sidewalk fund. People pay into that fund. Last I checked, we still had $150,000," he said. "And, Olga never said anything about hiring more people."

Pappas said she's received about a dozen phone calls from residents asking how some of Velazquez's campaign priorities are going to become reality. With that in mind, she called Velazquez and said she was given a cold shoulder.

Velazquez said that's not the full story. A brief phone call Wednesday while she was at work was the first she's heard from Pappas on campaign matters.

"I have a large responsibility in caring for many patients and I didn't have the time (to talk)," Velazquez said. "I said if people have questions, they can call my home or they can call my campaign headquarters and I would gladly talk to them. I said, if elected, I would sit down with her and talk at length."

Pappas said she asked Snyder about his plans for sidewalks and public safety and he admitted he didn't have specific information and would have to look at the city's budget. The Times could not reach Snyder on Friday for comment.

"Snyder, whatever he promises he needs to tell them where it's coming from," Pappas said.

Without property tax draws, the city has had to borrow twice this year. Because of that, Portage will be paying more than $200,000 in interest, and Pappas said, the state is only projecting a 3.7 percent increase in the city's budget next year. The city will have to go into maintenance mode, she said.

Olson said Pappas isn't looking at the big picture.

"Times are not going to be that tough all the time," he said. "I just think it's a shame that Donna and her people are trying to get the focus away from the message this close to the election. It's a shame that that's happening."