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NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Marilee Walters, a Flagler Avenue merchant who finished third in the Sept. 22 primary for mayor, said she's concerned about the spending practices of the New Smyrna Beach CRA.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Though she finished out of the running for mayor in last month's primary, Flagler Avenue merchant Marilee Walters said she's continuing her ant-tax message by questioning the spending practices of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency.
The CRA and the City Commission will hold a joint meeting at 6 o'clock tnight in the third floor Deberry room in the Utilities Commission building on Canal Street and she plans on attending.
Walters has been one of the more vocal critics of CRA spending, including the nearly $9,000 purchase of an artificial Christmas tree for Canal Street merchants. Walters also said she supports County Councilman Jack Hayman's recent call for a state audit of New Smyrna's CRA fiscal matters, especially in light of its $1.8 million operating budget.
Walters wrote the following for NSBNEWS.net as part of an ongoing dialogue for allof the candidates in this year's election:
"The looming CRA investigation is a welcome wake-up call for our City. I am concerned about the spending of CRA money on projects.
"I am also concerned about our elected officials allowing and voting for the appropriation of this money going to these property purchases. I also have to wonder about a conflict of interest regarding certain individuals sitting on the CRA board and also the Chamber.
"I would like to (continue) my platform of "NO TAX INCREASE." This could be accomplished by cutting waste, combining services, changing employee contribution rates, reducing top-heavy managerial positions, stopping the funding to losing city business endeavors, increasing revenue from city leases, promoting business friendly opportunities, etc. I bet we could find a couple million."