Each of the Butler mayoral candidates have a vision for Butler’s Main Street and the nearby Butler Cultural District, according to recent Butler Eagle interviews.

Read about how Bob Dandoy (democratic candidate), Don Shearer (Republican candidate) and Tom Donaldson, write-in candidate feel about improvements to Main Street, the cultural district and residential areas.

The three will face off in the November election. Subscribe can read their answers below and more about who they are and the top issues they see.

Dandoy said during his time as mayor, he’s learned other cities that have rebuilt have a common denominator — they rebuilt from the center outward. He said he believes by taking necessary steps downtown, the entire city will benefit.

Some of the steps he wants to consider include lessening the tax burden on new businesses, looking into the city’s facade program and digging into the benefits of establishing a land bank.

On the cultural district, Dandoy said the city’s community is built off organizations each trying to improve the city’s well-being in their own ways. He said he will support the cultural district in any way he possibly can.

Shearer said that the city is now in a position to look at tax abatement and business investment programs for new and upstart businesses in the city. He said he would also look to “supercharge” the Main Street facade program.

Furthermore, he said he is also exploring providing low-interest loans for apartment renovations. He also mentioned upcoming infrastructure work as a sign that the city is already in a positive direction and just needs a bit more stimulation.

Shearer said he is a big proponent of the cultural district’s mission and wants to see how it develops further over time. He said he will support more advertising as he believes a fully realized cultural district will be a plus for the whole city.

Donaldson said many people his age have a vision to bring back the Main Street they remember, but that is impossible. Instead, he said he would support making it a better place than what it was before and give younger residents the opportunity to reflect on the present as their own good times.

Toward this, he said he would make downtown more business-friendly by encouraging collaboration and support from the county and giving voices to business owners through his proposed citizens advisory committee.

On the cultural district, Donaldson said he will be supportive of events in the city, but feels that the city is currently subsidizing a lot of costs, such as overtime. He said it is not the responsibility of the city to provide entertainment, but rather to support entities that bring entertainment to the area.

Additionally, all three expressed interest in improving the city’s parking situation.

Dandoy said the first impression for any community is the parking, so having up-to-date and well-maintained parking lots and garages has been a priority for him. He believes continuing to maintain and modernize the city’s parking will have a good economic impact for the city.

Shearer said that he would explore the current parking options the city provides on the streets, besides Main Street. He said he would consider making those last metered spots turn into limited-time free parking similar to what Main Street has.

Donaldson said parking in the city sorely needs the maintenance it is getting, but otherwise believes that the city has an excellent and cheap parking system.

Support for city residents

Dandoy said a first-time homeowner incentive program; a program to provide money for property cleanup, repairs and improvements; and even just continuing to improve infrastructure are some of the ways he hopes to support city residents.

He said he would also communicate with organizations to see about hosting events in the neighborhoods, instead of exclusively on Main Street.

Shearer said he does not think the issue with blighted properties comes from a lack of laws, but rather a lack of enforcement. He said he would try to identify chronic problem areas and make sure to put additional pressure there.

With a coordinated response, he said he believes the city will be able to tackle the issue much more than it has been able to in previous years.

Donaldson said many residents get stuck with added responsibilities such as curb and retaining wall management that may create unaffordable problems. He would look to see about returning responsibility

He recognized while the area has numerous programs to support low-income residents, some will inevitably slip through the cracks. He said he will try to support those through collaboration with the city’s redevelopment authority and other organizations.

Managing and using the money from the sale of BASA

The No. 1 priority outside of the city’s plan for the money, in Dandoy’s mind, is to address stormwater needs. He said the city is currently working on a plan to address the issue as soon as possible.

Besides stormwater, Dandoy said another cost that has popped up was Pullman Park. However, he said he recognizes the need to be careful with spending to make sure any future, unexpected problems can be paid for.

Shearer said that despite all of the work done by the city this year, the BASA funds have grown from their original principal amount. He said that the work being taken on by the city, such as renovations to the farmers’ market or Pullman Park, are not prioritized, but rather came to the table quicker.

With this, he reaffirmed his belief that the funds could be used in a more aggressive manner. Beyond the community and business investment programs as well as a land bank, Shearer said he would look into expanding paving in the city to include curbs.

Donaldson said he would first review the plans in place for the money, but hopes that the plan is to only use the interest off the investments. He said he believes the interest alone should be enough to cover tax breaks and major projects.

He said he would put an emphasis on the city’s drainage and stormwater over paving, as any drainage work could possibly ruin or interfere with paving.