Washington mayoral candidates share vision for city
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
A large crowd filled the LeMoyne Community Center Wednesday for a candidate’s forum hosted by the Washington County branch of the NAACP.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
City of Washington mayoral candidates Jojo Burgess, left, and Scott Putnam answer questions at Wednesday’s candidate forum. Bracken Burns, center, served as moderator.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Jojo Burgess won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Washington during the May 16 primary.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Incumbent Scott Putnam looks to have lost the bid for the Democratic nomination for mayor of the city of Washington
The two candidates for mayor of Washington presented their vision of the city at a candidate’s forum Wednesday.
Incumbent Scott Putnam and challenger Jojo Burgess took part in the forum at the LeMoyne Community Center, which also featured candidates for city and county offices as well as for Washington and Trinity school boards. Former Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns served as moderator. The event was hosted by Washington County’s branch of the NAACP and the Washington County League of Women Voters.
Both mayoral candidates are running on the Democratic ticket.
Putnam, who is completing his second term, said he wants to continue the efforts he and council have put forth during his years in office, including supporting emergency personnel and working toward the revitalization of the city.
“We need to continue our revitalization of our neighborhoods, our neighborhood playgrounds and our city park,” Putnam said. “With the home rehabilitations with the West End, in Tylerdale and in the Fifth Ward, we want to continue to serve our residents that live there. We want to continue to support our police, our fire and our first responders to make sure our residents are safe and are protected.”
Putnam said during his time as mayor, the Washington Business District Authority has implemented more than $1 million in facade grant improvements through Local Share Account (LSA) funding and private investments to help small businesses.
“The growth of our small businesses is the lifeblood of our city,” Putnam said. “We’re using LSA funds, we’re using federal grants and state grants, along with the entrepreneurial spirit of our residents in growing small business in our downtown.”
Jojo Burgess, a longtime steel worker and veteran political and union activist, is the challenger, and said he is focusing on making sure no one in the city is forgotten.
“We’ve got to bring jobs back to this city,” Burgess said. “We’ve got to bring our people to the city, get them away from the projects to home ownership to life-sustaining jobs that keep us here. Let us all grow together and prosper together and all enjoy success together. Let’s put Washington back on the map and respected as a small town in Western Pennsylvania that leads by example.”
Burgess said a way to do that is by securing funding for purposes other than just the business district.
“There’s funding out there for the city to build not just the business district but the whole city,” he said. “The downtown business district must stop at Chestnut Street on South Main. I’ve never seen anything that’s north of there that’s benefited from the monies that are coming in. Everybody’s got to be represented.”
A question was posed as to what is the greatest challenge facing the city. Putnam cited the many tax-exempt properties.
“Over 40% of the value of taxable real estate in the city of Washington is tax-exempt,” Putnam said. “That puts that burden on the residents.”
He also discussed the number of rental-occupied residences, as earned income tax is often not collected because of the rental population.
Burgess said people who live in areas such as Maple Terrace, Lincoln Terrace and Jollick Manor need to be helped.
“Those people are proud people,” he said. “We need to transform those people’s lives and get them jobs and a path into home ownership. That helps the city of Washington to grow.”