Donna
Tarantino-Walker

What should Victoria do about downtown parking, and who should pay for it?

Their pick: Create new public parking soon.

Not soon—now. Downtown Victoria is short on parking, and residents and business owners feel it every day. The current council doesn’t see it as an issue, but the people who live and work here do. Our parking ordinances and the variances granted don’t add up to what downtown needs, and another study won’t change that. A Parking solution has already been presented to the city that covered both the cost and the funding. The council would not approved it. Let’s see that proposal again. Let's bring it back and have a parking plan approved within the first 90 days, with residents seeing exactly how it’s paid for. Parking is the front door to every business. When that door is closed, customers get the message they’re not welcome. They go elsewhere. They don’t come back. Solving parking protects our small businesses, our property values and the downtown we all love.

When should the city use TIF or land discounts for downtown and housing projects?

Their pick: Use them only with each deal's need and funding source made public.

TIF and land discounts should be used only when the need is real, the funding source makes sense, and the project delivers what residents want. Residents have been clear: they don’t want more apartment buildings or tall, urban-style developments in Victoria. TIF is supposed to bring back something the city needs. But the new taxes a TIF project generates can go back into that project for years before taxpayers see any benefit. And promises don’t always hold. The Rowe apartment building downtown was supposed to bring more parking, and it fell short. Before any deal is approved, residents should see the need, the funding source, how long it lasts, what the city gets in return and the real cost to taxpayers. These tools should work for all of Victoria, not a select few. If a project truly fits our small-town character and benefits our community, I’ll support it.

How should the council handle the property tax levy, and what would you cut or add?

Their pick: Keep increases modest and balanced against services.

The levy is the amount the city collects from property taxes to run Victoria, and the council sets it every year. It’s only part of your bill. The county and school district set theirs, but the city’s share is ours to manage, and it should be managed carefully. As taxpayers, we pay the bills for this city, and we deserve a clear answer to a simple question: what are we getting in return? I’ll bring common-sense budgeting to the council. That means keeping increases modest, separating needs from wants, and understanding the full cost of bonds and other funds before we commit. If spending doesn’t deliver for residents, it should be cut. What I’d add is investment in the Victoria we already have: parking, safe streets and parks. Residents should see where every dollar goes. Transparency is how we earn your trust.

How should Victoria handle new housing and development?

Their pick: Limit large projects to protect small-town character.

Residents have made it clear: they want a small town, not large developments. Yet we have many projects that are either completed, pending approval, being built or waiting to begin building. They include single-family homes, townhomes, twinhomes, senior housing, affordable housing and two large apartment buildings with more than 300 units combined. Looking at all of it, residents feel ignored. It’s time to listen. A city should grow slowly and with purpose. The Met Council has real influence over how much we grow, but Victoria has a voice, and when their targets don’t fit our community, we need to challenge them. We don’t have to develop every piece of land. We can partner with land trusts to protect open space and learn from towns that have preserved their character while still evolving. Let's also invest in the Victoria we already: downtown, safe streets, parking and our local businesses.