Kevin Crocker is running for an at-large seat on the City Council because he thinks in the next year the state will be facing a financial crunch, and he wants to help guide Westbrook through those times.
“I want to be part of the solution,” said Crocker, R-Haskell Street. “There are a lot of matching funds coming from Augusta that municipal governments depend on. I think that’s going to end. And I think the City Council is the best place to deal with those challenges that are coming at us.”
The city needs to take a common sense approach to economic development and know when to say “no” to a project that isn’t right for the city, said Crocker. “There are an awful lot of good ideas out there, but we can’t afford all of them,” he said. “We have got to find a way to encourage businesses to settle and grow here without giving the city away to do it. I believe if we take the right approach to economic development and market that approach in the right way, the right solution will present itself.”
Crocker also thinks the city needs to take steps to ensure the current pace of residential development doesn’t exceed the rate of commercial development. “I think we need to take a look at what the city can do to have a balance between residences and businesses,” he said.
Crocker said he doesn’t want to see Westbrook’s taxes go up, but he said as times get tougher and some state money goes away, some increases may be inevitable. However, he said if the city develops a frugal attitude towards spending, automatic annual tax increases would not be necessary.
For Westbrook to continue to grow, Crocker said the city has to get a handle on how to manage traffic and parking, especially around downtown. The city needs to explore every option for parking, including the possibility of a second parking garage, he said.
“We need to be open to every option,” said Crocker. “We’re not going to grow if businesses won’t come here because there’s no way for their customers to get to them.”
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