Teresa Rushing, Candidate for District 4

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1. Term Limits – please respond by March 14, 2019

Last November, voters approved term limits for the Arlington City Council. What is your opinion of these term limits?

As your city council member it is my ministerial duty to adopt the city charter amendment as approved by 62% of the citizens of Arlington. I have no interest in making any changes or removing the initiative as approved by the voters. That said if the citizens were to decide this new system doesn’t work and bring forth a new ballot initiative to amend the city charter again to change the term limits. It would also be my ministerial duty to place the proposition on the ballot for the voters to make that decision.

 

2. Transportation – please respond by March 21, 2019

Please describe, including price maximums to taxpayers, your thoughts on public transportation.

Once upon a time public transit was operated by the private sector. They were heavily regulated but succeeded in providing a superior product for their customers. By the mid 20th century many cities started imposing fare maximums which hurt the operators ability to provide adequate services. In 1964 due to decreased routes and fledgling ridership, the federal government passed the Urban Mass Transit Act. This provided federal grants to cities that purchased private transit companies. The private transportation sector completely disappeared within a decade.

I would only support public transit if it was self sustaining.


3. Communications – please respond by March 28, 2019

If a constituent e-mails you a question or comment on an issue where you disagree and asks you for a response, will you respond to the constituent? Why or why not?

I am always happy to discuss and/or debate issues with my constituents. Every interaction is a potential learning opportunity for everyone.


4. Taxes (Part I) – please respond by April 4, 2019

Currently, Arlington has 1/4-cent of sales tax that could be used, but is not used. What, if anything, do you see yourself approving to place in front of the voters, for uses for the 1/4-cent of sales tax? Why?

 I cannot think of a single thing I would approve of to max out our sales tax rate.

 

5. Taxes (Part II) – please respond by April 11, 2019

Currently, Arlington is experiencing almost double-digit property tax evaluation increases. What do you feel is the appropriate tax rate that should be levied upon the citizens:  1) a rate a little below the rollback rate, 2) the effective tax rate, 3) the same tax rate (even if above the rollback rate), or 4) something else? Why?

The appropriate tax rate that should be levied against the citizens would be the effective tax rate. The effective rate is the property tax rate that would give the city the same amount of money that it had for the past fiscal year.

 

6. Issue – please respond by April 18, 2019

What is the most important issue the city council is facing? Why?

The most important issue the city is facing is communications and transparency. It shouldn't take a week or longer to reply to constituents e-mails.