Roanoke City Council is broken, and we need a professional to fix it

Retired Marine Corps colonel and long-time citizen watchdog over Roanoke City Council, Robert (Bob) Craig is campaigning for a seat on council.  He is concerned about the precarious position of the city’s finances after 10 years of ill-conceived spending that has compromised the ability of the city to fund its core government functions and has led the politicians to once again turn to tax increases on hard-working citizens to bail themselves out.

 Bob Craig’s concerns about Roanoke include:

·         Financial responsibility – the city government does not prioritize its spending, ends up buying “nice-to-have” items (an amphitheater, civic center expansions, etc.), then has little left to fund its core functions, such as storm water drains (which keep the city from flooding) and our schools.  The taxpayers should not be hit up for more taxes or face service cuts every time the budget comes up short.

·         Stopping the proposed new storm water utility fees – they will further burden citizens and businesses already strapped by a tough economy.  This excessive tax will kill more jobs in Roanoke than the recession, and – unlike the recession – it will return year after year to exact its toll.

·         Better financial support for the school system – Roanoke City schools have improved their performance and efficiency during the last few years.  Yet, when the schools run efficiently and save money, the city penalizes them by counting that savings against them in the following year’s budgeting process, rather than allowing them to use that extra money to improve programs.

Bob Craig’s entire working career has been in leadership and financial management.  He commanded four artillery units in Vietnam, and spent his last 17 years on Marine Corps active duty as a financial manager, including as the budget officer at the Senior Marine Command in the Pacific Area, as well as the comptroller at the Marine Corps Bases in Japan and at Quantico – positions comparable to the chief financial officer of a city the size of Roanoke. 

Following his military career, Bob was a senior financial executive with the U.S. Treasury Department as well as for private sector companies, and was an adjunct faculty member in financial management and organizational management at several colleges and universities in Hawaii, Mississippi, and Maryland.

He knows the budgetary process.  He is willing and able to make the right decisions to keep your taxes low and the quality of your services high.  He is also very willing to practice FINANCIAL TOUGH LOVE with those who think that taxpayer money is in unlimited supply.

That is why he is running for Roanoke City Council, and that is why he needs the votes of Roanokers like you on May 4th – whether you are Republican, Democrat, or independent.

ELECT BOB CRAIG