Published: October 28, 2009 11:36 pm      

NORTH TONAWANDA: Soos, Ortt cover many topics at debate

Featuring first and possibly foremost at Wednesday night’s North Tonawanda candidate forum was the mayoral debate between incumbent Larry Soos and challenger Rob Ortt.

Both addressed questions pertaining to waterfront development, tax assessments, business development, the passage of the recent city budget, shared services and more before a crowd of at least 80 residents.

In the abstract, Ortt said the city has suffered a “leadership deficit” and while he agreed some of the initiatives under Soos have positive potential, stressed the need for more comprehensive long term planning.

The most significant new suggestion Ortt made, aside from questions asking him to evaluate Soos’ current initiatives, was possibly to institute a three-year moratorium on property reassessments.

A main criticism by the candidate is that a new city tax levy worth an additional $1.6 million couldn’t have come at a worse time. It is one of his fundamental arguments against Soos’ recently adopted 2010 budget plan.

“That’s the largest single tax levy in the history of North Tonawanda,” he said, calling such moves a “shell game.”

He proposed a three year freeze on reassessments, during which time he vowed he would gauge the potential for revaluations against the overall economic climate.

Soos called that plan a “time bomb,” stressing the cost of doing business in the city is always rising, in large part due to costs the city has no control over, such as union guaranteed wage schedules and health care.

On the budget

On broader budgetary concerns, Soos made mention that Ortt, who is also the current City Clerk-Treasurer, attended budget meetings in the spring and early summer but made no recommendations.

“He just sits back now and complains about what happens,” Soos said.

In line with his message calling for more of a long-term vision, Ortt fired back that he did indeed make suggestions, and said part of the problem is that the budget process itself is flawed, and succeeds only in plugging short-term gaps.

“On several occasions I put in my recommendations ... long story short I was part of the process and the mayor, it’s his budget, and he has to live with it in the end,” Ortt said.

On business development

Soos touted significant progress nearing fruition at the former Buffalo Bolt light industrial park on Oliver Street, saying a recent bid will break ground on the project now, and that his office has been in contact with two or three businesses are interested in a presence there.

In referencing the many comparatively huge developments he’s helped spearhead or advance as mayor, Soos said Walmart is only threatened by future lawsuits from NT First, and that despite enough blame to go around all city officials on the dormant city marina, “that marina will be open this spring.”

Ortt chose to point out that despite progress, the marina isn’t open yet. He repeatedly indicated incremental advances don’t amount to completion of a plan.

“I will address that immediately,” he vowed, if elected. “... I feel this administration has been very slow to adjust.”

On NYPA

Most simply, Soos stressed the relationship he’s forged with the authority’s President and CEO, Richard Kesell, and believes continued negotiations are more effective than the GOP-led county legislature’s lawsuit for reaching a settlement for this city and others discounted from cheap power the authority offered in places like Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Ortt expressed a desire toward “chain rattling,” pointing out he’s seen evidence that the authority has responded to investigative news coverage and bad press.

Though Soos has succeeded in getting one settlement offer from Kesell, the coalition is pushing for more, he said. Ortt continued with the theme that he has yet to see any actual results, suggesting a firmer, more authoritative approach is needed.

“I wish it was as easy as that,” Soos responded, “It isn’t.”

On the waterfront

Here again, Ortt charged a lack of vision on the part of City Hall.

“I think when you talk about waterfront development there needs to be a vision for what it will look like (years later),” Ortt said. “And I don’t think there is one.”

On the recently announced plans to consider wind turbines at the city’s wastewater plant as a significant cost-savings measure, Ortt said he doesn’t like the proposal to use the wastewater plant, because it could interfere with the goal to beautify the riverfront. He suggested exploring locations elsewhere in the city. But even beyond that he indicated other forms of renewable energy should also be explored.

“They’re large they’re not nice to look at,” he said. “That’s not what I want to see along the waterfront.”

Soos said he thought the criticism was based on a misunderstanding of the type of generators available, some of which could be smaller bladeless versions.

Gratwick park was also discussed, with Soos stressing $247,000 in county Greenway funding for Gratwick Park was a good first step toward completing an overall $9 million in upgrades to the park. Progress has been made on a playground, while a new fishing pier is expected to be installed soon. He talked about 300 feet of new wharf installed at Gateway Harbor Park in the last year or so and plans for the city greenhouse.

But despite that and other initiatives, Ortt used the still-abandoned city marina to assert not enough has actually come to fruition.

“The long and the short of it is there hasn’t been a lot of activity along the waterfront,” Ortt said.

Soos disputed that, and said while Ortt claims many of the projects he’s continued to advance over the years could have been better managed, the challenger hasn’t spelled out how he would speed up the pace of administration.

“I don’t think you have to look further than the marina to find a lack of vision,” Ortt said, to which Soos ultimately responded the council and his office had gone back and forth on botched plans to sell or run the facility over the last few years, and that an illegitimate legal opinion had simply negated a successful sale of the property some two years ago.

“There was a plan,” he said.

In closing comments, the experience factor surrounding the 30-year-old Ortt, who recently returned from a year-long tour leading men in Afghanistan. Ortt’s combat experience wasn’t much discussed.

While the questions had a way of underscoring an obvious and extensive list of improvements Soos has worked for years to conceive or advance — good things for any resident of the city once completed — Ortt said his experience as a family financial advisor, city treasurer and proven leader of men will go far.

The mayor, in his closing, too issue with some direct mail pieces being sent out to city residents, calling them unnecessary attacks on his person, not the issues. Ortt agreed some of the mailings might be over the top, but said at least one of the pieces (the actual topic of which wasn’t discussed be either candidate) was based in fact.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.