Marion Third Ward City Council
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Jason Schaber
(Rep)
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Ralph Smith
(Rep)
What are the top 3 key issues or challenges you believe the city is facing, and what steps will you take to address them if elected?
How do you plan to address affordable housing and homelessness in our city?
Current Occupation
Small business owner
Blocked Railroad Crossings: Emergency services are delayed by frequent train blockages. I will push for implementing Helix and eVTOL technology to ensure life-saving access when minutes matter. City Finances: Marion’s financial management is in disarray. We're selectively paying bills while wasting tax dollars on non-essentials like $10K desks and excessive vehicle lettering. I'll advocate for responsible spending to prioritize vital services. Infrastructure Maintenance: Roads, sidewalks, and drainage need attention. I’ll focus on ensuring these essential repairs are prioritized to improve safety and quality of life.
Addressing affordable housing and homelessness requires a multi-faceted approach. I will work to partner with local organizations to expand transitional housing and support services that help individuals regain stability. Additionally, I'll advocate for incentives that encourage developers to create affordable housing options while ensuring zoning policies support these efforts. Strengthening community programs that provide job training, mental health resources, and addiction support will also be key in helping residents secure and maintain stable housing.
Current Occupation
Retired
1. Economic development.
Solution: Encourage incentives to attract new business by supporting organizations such as Marion Downtown Inc, Chamber of Commerce, CANDO, and others. Corporations today require "turnkey" facilities to relocate so we must be ready to accept them.
2. Affordable Housing.
Solution: Offer tax abatements for developers of affordable housing, review zoning to encourage development of affordable housing, require a certain percentage of new developments to be affordable, and use a housing finance agency to help with financing of home purchases.
3. Infrastructure.
Solution: Support legislation to repair/replace inferior sewers, street surfaces, street lighting, and traffic flow. Demand efficient use of taxpayer funds.
Encourage mixed use zoning. Streamline the permitting process to make it easier to develop affordable housing. Encourage applications for grants for developing and renovating housing units. Remove abandoned or derelict homes and encourage developers to build affordable housing on the land. Renovate existing safe structures into housing units for homeless. Partner with NPOs to utilize their expertise and resources. Provide incentives to organizations to participate in relieving homelessness.
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