Remarks From Steve Davis Filing for City Council 2nd Ward Seat

Thank you for coming. I appreciate so much the outpouring of support I have received the last few months, and I understand what it means for you to take time out of your day for me. Again, thank you.

My name is Steve Davis, and I have just filed to run for the 2nd Ward seat on City Council in the May of 2015 Democrat Primary.

I stand before you today with a rich history of involvement in local politics.  I have worked on the sidelines for friends and relatives running for office, most notably my older brother Rick Davis, for many years.  I was there in 2011 when Rick ran for Mayor, and we almost captured that office while being outspent 2 to 1.  Community involvement is in my blood, and with two grown sons and a grandson,  I understand what it means to put the interests of others before my own. As your representative on the City Council, I will always put your interests first.

One of the ways I will put your interests first is to heal the division of the City Council. I want to ensure that the 2nd Ward Council Member is not only informed but a proactive representative of the City of Evansville.  I will work with other members of council who already are doing their best to preserve fiscal responsibility and establish appropriate priorities for our community.  I will put Evansville first.

As to fiscal responsibility, Evansville leaders must learn to distinguish more easily between wants and needs. Our needs often lack the glamour of grand hotels and arenas, but meeting the needs of our residents should be our first priority.  I firmly believe that investing in the people who are already here and the infrastructure that already exists is imperative.

We must live within our means and understand the mantra- first things first.  Our own house must be in order before we can expect to attract the best and the brightest to our community with their businesses and talent. We have much work to do.

The appropriate priorities that foster fiscal responsibility and a focus on current quality of life and long-term development of Evansville are as follows, and this is certainly not a complete list:

City Council Unity – I want to help unify City Council by pledging to work with everyone who is elected for the betterment of Evansville. City Council needs to be a united, friendly and positive body of government to prospective employers and businesses that are looking to invest in Evansville. I believe many Evansville residents agree that members of the City Council need to work together and professionally on community issues while in the public eye.

Putting others first is necessary for a representative to behave in a compassionate, positive and professional manner.  A representative must be collaborative but also decisive.  I am willing to make the tough decisions where necessary but always with the understanding that a bright future and the greatest good to the greatest number of residents are my guiding principles.  I will put Evansville first.

A Long-Term Development Plan for the City that includes a housing plan, infrastructure improvement/ replacement, public transportation and commercial development.

* Many of the Evansville’s citizens are ready and able to go to work but need the tools to live up to their potential.  Local employers who hire unskilled workers struggle to fill those open positions. We must invest in our community to foster quality, affordable housing, family stability,  public transportation and other services needed for local residents to fill those openings.  We must start with our greatest number of residents in need and provide them those services to become productive.

* Our infrastructure has lived its full life and needs attention. We must invest in both what you can see and what you cannot see. Evansville needs work above and below ground.  Roads and sidewalks must be repaired, water lines replaced and our sewer system must get the investment it needs to stop the drainage of raw sewage into Pigeon Creek and the Ohio River. The longer we wait, the greater the cost of these projects.  Our sewer master plan has gone largely ignored and many of these projects are in the 2nd Ward.  Some of our sidewalks are so bad that disabled citizens are risking their lives by riding their wheelchairs in the street. By addressing these infrastructure needs we will resolve those problems and create skilled jobs for those in the construction industry.

* The City lacks a housing plan and blight elimination plan. The development of new, affordable housing must be done in conjunction with the removal of structures that are in disrepair. The City of Evansville must aggressively demolish and land bank structures beyond repair and vacant lots with a plan for their long-term use for new commercial and residential developments.  A vacant housing registry must be instituted to facilitate structures moving into hands that will use them for the greatest good.

* The 2040 Master Plan developed for the Metropolitan Planning Organization gives insight into our transportation needs for the future. We also have a pedestrian and bicycle master plan that will be done this year. We must use these documents we have paid for in conjunction with a housing and blight elimination plan to look at how public transportation must be grown and improved. The bus system should be easier to navigate and expanded to meet the growing needs of the workforce that cannot afford a car and insurance.

* Crime must be addressed with a changed approach to that of Community Policing. And by using the term Community Policing, I do not mean a new program.  Instead, I refer to a value system, which permeates a police department where the primary organizational goal is working cooperatively with individual citizens, groups of citizens, church leaders and both public and private organizations to identify and resolve issues, which potentially affect the livability of specific neighborhoods, areas, or the city as a whole. Community-based police departments recognize the fact that the police cannot effectively deal with such issues alone, and must partner with others who share a mutual responsibility for resolving problems.  Community policing stresses prevention, early identification, and timely intervention to deal with issues before they become unwieldy problems.

We must work together to identify the causes of crime and how it can be prevented.  We must give neighborhoods and police officers, along with businesses and community organizations the tools they need to address the majority of crime.  Police officer diversity training must be changed to focus on the culture and the plight of poverty.  In addition, our most vulnerable population must be educated as to the value of police officers and that they can be trusted to both protect and serve.

During the last few weeks while talking to different members of our local Government,  Police and Fire Departments as well as the people of the 2nd Ward it is clear that they want a Councilperson that will be optimistic,  professional,  positive and transparent.  As your 2nd Ward City Councilman I pledge to be optimistic,  professional,  positive and transparent. My pledge to you is to “Put Evansville First”!

Thanks

Steve Davis

2nd Ward City Council Candidate