The primary message city residents should convey to the four candidates vying for Butler City Council seats and the three people on the ballots for mayor is that their campaigns must focus on specific issues and remedies, not on generalities.

The candidates must strive to meet one on one with taxpayers to discuss local issues and concerns, not expect name recognition or past city service to carry the candidates to victory.

And, as part of that issues emphasis, the seven individual campaigns should focus on the candidates' strategies, not just on broad statements such as wanting to avoid tax increases.

One relevant question that each candidate should be asked is his or her position about future increases to the new Emergency and Municipal Services Tax, which replaced the Occupational Privilege Tax.

For this year, the council could have set the new tax at $47, but opted to set it at $26 for the city. An additional $5 will be collected for the Butler Area School District.

Under the former occupational privilege levy, $5 was collected for the city and $5 for the school district.

Another question relevant to this year's election, especially in the mayoral race, is what the candidates would do, if elected, in regard to battling the city's illegal-drug problem. The candidates must speak out about their views on beefing up patrols in neighborhoods identified as having significant drug activity and how they would compensate for that emphasis in ensuring police presence in other neighborhoods.

That will require candidates to do some "homework" to learn how patrol activity currently is carried out and how availability of manpower is managed - and to learn residents' opinions on how the police work is currently handled.

All of the candidates must be questioned on their views and/or strategies regarding infrastructure repair, eventual reopening of the Memorial Park swimming pool, combining the streets and parks departments, as has been proposed, cutting back city building hours of operation to save money, changes in parking rates, imposing meter parking on Main Street, and passing a renters' tax. Likewise, they must be asked to speak in specifics about Main Street and West End revitalization and what the city should be doing to attract new businesses and visitors.

Also, the candidates should be prepared to discuss what should be done in regard to valuable vacant land, such as the former Woolworth's store site on Main Street.

The only way for Butler to win in this year's elections is for the candidates to be fully aware of the city's needs and be truly dedicated to working from Day One to bring about positive change.

The candidates for mayor are Drusilla Rensel, Richard Schontz and Maggie Stock. Vying for two council seats are Joseph Bratkovich, Ed Green, Mike Kelly and Kathy Kline.

The political party affiliations of the candidates should be regarded as secondary by the voters, especially in the fall election. What is needed is for the voters to put in office the three people who are capable of doing the most good for their municipality - especially in terms of rescuing the city from the financial tribulations and decay that continue to detract from it.

The voters will make their first "cut" when they select party nominees in the May 17 primary elections. This year's general election is on Nov. 8.

Spirited campaigning must punctuate this election year, to encourage a large turnout in both ballotings. The importance of this year's elections in the city cannot be exaggerated.

Campaigns waged merely with signs that carry a picture and the message "Vote for Me" aren't what the city needs.