David Kurtz

Infrastructure / Transportation We need our parks to be safe and clean so children and families can enjoy them. We should be so proud of our library, and should give them the resources to do their critical and just wonderful work. Housing We cannot have artificial scarcity in a housing crisis. Either sell 'em or rent 'em! There need to be financial disincentives for sitting on empty units - especially in the big developments. Taxes / Budget Just as renters shouldn't be subjcted to gigantic increases in rent, so too owners shouldn't be subjected to gigantic increases in property taxes. Criminal Justice / Public Safety We ask a lot of the Biddeford Police Department. We need to give Chief JoAnne appropriate resources, as well as appropriate oversight. Infrastructure / Transportation Businesses, residents, visitors - everyone needs walkable streets. We need to complete the Riverwalk. We need to build the pedestrian bridge between Pearl Street Park and Factory Island. I'd like us to consider an elevated pedestrian bridge at the corner of Main and Alfred. We need better sidewalks - especially for people in wheelchairs. We need better signage... Everywhere. Housing If you work in Biddeford, you should be able to live in Biddeford. This benefits everybody. It builds community, it supports the local economy, it reduces traffic, it reduces labor shortages, and it helps get people off the streets and into stable housing. Social Services The best way to get people off the streets is to give them a bed to sleep in and a place to store their things during the day. This dramatically increases employment and dramatically decreases drug use - leading to more stable housing, and a better Biddeford for everybody. Housing We all know that Biddeford rents have exploded. Some of that is because we're a more desirable place to live. Some of that is because everything has gotten more expensive. But a lot of it is just straight up price-gouging. We need controls, or people are going to keep getting forced out of their homes. Economy We need our downtown stores to know that their rents aren't going to double overnight. We need a thriving Main Street, not an empty one. Social Services The city should strongly encourage affordable childcare. Taxes / Budget We need city support for small and new businesses; clear and consistent code enforcement; and clear and consistent taxation.