District 2 Berlin Council candidates Jack Orris, left, and Zackery Tyndall are pictured at the recent Coastal Association of Realtors candidate forum. Photos by Charlene Sharpe
BERLIN — With District 2 Councilmember Lisa Hall giving up her seat to challenge for mayor, the race to replace her is a wide-open competition with newcomers Jack Orris Jr. and Zackery Tyndall both looking to hold their first elected office.
Orris works as an office manager for a construction company, while Tyndall is a former paramedic with Berlin who is now a Realtor.
Staff Writer Charlene Sharpe posed three questions to the candidates this week and the following are their responses.
- As a council person, would you support growing the town’s boundaries through annexation for new residential developments? Why or why not?
Orris: I’ve always stated that I’m for less annexation. Now that doesn’t mean no annexation and it certainly doesn’t mean no growth forever. Quite the opposite, annexation is a natural progression. I just feel we need to take the time to focus on the residents and lots we have here in town. Just like businesses, however, we can’t welcome developments/residents here and then make it so expensive that we effectively set them up for failure. I would welcome working together with the Mayor and Council, the town’s economic development department, developers and real estate organizations to find mutually beneficial ways to increase inventory in the town. I believe the state is heading in the right direction with easing regulations and, in turn, local municipalities can begin to reap those benefits. Berlin is clearly accelerating as the “in” place. Berlin is the place to be, we just need to work together to ensure all parties involved from developing, to permitting, to building and occupancy are all on the same page.
Tyndall: I support the sustainable growth of our town by maintaining our current boundaries and focusing on our existing infrastructure. By focusing on our existing infrastructure, we can continue to provide all of the great services like trash collection, public water and sewer, police and fire protection and municipal electric services, while focusing on making our town more efficient and reducing unnecessary spending.
- Both of you are significantly younger than the other members of the council. Will your age and lack of local political experience hinder your effectiveness as a councilman? Describe the specific experience and skills you would bring to the position.
Orris: I wouldn’t say I have a total lack of local political experience. To be sure, this is my first campaign as a candidate, but I’ve volunteered for numerous local, state and federal elections. Every community has its own issues and concerns, of course, but the basic principle is always the same — it’s about the people. All politics is local and these elections are vital to representation and the local level is really where the direct effect is felt. Attending council and commission meetings, asking questions, reading reports, as well as my degree in Political Science, have given me the knowledge to work with the council. My skills and abilities of operations and office management, conflict resolution and an overall willingness to listen, cooperate, help and serve all people are what I can bring to the council. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reaching out and meeting residents. I’ve made new friends, listened to various concerns/comments on a range of issues — but most importantly, I’m using my skills and abilities, as well as education to try to better our community.
Tyndall: When comparing myself to my opponent, I believe that I am significantly more prepared to represent the residents of district two. I am a lifelong resident of Berlin, employed in Berlin, own property in Berlin, and have attended every town council meeting over the past two years along with the past two budget workshops. I believe that this preparation and experience has enabled me to best represent the citizens of Berlin. Since the other members of the council are a little older, I think Berlin would benefit from a younger perspective that offers a diversity of opinion and new innovations in marketing to keep our town competitive.
- If elected, how would you describe your approach to the budget? Would it be your goal to reduce or maintain the town’s property tax rate at its current level? Under what conditions would you consider increasing the town’s tax rate?
Orris: I think the best description of my approach would be one word: scrutinizer. I won’t be afraid to ask questions about where monies are going and what is being spent where. I really respected former Councilwoman [Paula] Lynch for her stewardship of the town treasury, and can only aspire to be as well educated on the budget as she. My budget goal would be to increase the tax base by efficient revenue generation — help businesses start up here in Berlin, as well as not hurt businesses already existing or trying to build a customer base. This also applies to new residents, with more people and businesses in the tax pool, the better it can be for all taxpayers. It’s a fine line that’s going to be a challenge to the new Mayor and Council: a challenge I know we can overcome, and I hope to be an active participant and representative on the council for the residents. At this point, I honestly see no condition in which I would want to increase taxes.
Tyndall: As a candidate with a degree in Business Management and Finance, I have spent countless hours reviewing financial statements. If elected, my approach to the budget would mirror the concepts and skills that were imbedded in me during my studies at Salisbury University. I would try to find ways to increase our town’s revenue from outside sources while decreasing our possible wasteful spending in an effort to decrease liabilities. Pertaining to our town’s property tax rate, I believe there is some room for improvement and I arrive at this assumption after deeply analyzing the property tax rates of the other four municipalities within our state that have capabilities of generating electricity. According to the Department of Assessment and Taxation, Berlin has the second highest municipal tax rate compared to the other four municipalities that produce electricity. I am against raising our town’s tax rate unless our community would be faced with some form of natural disaster or dire circumstance.